Protect Health Care for Retired Public Safety Officers Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2046
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Introduced: 2019-06-27
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Emergency medical services and trauma care

Employee benefits and pensions

Fires

First responders and emergency personnel

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Health care costs and insurance

Health personnel

Law enforcement officers

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2019-06-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-06-27
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Protect Health Care for Retired Public Safety Officers Act of 2019</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under the State Homeland Security Grant Program, to require each state to include in its grant application a certification for the protection of health care benefits for retired public safety officers. A <i>public safety officer</i> is a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or an emergency medical services provider whose conditions of employment are determined by a collective bargaining agreement. </p> <p>Such certification must provide that the state will not (1) unilaterally modify or eliminate health care benefits for a public safety officer retiree, or (2) allocate grant funds to a local government or Indian tribe that has not certified to the state that such benefits will not be unilaterally modified or eliminated.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2046 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 27, 2019 Mr. Peters introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to protect the health care benefits of retired public safety officers, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protect Health Care for Retired Public Safety Officers Act of 2019 . 2. Protection of health care benefits of retired public safety officers Title XX of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended— (1) in section 2001 ( 6 U.S.C. 601 )— (A) by redesignating paragraphs (12), (13), and (14) as paragraphs (14), (15), and (16), respectively; (B) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through (11) as paragraphs (7) through (12), respectively; (C) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following: (6) Health care benefits The term health care benefits means health, dental, vision, prescription, and other insurance benefits. ; and (D) by inserting after paragraph (12), as so redesignated, the following: (13) Public safety officer The term public safety officer means an employee of a public agency— (A) who is a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or an emergency medical services responder; and (B) whose conditions of employment are determined in accordance with a collective bargaining agreement. ; and (2) in section 2004(b)(2) ( 6 U.S.C. 605(b)(2) )— (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking and at the end; (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (D) a written certification stating that the State shall not— (i) unilaterally modify or eliminate the health care benefits for a public safety officer retiree, as established pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement in effect at the time of retirement of the public safety officer; or (ii) allocate grant funds to a local government or Indian tribe that has not certified to the State that the health care benefits for a public safety officer retiree, as established pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement in effect at the time of retirement of the public safety officer, shall not be unilaterally modified or eliminated. .