WEST virginia Legislature

2018 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 254

By Senators Trump and Blair

[Introduced January 11, 2018; referred
to the Committee on Pensions; and then to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend and reenact §5-16-5a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the expansion of the finance board’s discretion to include in its financial plans subsidies from the Retirement Health Benefit Trust Fund for employees who meet four enumerated elements.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 16. WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES INSURANCE ACT.

§5-16-5a. Retiree premium subsidy from Retiree Health Benefit Trust for hires prior to July 1, 2010.

The (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the finance board may include in its financial plans a subsidy from the Retiree Health Benefit Trust Fund created by article sixteen-d of this chapter for the cost of coverage under the major health care benefits plans, only for retired employees who were hired before July 1, 2010.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the finance board may include in its financial plans a subsidy from the Retiree Health Benefit Trust Fund created by §5-15D-1 et seq. of this code for the cost of coverage under the major health care benefits plans, for a retired employee who:

(1) Was hired after July 1, 2010, but before December 31, 2010;

(2) Had more than twenty years of service as a covered employee prior to his or her rehire in the second half of 2010;

(3) Retired prior to July 1, 2016; and

(4) Applies to the finance board for the subsidized benefit allowed by this subsection within one hundred and twenty days after the effective date of the reenactment of this section in 2018.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to expand the financial board’s discretion to include subsidies in its financial plans for employees who meet four enumerated elements.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.