2014 -- S 2141

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LC003621

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES

     Introduced By: Senators Miller, Sosnowski, Gallo, and Jabour

     Date Introduced: January 29, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 36-12-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-12 entitled "Insurance

Benefits" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     36-12-2. Hospital care and surgical-medical service benefits. -- (a) Employees of the

state of Rhode Island shall receive, in addition to wages, salaries, and any other remuneration or

benefits, hospital care and surgical-medical services, rights, and benefits purchased by the

director of administration pursuant to section 36-12-6, with the specific condition that the benefits

and services provided by the carrier(s) will be substantially equivalent to those set forth in any

collective bargaining agreement(s) executed between the state of Rhode Island and authorized

representatives of the unions representing state employees or the health care coverage presently

being provided. Adjunct faculty members at any state college, state junior college, or state

university who teach at least fifty percent (50%) of the faculty load hours worked by regular full

time faculty in any academic semester shall be eligible for benefits as provided for in this section.

      (b) The state will work diligently with leadership of organized labor in order to ensure

competitive, cost effective health care services for all employees of the state who may be eligible

for those benefits.

      (c) Any new plan must accept pre-existing conditions for those individuals who will be

covered by the new policy.

      (d) Part-time employees whose work week is less than twenty (20) hours a week may

purchase the benefits set forth above. The employees shall pay the same rate for the benefits as

the group rate paid by the state for the benefits. Payments for the benefits may be deducted in

accordance with the provisions of section 36-12-3.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES

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     This act would provide that adjunct faculty members at any state college or university

who teach at least fifty percent (50%) of the hours regularly worked by full time faculty in an

academic semester would be eligible for the same state hospital care and surgical-medical service

benefit as other state employees.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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