An Act To Amend the Laws Concerning the Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §286-M, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2019, c. 446, §1, is further amended to read:
(1) Be at least 50 years of age;
(2) Be a retired county or municipal law enforcement officer or a retired municipal firefighter;
(3) Have, while actively employed as a county or municipal law enforcement officer or municipal firefighter, participated in the person's employer's health insurance plan or other fully-insured health insurance plan; and
(4) Receive or be eligible to receive:
(a) If retired from at least 25 years of service in a position as a county or municipal law enforcement officer or a municipal firefighter, a retirement benefit from the Maine Public Employees Retirement System or a defined contribution retirement plan other than the United States Social Security Act; or
(b) If retired from less than 25 years of service in a position as a county or municipal law enforcement officer or a municipal firefighter, a retirement benefit from the Maine Public Employees Retirement System or a defined contribution retirement plan other than the United States Social Security Act, as long as the benefit provided is at least 50% of average final compensation, with no reduction for early retirement and with or without a cost-of-living adjustment; or
Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §286-M, sub-§5, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 446, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §286-M, sub-§6, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 446, §2, is amended to read:
Sec. 4. PL 2019, c. 446, §7 is amended to read:
Sec. 7. Open enrollment. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 286-M, subsection 5, a county or municipal law enforcement officer or a municipal firefighter, as defined in Title 5, section 286-M, subsection 2, paragraphs A and H, respectively, who is employed as a county or municipal law enforcement officer or a municipal firefighter at any time beginning October 1, 2019 and ending December 31, 2021 may enroll in the Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program established in Title 5, section 286-M, subsection 1 at any time during that period while employed as a county or municipal law enforcement officer or a municipal firefighter. Such Notwithstanding Title 5, section 286-M, subsection 5, paragraph D, such a person who enrolls in the program and is not otherwise eligible to enroll in the program under Title 5, section 286-M, subsection 5 shall contribute to the Firefighters and Law Enforcement Officers Health Insurance Program Fund established in Title 5, section 286-M, subsection 7 a percentage of that person's gross wages in each year of creditable service since that person's effective date of hire as a county or municipal law enforcement officer or a municipal firefighter to that person's date of enrollment in the program equal to 1.5% 3% for the first 5 years and 3% 1.5% for additional years.
Sec. 5. Retroactive application; enrollment contributions. That section of this Act that amends Public Law 2019, chapter 446, section 7 applies retroactively to September 19, 2019. The Department of Administrative and Financial Services, office of employee health and benefits shall ensure that enrollment contributions pursuant to Public Law 2019, chapter 446, section 7, as amended, to the Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 286-M made by enrollees between September 19, 2019 and the effective date of this Act are consistent with this Act.
summary
This bill amends language contained in Public Law 2019, chapter 446 governing contributions under the open enrollment provisions of the Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program. Currently, the law requires a person hired on or after October 1, 2019 to enroll no later than 5 years after hire, conditioned on the enrollment and eligibility requirements of the applicable health plan; this bill removes that condition.
This bill also changes the percentage of gross wages for contributions from 1.5% to 3% for the first 5 years and from 3% to 1.5% for additional years. This bill removes the requirement of 60 months of contributions by enrollees. The bill also changes the State's payment of certain premium subsidies from payment to the plan to payment directly to enrollees. The amendments to the open enrollment provisions are retroactive to September 19, 2019, and the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, office of employee health and benefits is required to ensure correct contribution amounts for those who enrolled between September 19, 2019 and the effective date of this legislation.