LEG Bills

Just some info I collected and would like to share. Red is that the bill was held by the committee. This is good but does not mean it is dead and will be around till next year.

1. HB 1714, Voluntary Unpaid Leave. Authorizes state employers to establish a voluntary unpaid leave program for state employees from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011. (Wooley)

2. HB 1719, EUTF; Retirement Prior to Medicare Age; Suspended Coverage. Suspends state and county contributions to the EUTF for all state and county employee beneficiaries who retire after 7/1/09, regardless of date of hire and years of service, if the employee retires before the employee's Medicare retirement age. Resumes coverage after Medicare retirement age. Allows employee to retain health coverage through the EUTF by paying the respective state or county share of premiums until Medicare requirement age. (Say) HELD

3. HB 1721, EUTF, Health benefits plan design. Requires the board of trustees of the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund to design and provide a health benefits plan for active employees and their dependent-beneficiaries that does not exceed a specified maximum projected cost. (Say)

4. HB 1722, EUTF, Health Benefits Plan. Requires from 7/1/09 until 6/30/2015, the employer-union trust fund to provide to active employees and their dependent-beneficiaries the minimum health benefits plan required under the Hawaii prepaid health care act. Does not affect retired employees and their dependent-beneficiaries. (Say)

5. HB 1723, EUTF; Voluntary Employees' Beneficiary Association trust; Employer Contributions. Makes employer contributions to the employer-union health benefits trust fund non- negotiable under collective bargaining. Establishes employer contributions for active public employees at 55 per cent of month cost of the health benefits plan, (Say)

6. HB 1725, EUTF, Exclusion of Prescription Drug Coverage. From 7/1/09 to 6/30/1015, (1) prohibits health benefits plan of the employer-union health benefits trust fund from providing prescription drug coverage; and (2) allows board of trustees to make prescription drug benefits available through drug coverage plans that are paid for entirely by employee-beneficiaries. (Say) HELD

7. HB 1726, EUTF, Group Life Insurance Prohibition. Prohibits the Hawaii employer-union health benefits trust fund from providing group life insurance benefits if any of the premiums are paid by the State or a county. Allows the trust fund to contract with a group life insurer to make available group life insurance benefits to employee-beneficiaries provided that none of the premiums are paid by the State or any county and the insurer pays a fee to the board of trustees. (Say) HELD

8. HB 1727, EUTF, Exclusion of Dental and Vision Coverage. Prohibits the health benefits plan of the employer-union health benefits trust fund from providing dental and vision coverage from 7/1/09 until 6/30/2015. Allows the board of trustees to make dental and vision benefits available to employee-beneficiaries at no cost to the employers. (Say) HELD

9. SB 642, Eliminates overtime for excluded civil service employees. (Hee)