STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman DONNA M. SIMON
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblyman PARKER SPACE
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman McHose and Assemblyman Wolfe
SYNOPSIS
Prohibits elected officials and public employees from enrolling for health benefits with more than one public entity; provides civil action for treble expenses by public entity providing additional coverage.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning health benefits coverage for elected officials and public employees and amending P.L.2003, c.308.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2003, c.308 (C.52:11-5.2) is amended to read as follows:
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, [a member of the Legislature who elects health benefits coverage based on service in the Legislature] any elected official or any public employee who, because of service in public office or public employment, is eligible for health benefits coverage provided by more than one public entity shall not enroll as the primary insured for health benefits for which the [member] person is eligible through [any other] more than one public entity, and shall not accept any amount of money in consideration for filing a waiver of coverage.
Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be liable, in civil action, pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.), by a public entity that provided health benefits coverage in addition to other coverage for which the person enrolled or that paid consideration for filing a waiver, for an amount equal to three times the value of the expense incurred by that public entity to provide the additional health benefits coverage or to pay the consideration. Action may be brought in any municipal court. The penalty shall be remitted to the public entity.
(cf: P.L.2003, c.308, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect on the 90th day after enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires that any elected official or any public employee who, because of service in public office or public employment, is eligible for health benefits coverage provided by more than one public entity not enroll as the primary insured for health benefits through more than one public entity and also not accept any amount of money in consideration for filing a waiver of coverage.
An elected official or public
employee who enrolls for health benefits coverage with more than one public
entity will be liable, in civil action, pursuant to the "Penalty
Enforcement Law of 1999," by
a public entity that provided health benefits coverage in addition to other
coverage for which the person enrolled or that paid consideration for a waiver,
for an amount equal to three times the value of the expense incurred by that
public entity to provide the additional coverage or pay the consideration.
Current law requires only that if a member of the Legislature elects health benefits coverage on the basis of service in the Legislature, the member will not enroll as the primary insured for health benefits for which the member is eligible through any other public entity, and will not accept any amount of money in consideration for filing a waiver of coverage.