An Act To Implement Task Force Recommendations Relating to Parity and Portability of Benefits for Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1021
Committee Amendment CA_B-SA_E_S614 (Senate)
Amends: 5 MRSA §1532

, 
SENATE 
AMENDMENT "J;i! " to COMMITTEE 
AMENDMENT 
"B" to H.P. 
706, 
L.D. 
1021, 
Bi11, 
"An 
Act 
To 
Implement 
Recommendations Relating to Parity and Portability 
for Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters" 
Task 
Force 
of Benefits 
Amend the amendment in Part A in section 3 in §286-M in 
subsection 2 by inserting before paragraph A the following: 
I A. 
"Board" means the Board of Directors of Dirigo Health 
as established in Title 24-A, section 6904. I 
Further amend the amendment in Part A in section 3 in §286-M 
in subsection 2 by striking out all of paragraph C (page 3, lines 
to 44 in amendment) and relettering the paragraphs to read 
consecutively. 
Further amend the amendment in Part A in section 3 in §286-M 
by striking out all of subsections 3 and 4 (page 4, lines 32 to 
and page 5, lines 1 to 40 in amendment) and inserting in their 
place the following: 
I 3. 
Eligibility 
for 
program 
coverage. 
A 
person 
who 
satisfies the eligibility criteria specified in this subsection 
is eligible for coverage under the program as follows: 
A. 
The person must: 
(1) Have attained 55 years of age; 
(2) 
Be a retired county or municipal law enforcement 
officer or 
a 
retired municipal firefighter with at 
least 25 years of service as a county or municipal law 
enforcement officer or municipal firefighter; 
Page l-LR0263(14) 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
,t, 
~ 
, 
SENATE 
AMENDMENT "Ii:" to COMMITTEE 
AMENDMENT 
"B" to H.P. 706, 
L.D. 1021 
(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 
retirement 
benefit from the Maine State Retirement System or a 
defined contribution retirement plan other than the 
United States Social Security Act; or 
B. 
The person must be a dependent of a person meeting the 
criteria of paragraph A. 
4. 
Program administration. 
The program is administered by 
the board. 
The board shall: 
A. 
Enter 
into 
administrative 
arrangements 
with 
fully 
insured health insurance product vendors to implement the 
purposes of this section; 
B. 
Remit authorized premium subsidy payments for enrolled 
eligible 
persons 
and 
enrolled 
dependents 
to 
any 
fully 
insured group health insurance plans on a periodic basis, as 
established by agreements with the providers of those plans. 
The dollar value of the subsidy payment may vary with the 
premium cost of the benefit plan in which the enrollee 
participates; and 
C. 
Adopt rules to implement the purposes of this section, 
including 
the 
determination of 
the 
program 
subsidy 
for 
enrollees pursuant to subsection 6. 
Rules adopted under 
this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.' 
Further amend the amendment in Part A in section 3 in §286-M 
in subsection 5 in the 3rd line (page 5, line 44 in amendment) by 
inserting after the following: 
"position" the following: 
'who 
meets the eligibility requirements of subsection 3' 
Further amend the amendment in Part A in section 3 in §286-M 
in subsection 7 in the 3rd line (page 7, line 33 in amendment) by 
striking out the following: 
"division" and inserting ln its 
place the following: 
'board' 
Further amend the amendment in Part A in section 3 in §286-M 
in subsection 8 in paragraph A in the 3rd line (page 8, line 1 in 
amendment) by striking out the following: 
"1.Sq,o" and inserting 
in its place the following: 
'lq,o' 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
~~ 
SENATE 
AMENDMENT 
L.D. 1021 
";,, to COMMITTEE 
AMENDMENT 
"B" to H.P. 
706, 
Further amend the amendment in Part A in section 3 in §286-M 
in subsection 11 in the first line (page 8, line 28 in amendment) 
by striking out the following: 
"division" and inserting in its 
place the following: 
'board' 
Further amend the amendment in Part A by striking out all of 
section 4 (page 8, lines 41 to 50 and page 9, lines 1 to 11 in 
amendment) and inserting in its place the following: 
'Sec. A-4. 5 MRSA §1532, sub-§7 is enacted to read: 
7. 
Firefighters 
and 
Law 
Enforcement 
Officers 
Health 
Insurance 
Program Fund. 
The 
State Controller shall transfer 
funds from the stabilization fund to the Firefighters and Law 
Enforcement 
Officers 
Health 
Insurance 
Program 
Fund 
for 
the 
State's cost of premium subsidies as described in section 286-M. 
The State Controller shall annually determine the State's costs 
of the premium subsidy provided under section 286 M, subsection 6 
minus 
any 
employee 
contributions 
made 
under 
section 
286-M, 
subsection 8 and transfer that net amount from the stabilization 
fund to the Firefighters and 
Law 
Enforcement Officers Health 
Insurance 
Program 
Fund 
in 
a 
manner 
to 
be 
determined 
in 
consultation with the Executive Director of Dirigo Health. 
Sec. 
A-5. 
Appropriations 
and 
allocations. 
The 
following 
appropriations and allocations are made. 
DIRIGO HEALTH 
Firefighters 
and 
Law 
Enforcement 
Officers 
Health 
Insurance 
Program Fund 
Ini tiative: 
Allocates funds for an Employee Benefits Technician 
position effective January 1, 2007 and related All Other costs to 
administer the subsidy program for health insurance for eligible 
retired firefighters and law enforcement officers. 
DIRIGO HEALTH ENTERPRISE FUND 
2005-06 
2006-07 
POSITIONS -
LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
0.000 
1.000 
Personal Services 
$0 
$26,000 
All Other 
$0 
$55,000 
DIRIGO HEALTH ENTERPRISE FUND TOTAL 
$0 
$81,000' 
Further amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering 
any 
nonconsecutive 
Part 
letter 
or 
section 
number 
to 
read 
consecutively. 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
~~ 
, 
SENATE 
AMENDMENT "I::" to COMMITTEE 
AMENDMENT "B" to H.P. 
706, 
L.D. 1021 
SUMMARY 
This amendment makes the following changes to the Retired 
County 
and Municipal 
Law 
Enforcement Officers 
and 
Municipal 
Firefighters Health Insurance Program established in Committee 
Amendment "B": 
1. 
It changes the entity administering the program from the 
Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Division of 
State Employee Health Insurance to the Board of Directors of 
Dirigo Health; 
2. 
It changes the program coverage eligibility requirements 
to apply only to persons who are at least 55 years of age and who 
have retired after 25 years of service as a county or municipal 
law enforcement officer or municipal firefighter; 
3. 
It reduces the employee contribution from 1.5°-0 of the 
employee's gross wages to 1% of the employee's gross wages; and 
4. 
It requires the State Controller annually to determine 
the 
the Maine 
SPONSORED BY: 
(Senator COURT 
COUNTY: 
York 
and transfer the necessary funds from 
Fund. 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 04113/06 ;t;?ac 
122nd MAINE LEGIS LA TURE 
LD 1021 
LR 0263(14) 
An Act To Implement Task Force Recommendations Relating to Parity and Portability of Benefits for 
Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters 
Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment" f' to Committee Amendment "8,, 
Sponsor: Sen. Courtney 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Revenue 
Other Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2005-06 
2006-07 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
($195,750) 
Projections 
2007-08 
($3,413,255) 
($3,413,255) 
($410,292) 
Projections 
2008-09 
($3,810,148) 
($3,810,148) 
($429,986) 
The numbers above represent the incremental differences between the majority report and this amendment. The 
amendment's provision defining eligibility as retirees age 55 and older with 25 years of service is estimated to reduce 
the number of participants in the premium subsidy program from 950 to approximately 575. The amendment reduces 
the employee contribution from 1.5% to 1 % of wages. The amendment provides for an annual transfer from the Maine 
Budget Stabilization Fund to fund the net costs of the State's premium subsidy -- this transfer is estimated to be $2.3 
million in FY 2007-08 and $2.6 million in FY 2008-09. The amendment moves administration of the program to the 
Dirigo Health Agency. 
Total Estimated Subsidy 
Estimated Administrative Costs 
Total Estimated Costs 
Funding Summary - as Amended 
Estimated Collections from 1.0% Assessment 
Transfer from Budget Stabilization Fund 
General Fund Subsidy Net of Assessments 
LR0263(14) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1 
Projections 
2007-08 
$3,015,159 
$109,392 
$3,124,551 
($820,584) 
($2,303,967) 
$0 
Projections 
2008-09 
$3,316,675 
$111,894 
$3,428,569 
($859,972) 
($2,568,597) 
$0