Report Title:

Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund; Life Insurance Premium; Paid by Employer

Description:

Requires the public employer to pay for one hundred per cent of employees and retirees life insurance premiums. Excludes from collective bargaining negotiations the contribution amounts to the group life insurance benefits program.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

757

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to the employer-union health benefits trust fund.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Section 87A-17, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§87A-17[]] Group life insurance benefits or group life insurance program. The board [may] shall provide benefits under a group life insurance benefits program or group life insurance program to employees."

SECTION 2. Section 87A-32, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

"(b) The State, through the department of budget and finance, and the counties, through their respective departments of finance, shall pay to the fund a monthly contribution equal to the [amount established under chapter 89C or specified in the applicable public sector collective bargaining agreement, whichever is applicable,] actual cost of the group life insurance benefits plan, for each of their respective employees[, to be used toward the payment of group life insurance benefits for each employee]."

SECTION 3. Section 87A-37, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§87A-37[]] Group life insurance benefits plans for retired employees; contributions. (a) The State, through the department of budget and finance, and the counties, through their respective departments of finance, shall pay to the fund a [base] monthly contribution [as set forth in subsection (b)] in the amount of the actual cost of the group life insurance benefits plan for each retired employee enrolled in the fund's group life insurance benefits plan under section 87A-34, 87A-35, and 87A-36.

[(b) Effective July 1, 2003, there is established a [base] monthly contribution of $4.16 for each retired employee enrolled in a group life insurance plan; provided that the monthly contribution shall not exceed the actual cost of the group life insurance benefits plan. The base composite monthly contribution shall be adjusted annually beginning July 1, 2004. The adjusted base composite monthly contribution for each new plan year shall be calculated by increasing or decreasing the base composite monthly contribution in effect through the end of the previous plan year by the percentage increase or decrease in the medicare part B premium rate for those years. The percentage shall be calculated by dividing the medicare part B premium rate in effect at the beginning of the new plan year by the rate in effect through the end of the previous plan year.

As used in this subsection, "medicare part B premium rate" means the rate published in the Federal Register each year on November 1 or on the business day closest to November 1 of each year after the medicare part B premium rate has been established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and approved by the United States Congress.]"

SECTION 4. Section 89-9, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§89-9 Scope of negotiations; consultation. (a) The employer and the exclusive representative shall meet at reasonable times, including meetings sufficiently in advance of the April 16 impasse date under section 89-11, and shall negotiate in good faith with respect to wages, hours, the amounts of contributions by the State and respective counties to the Hawaii [public employees health fund] employer-union health benefits trust fund to the extent allowed in subsection (e), and other terms and conditions of employment which are subject to collective bargaining and which are to be embodied in a written agreement as specified in section 89-10, but such obligation does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or make a concession; provided that the parties may not negotiate with respect to cost items as defined by section 89-2 for the biennium 1999 to 2001, and the cost items of employees in bargaining units under section 89-6 in effect on June 30, 1999, shall remain in effect until July 1, 2001.

(b) The employer or the exclusive representative desiring to initiate negotiations shall notify the other party in writing, setting forth the time and place of the meeting desired and the nature of the business to be discussed, sufficiently in advance of the meeting.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all matters affecting employee relations, including those that are, or may be, the subject of a rule adopted by the employer or any director, shall be subject to consultation with the exclusive representatives of the employees concerned. The employer shall make every reasonable effort to consult with exclusive representatives and consider their input, along with the input of other affected parties, prior to effecting changes in any major policy affecting employee relations.

(d) Excluded from the subjects of negotiations are matters of classification, reclassification, benefits of but not contributions to the Hawaii [public employees health fund,] employer-union health benefits trust fund, recruitment, examination, initial pricing, and retirement benefits except as provided in section 88-8(h). The employer and the exclusive representative shall not agree to any proposal which would be inconsistent with the merit principle or the principle of equal pay for equal work pursuant to section 76-1 or which would interfere with the rights and obligations of a public employer to:

(1) Direct employees;

(2) Determine qualifications, standards for work, the nature and contents of examinations;

(3) Hire, promote, transfer, assign, and retain employees in positions;

(4) Suspend, demote, discharge, or take other disciplinary action against employees for proper cause;

(5) Relieve an employee from duties because of lack of work or other legitimate reason;

(6) Maintain efficiency and productivity, including maximizing the use of advanced technology, in government operations;

(7) Determine methods, means, and personnel by which the employer's operations are to be conducted; and

(8) Take such actions as may be necessary to carry out the missions of the employer in cases of emergencies.

The employer and the exclusive representative may negotiate procedures governing the promotion and transfer of employees to positions within a bargaining unit; the suspension, demotion, discharge, or other disciplinary actions taken against employees within the bargaining unit; and the layoff of employees within the bargaining unit. Violations of the procedures so negotiated may be subject to the grievance procedure in the collective bargaining agreement.

(e) Negotiations relating to contributions to the Hawaii [public employees health fund] employer-union health benefits trust fund shall be for the purpose of agreeing upon the amounts which the State and counties shall contribute under section [87-4,] 87A-32, toward the payment of the costs for a health benefits plan, as defined in section [87-1(8), and group life insurance benefits,] 87A-1, and the parties shall not be bound by the amounts contributed under prior agreements; provided that section 89-11 for the resolution of disputes by way of arbitration shall not be available to resolve impasses or disputes relating to the amounts the State and counties shall contribute to the Hawaii [public employees health fund.] employer-union health benefits trust fund.

(f) The repricing of classes within an appropriate bargaining unit may be negotiated as follows:

(1) At the request of the exclusive representative and at times allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, the employer shall negotiate the repricing of classes within the bargaining unit. The negotiated repricing actions that constitute cost items shall be subject to the requirements in section 89-10.

(2) If repricing has not been negotiated under paragraph (1), the employer of each jurisdiction shall ensure establishment of procedures to periodically review, at least once in five years, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties, the repricing of classes within the bargaining unit. The repricing of classes based on the results of the periodic review shall be at the discretion of the employer. Any appropriations required to implement the repricing actions that are made at the employer's discretion shall not be construed as cost items."

SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 4 shall take effect on July 1, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

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