2023 -- H 5043 SUBSTITUTE A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- INSURANCE BENEFITS

     Introduced By: Representatives Hull, Speakman, Morales, Shallcross Smith, O'Brien,
Fellela, Tanzi, Fogarty, Serpa, and Messier

     Date Introduced: January 11, 2023

     Referred To: House 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 § 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.

     (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 § 36-12-3.

     (e) Adjunct faculty members shall be eligible for hospital care and surgical-medical

services, rights and benefits provided for in this section if provided by the terms of a collective

bargaining agreement executed between the State of Rhode Island and authorized union

representatives.

     (f) For purposes of this section, "adjunct faculty members" shall mean those members at

any state community college, state 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.

     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 -- INSURANCE BENEFITS

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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 state hospital care and surgical-medical service benefits if

provided by the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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