Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. The first paragraph of section 4 of chapter 32B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1984 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- Each employee shall be automatically insured for at least two thousand dollars of group life insurance and at least two thousand dollars of group accidental death and dismemberment insurance and group general or blanket insurance, providing hospital, surgical, medical, dental and other health insurance benefits provided under said policy or policies, commencing on the date he first becomes eligible or on the effective date of such coverage or coverages, including dependent benefits, whichever last occurs; provided, however, that any employee desiring not to be so insured shall, on an appropriate form prescribed by the appropriate public authority, give written notice at least thirty days prior to the effective date of the coverage or coverages to the treasurer of the governmental unit indicating that he is not to be insured for such coverages, including dependent benefits, provided under such policy or policies.

SECTION 2. Said section 4 of said chapter 32B, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the second paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

When an employee insured under this section becomes eligible for health insurance coverage as provided in section eleven C, he may terminate by withdrawal notice, as aforesaid, his hospital, surgical, medical, dental and other health benefits provided herein, and retain his automatic group life insurance and automatic group accidental death and dismemberment insurance, as provided in this section.

SECTION 3. Section 9 of said chapter 32B, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the first paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

The policy or policies of insurance shall provide that upon retirement of an employee, the policy or policies providing at least two thousand dollars of group life insurance and at least two thousand dollars of group accidental death and dismemberment insurance as set forth in section five, except the optional coverage referred to therein, shall be reduced to one thousand dollars of group life insurance, unless the governmental unit has accepted section nine F, and the retired employee shall make payment of the full premium cost, subject to the provisions of section nine A or nine E, whichever may be applicable, of the average group premium as determined by the appropriate public authority for such insurance; and the group general or blanket insurance providing hospital, surgical, medical, dental and other health insurance, as provided under sections four, eleven C, and sixteen as may be applicable, shall be continued and the retired employee shall pay the full premium cost, subject to the provisions of section nine A or section nine E whichever may be applicable of the average group premium as determined by the appropriate public authority for such hospital, surgical, medical, dental and other health insurance.

SECTION 4. Said chapter 32B is hereby further amended by striking out section 9F, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 9F. A county, except Worcester county, by vote of the county commissioners; a city having a Plan D or Plan E charter by majority vote of its city council; in any other city by vote of its city council, approved by the mayor; a district, except as herein provided, by vote of the registered voters of the district at a district meeting; a regional school district by vote of the regional district school committee; a veterans' service district by vote of the district board; a health district established under section twenty-seven A of chapter one hundred and eleven by vote of the joint committee, shall provide that an employee receiving a pension or annuity allowance having retired from the governmental unit may be insured for such greater amount of group life insurance and for such greater amount of group accidental death and dismemberment insurance as determined by the governmental unit, in lieu of the one thousand dollars of group life insurance as provided in section nine. A town shall provide such insurance coverage if approved by vote of the board of selectmen, or by a majority of the votes cast if in the affirmative in answer to the following question which shall be printed on the official ballot:

"Shall the town provide (X) thousand dollars of group life insurance and (X) thousand dollars of accidental death and dismemberment insurance for a retired employee in lieu of one thousand dollars of group life insurance "

Acceptance of this section as aforesaid by a governmental unit having accepted section eleven E shall hereby authorize the commission to provide such greater amount of group life insurance and of such greater amount of group accidental death and dismemberment insurance, in lieu of one thousand dollars of group life insurance, to retired teachers insured under section twelve of chapter thirty-two A.