Legislation sponsored by Senator Joseph Kyrillos that would require public employees to work a minimum of 35 hours per week to qualify for enrollment in the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) cleared the Senate State Government Committee today.
“Requiring public employees to work full time to qualify for enrollment in the State Health Benefits Plan is a reform that is long overdue,” Kyrillos stated. “The State Health Benefits Program is intended to protect the health of public employees and their families not patronage hires.”
Current law requires state employees to work a minimum of 35 hours per week to qualify for the SHBP. Local employees are only required to work 20 hours a week to collect state health benefits and appointed and elected officials have no hourly restrictions on SHBP enrollment.
The provisions of this bill will not apply to teachers and employees of boards of education who are covered by a different health plan, the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program. Employees of local governments are covered by the provisions of this bill. This measure will only apply to newly hired employees.
“This is a common-sense, fiscally responsible reform that will help protect middle class taxpayers from some of the abuses of the State Health Benefits Program,” Kyrillos added.
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March 31, 2008
