An Act To Implement Task Force Recommendations Relating to Parity and Portability of Benefits for Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters Amend the amendment by inserting after the title the following: Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: An Act To Create the Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program and To Provide Portability of Benefits for Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters' , Further amend the amendment in the first paragraph after the title in the first line (page 1, line in amendment) by striking out the following: Amend" and inserting in its place the following: Further amend Further amend the amendment by striking out all of Part A and inserting in its place the following: PART A Sec. A-I. 5 MRSA c.13, sub-c. 3 is enacted to read: SUBCHAPTER 3 HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS §286-M. Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers ftD4 Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program Page 1-LR0263(19) HOUSE AMENDMENT
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1021
Committee Amendment CA_B-HA_C_H1056 (House)

HOUSE AMENDMENT ,e" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "B" to H.P. 706, 
L.D. 1021, Bill, "An Act To Implement Task Force Recommendations 
Relating 
to 
Parity 
and 
Portability 
of 
Benefits 
for 
Law 
Enforcement Officers and Firefighters" 
Amend 
the 
amendment 
by 
inserting after 
the 
title 
the 
following: 
'Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting 
the following: 
'An 
Act 
To 
Create 
the 
Retired 
County 
and 
Municipal 
Law 
Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance 
Program 
and 
To 
Provide 
Portability 
of 
Benefits 
for 
Law 
Enforcement Officers and Firefighters' , 
Further amend the amendment in the first paragraph after the 
title in the first line 
(page 1, 
line 
in amendment) 
by 
striking out the following: 
"Amend" and inserting in its place 
the following: 
'Further amend' 
Further amend the amendment by striking out all of Part A 
and inserting in its place the following: 
'PART A 
Sec. A-I. 5 MRSA c.13, sub-c. 3 is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER 3 
HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT 
OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS 
§286-M. 
Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers 
ftD4 Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
HOUSE AMENDMENT .. 6 to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "B" to H.P. 706, L.D. 
1021 
1. . Program established. 
The Retired County and Municipal 
Law 
Enforc~ment Officers 
and 
Municipal 
Firefighters 
Health 
Insurance Program is established as a self-funding program to 
provide health insurance coverage to retired county and municipal 
law enforcement officers and retired municipal firefighters. 
2. 
Definitions. 
As used in this subchapter. the following 
terms have the following meanings. 
A. 
"County or municipal law enforcement officer" means a 
person who by virtue of employment by a county or municipal 
government in the State is vested by law with the power to 
make arrests for crimes or serve criminal process, whether 
that power extends to all crimes or is limited to specific 
crimes. 
"County or municipal law enforcement officer" does 
not include a state or federal law enforcement officer, an 
attorney prosecuting for a county or municipal government or 
a reserve officer. 
B. 
"Dependent" means a spouse, an unmarried child under 19 
years of age, a child who is a student under 23 years of age 
and financially dependent upon the enrollee, a child of any 
age who is disabled and dependent upon the enrollee or a 
domestic partner as defined in Title 24-A, section 2741-A. 
C. 
"Division" means the Department of Administrative and 
Financial 
Services, 
Division 
of 
State 
Employee 
Health 
Insurance. 
D. 
"Enrollee" means a county or municipal law enforcement 
officer or municipal firefighter who has enrolled in the 
program. 
E. 
"Fund" 
means 
the 
Firefighters 
and 
Law 
Enforcement 
Officers 
Health 
Insurance 
Program 
Fund 
established 
in 
su,bsection 8. 
F. 
"Group health plan" or "group health insurance plan" 
means 
any employer-sponsored group health insurance plan, 
whether 
self-insured 
or 
fully 
insured, 
that 
provides 
coverage 
to 
eligible 
employees, 
retirees 
and 
their 
dependents. 
G. 
"Majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement" 
means 
the multiple-employer welfare arrangement, 
as defined in 
Title 
24-A, 
section 
6601, 
subsection 
5, 
in which 
the 
majority 
of 
state 
municipal 
government 
employees 
are 
enrolled as of the effective date of this section. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 'U' to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "B" to H.P. 706, L.D. 
1021 
H. 
"Municipal firefighter" means a person employed by a 
municipal fire department with the primary responsibility of 
aiding in the extinguishment of fires and includes a member 
of emergency medical services line personnel but does not 
include a 
member of a 
volunteer firefighter association. 
For 
the 
purposes 
of this paragraph. 
"emergency 
medical 
services 
line 
personnel" 
means 
persons 
who 
are 
career 
employees employed fUll-time by a public sector agency or 
employer 
and whose primary responsibility is to provide 
emergency medical services. 
I. 
"Program" means the Retired County and Municipal Law 
Enforcement 
Officers 
and 
Municipal 
Firefighters 
Health 
Insurance Program established in this section. 
3. 
Eligibility for program coverage. 
A person must make 
contributions pursuant to subsection 9 for 60 months in order to 
be eligible for coverage unger the program. 
In addition. 
a 
person must satisfy the eligibility criteria specified in this 
subsection as follows: 
A. 
The person must: 
(1) 
Be a retired county or municipal law enforcement 
officer or a retired municipal firefighter; 
(2) 
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 
(3) 
Receive or be eligible to receive: 
(a) 
If retired from at least 25 years of service 
in 
a 
position 
as 
a 
county 
or 
municipal 
law 
enforcement officer or a municipal firefighter. 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) 
If retired from less than 25 years of service 
in 
a 
position 
as 
a 
county 
or 
municipal 
law 
enforcement officer or a municipal firefighter. a 
retirement benefit from the Maine State Retirement 
System or a defined contribution retirement plan 
other than the United States Social Security Act. 
as long as the benefit provided is at least 50% of 
average final compensation. with no reduction for 
H,OUSE AMENDMENT 
HOUSE AMENDMENT "U to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "B" to H.P. 706, L.D. 
1021 
early 
retirement 
and 
with 
or 
without 
a 
cost-of-living adjustment; or 
B. 
The person must be a dependent of a person meeting the 
criteria of paragraph A or subsection 4. 
4. 
Bqy-in for certain persons. 
Notwithstanding subsection 
3, a person who retires prior to January I. 2012 but who, as of 
January I. 
2007. 
is employed in a 
position as 
a 
county or 
municipal law enforcement officer or municipal firefighter and 
has at least 20 years of service in that position may buy into 
the program by paying the difference between: 
A. 
The total of the person's employee contributions as of 
the date of retirement; and 
B. 
The 
dollar 
equivalent 
of 
the 
employee's 
scheduled 
contributions for 60 months pursuant to subsection 9. 
A person who qualifies under this subsection for participation in 
the program must enroll in the program no later than 60 days 
following that person's date of retirement from a position as a 
county 
or 
municipal 
law 
enforcement 
officer 
or 
municipal 
firefighter. 
5. 
Program administration. 
The program is administered by 
the division. 
The division 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; 
C. 
Make and analyze actuarial assessments of the program to 
determine 
the 
annual 
enrollee 
contribution 
and 
premium 
subsidy 
levels 
necessary 
to 
maintain 
the 
program 
as 
self-funding; and 
D. 
Adopt rules to implement the purposes of this section, 
including 
the 
determination of 
the 
program 
subsidy for 
enrollees pursuant to subsection 7. 
Rules adopted under 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
HOUSE AMENDMENT ,V to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "B" to H.P. 706, L.D. 
1021 
this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
6. 
Enrollment. 
All county and municipal law enforcement 
officers and municipal firefighters shall enroll in the program. 
Notwithstanding the date of enrollment, insurance coverage is not 
effective until the date of 
retirement or January 1, 
2012, 
whichever occurs later. 
Persons shall enroll themselves, and may 
enrQII their spouses and their dependents, in the program during 
the following time periods: 
A. 
When the effective date of the initial hire of the 
persQn is on or before November 1, 2006, the person shall 
enroll in the program before January 1, 2007, subject to the 
enrQllment and eligibility requirements of the applicable 
group health plan: or 
B. When the effective date of the initial hire of the person 
is after November 1. 2006, the person shall enroll in the 
program no later than 60 days following the effective date 
of 
the 
initial 
hire, 
subject 
to 
the 
enrollment 
and 
eligibility requirements of the applicable group health plan. 
7. 
PremiP1D§; 
subsid,y. 
Premiums for the program and the 
premium 
subsidy 
are 
subject 
to 
the 
provisions 
of 
this 
subsectiQn. 
Premium 
subsidies 
must 
be 
funded 
from 
employee 
contributj,ons pursuant to subsection 9. 
Premium subsidies are 
not provided for supplemental health insurance coverage. 
A. 
An 
eligible 
retired enrollee 
participating in 
the 
majority 
multiple-employer 
welfare 
arrangement 
is 
responsible for the premium payment associated with the cost 
of 
the 
majority 
multiple-employer 
welfare 
arrangement 
benefit Qption in which the eligible retired enrollee is 
partj,cipating, to the extent such premium Qbligations exist 
follQwing the applicatiQn of any premium subsidy authorized 
by law. 
An eligible retired enrollee who fails tQ remit the 
premium payments as established and required by the majority 
multiple-employer welfare arrangement must be disenrolled 
from the program. 
Beginning January 1. 2012, the division 
shall use the fund established in subsection 8 to provide a 
premium subsidy for eligible retired enrollees in the form 
of 
a 
direct 
payment 
to 
the 
majority 
multiple-employer 
welfare arrangement for each eligible retired enrollee. The 
level of the subsidy may not exceed 45"0 of the individual 
premium cost for the eligible retired enrollee and varies 
amQng ~ligible retired enrollees depending upon the terms of 
the majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement coverage 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
HOUSE AMENDMENT ,C/o to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "B" to H.P. 706, L.D. 
1021 
plan 
in 
which 
each 
eligible 
retired 
enrollee 
is 
participating. Eligible retired enrollees are responsible 
for the balance of the applicable individual premium, 
as 
well as the total cost of the premium for any applicable 
dependent coverage, and shall make pa~ents directly to the 
majority multiple-employer welfare arrangement. 
B. 
Enrollees retiring from counties or municipalities that 
do not participate in the majority multiple-employer welfare 
arrangement 
but 
who 
are 
eligible 
for 
and 
elect 
to 
participate in that county's or municipality's fully insured 
health benefits plan are responsible for the premium payment 
associated with the cost of that plan, to the extent such 
premium obligations exist following the application of any 
premium subsiay authorized by law. 
An eligible retired 
enrollee 
who 
fails 
to 
remit 
the 
premium 
payments 
as 
established ana required by the fully insurea plan must be 
disenrolled from the program. 
Beginning January 
L 
2012, 
the division shall use the fund established in subsection 8 
to provide a premium subsidy for eligible retired enrollees 
participating 
in 
fully 
insurea 
health 
benefits 
plans 
pursuant to this subsection. 
This subsidy must be made in 
the 
form 
of 
a 
direct 
payment 
to 
the eligible retired 
enrollee's health benefits plan and may not exceed 45'1-0 of 
the 
individual 
premium 
cost 
for 
the 
eligible 
retired 
enrollee or 
a 
dollar 
amount 
equivalent to 
the 
highest 
premium subsidy provided in accordance with paragraph A, 
whichever 
is 
less. 
An 
eligible 
retired 
enrollee 
is 
responsible for payment of 100% of coverage for a spouse or 
a aependent in the program in addition to that portion of 
the eligible retired enrollee's individual premium cost not 
covered by a premium subsidy. 
8. 
Fund establiShed. 
The Firefighters ana Law Enforcement 
Officers Health Insurance' Program 
Fund is established as 
a 
nonlapsing, 
dedicated 
account 
administered 
by 
the 
division. 
Acti ve employee contributions pursuant to subsection 9, premium 
diviaends accruing to the State. return of premiums resulting 
from risk reauction programs and any other receipts must be 
deposited into the fund to be used for the purposes of the 
program. 
The 
fund 
is 
a 
pooled 
account. 
Individual 
law 
enforcement officers ana firefighters do not have a right to 
money 
deposited 
in 
the 
fund 
except 
to 
the 
extent 
premium 
subsiaies are available to program enrollees. 
9. 
EmplQyee contributions to the fund. The contributions of 
enrollees to the fund are governed by this subsection. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
HOUSE AMENDMENT ,V to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "B" to H.P. 706, L.D. 
1021 
A. 
Beginning 
January 
L 
2007, 
each 
enrollee 
shall 
contribute 2% of that enrollee's gross wages to the fund. 
B. 
The employer of an enrollee shall remit on a monthly 
basis that enrollee's contribution to the fund. 
10. 
Coverage under the program. 
The benefits, copayments 
and deductibles under the program are determined by the fully 
insured health benefits 
plan in which 
the 
retired enrollee 
participat~s. Pursuant to the rules of the applicable plan, a 
retired enrollee is required to participate in the same health 
insurance plan as the active employees of the unit of government 
from which the enrolled person has retired. 
Participation in any 
qualified health .insurance plan is subject to the rules of that 
plan. 
11. 
Volunteer 
and 
call 
firefighters 
and 
reserve 
law 
enforcement 
officers. 
A 
member 
of 
a 
volunteer 
or 
call 
firefighters' association in this State, as well as a 
person 
serving as a county or municipal law enforcement officer on a 
reserve basis, is eligible to participate in the program of 
health benefits coverage established pursuant to the eligibility 
criteria and other provisions set forth in Title 24 A, chapter 87 
if that person meets the eligibility requirements under that 
chapter. 
12. 
Report. 
The division shall submit a 
report to the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over 
in§urance 
and 
financial 
services matters in the 
Second 
Regular 
Session 
of 
the 
l24th 
Legislature, 
and 
biennially 
thereafter, on the status of the program, program participation 
and the financing of the program, including the status of the 
fund, expenditures from the fund, current and projected premium 
costs to the program and to program enrollees and a projection of 
funding needs for the next 
years. 
The report must provide 
option§, based on projections of future need, for changing the 
method of funding the premium subsidy and employee contributions.' 
SUMMARY 
This 
amendment 
incorporates 
the 
provisions 
of 
House 
Amendment "A" to Committee Amendment "B" and allows a county or 
municipal law enforcement officer or municipal firefighter who 
has at least 20 years of service and is employed in that position 
as of January 1, 2007 but who retires prior to January 1, 2012 to 
buy 
into 
the 
Retired 
County 
and 
Municipal 
Law 
Enforcement 
Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance 
Program. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
HOUSE AMENDMENT ,,~, to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "B" to H.P. 706, L.D. 
1021 
The person may enroll by paying the difference between what the 
person has paid into the program and 2'lo of the person's gross 
wages for 60 months, the required employee contribution under the 
program. 
The person must make this election within 60 days of 
retirement. 
SPONSORED 
TOWN: 
Hampden 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 04/26/06 ~ac:. 
LD 1021 
LR0263(19) 
An Act To Implement Task Force Recommendations Relating to Parity and Portability of Benefits for 
Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters 
Fiscal Note for House Amendment ,6 to Committee Amendment ,6, 
Sponsor: Rep. Duprey 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Projections 
2005-06 
2006-07 
2007-08 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
$0 
$0 
($3,413,255) 
Appropriations! Allocations 
General Fund 
$0 
$0 
($3,413,255) 
Other Funds 
$0 
($81,000) 
($109,392) 
Revenue 
Other Funds 
$0 
$282,750 
$592,644 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Projections 
2008-09 
($3,810,148) 
($3,810,148) 
($111,894) 
$621,091 
The numbers above represent the incremental differences between this amendment and the majority report. The 
amendment requires participants in the newly created Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and 
Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program to make contributions for 5 years in order to be eligible for coverage 
under the program, but allows individuals who retire before January 1,2012, but who as of January 1,2007, were 
employed and had at least 20 years of service, to buy into the program upon retirement by paying the equivalent of 
five years of contributions. The amendment establishes the contribution, effective January 1,2007, equal to 2.0% of 
gross wages. 
For the purposes of this fiscal note, it is assumed that all of the estimated 2,900 active law enforcement officers and 
firefighters would be required to participate, paying the 2.0% assessment on an average salary of $30,000. The 
amendment's premium subsidy payments toward the cost of health insurance for eligible, pre-Medicare, retired law 
enforcement officers and firefighters would not take effect until January 1,2012, and would be self-funded by 
employee contributions made to the program. 
LR0263(19) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1