House Study Bill 783 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS BILL BY CHAIRPERSON NORDMAN) A BILL FOR An Act relating to health insurance coverage for surviving 1 spouses and children of deceased fire fighters and peace 2 officers, and health insurance coverage for disabled or 3 injured fire fighters and peace officers. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 6966YC (3) 91 nls/ko

H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 509A.13C, Code 2026, is amended to read 1 as follows: 2 509A.13C Health care insurance coverage for —— surviving 3 spouse and children of fire fighters and peace officers killed in 4 the line of duty. 5 1. For the purposes of this section , : 6 a. “ eligible Eligible peace officer or fire fighter” means 7 a all of the following: 8 (1) A peace officer as defined in section 801.4 , or a . 9 (2) A fire fighter, to which a line of duty death benefit 10 is payable pursuant to section 97A.6, subsection 16 , section 11 97B.52, subsection 2 , or section 411.6, subsection 15 . 12 (3) A fire fighter who dies and to which a line of duty 13 death benefit is reasonably expected to be payable pursuant 14 to section 97A.6, subsection 16, section 97B.52, subsection 15 2, or section 411.6, subsection 15, until such time as the 16 determination of whether to provide a line of duty death 17 benefit is made. 18 b. “Employer” means a governing body, a county board of 19 supervisors, or a city council. 20 2. a. If a governing body, a county board of supervisors, 21 or a city council an employer has procured accident or health 22 care coverage for its employees under this chapter , such 23 coverage shall permit require continuation of existing coverage 24 or reenrollment in previously existing coverage for twenty-four 25 consecutive months, beginning on the date of the eligible peace 26 officer’s or fire fighter’s death, for the surviving spouse 27 and each surviving child of an eligible peace officer or fire 28 fighter and the employer shall pay the full premium . 29 b. A governing body, a county board of supervisors, or 30 a city council shall also permit continuation of existing 31 coverage for the surviving spouse and each surviving child 32 of a peace officer as defined in section 801.4 , or a fire 33 fighter who dies and to which a line of duty death benefit is 34 reasonably expected to be payable pursuant to section 97A.6, 35 -1- LSB 6966YC (3) 91 nls/ko 1/ 4

H.F. _____ subsection 16 , section 97B.52, subsection 2 , or section 411.6, 1 subsection 15 , until such time as the determination of whether 2 to provide a line of duty death benefit is made. 3 3. A governing body, a county board of supervisors, or 4 a city council providing accident or health care coverage 5 under this section shall not be required to pay for the cost 6 of the coverage. However, a governing body, a county board 7 of supervisors, or a city council may pay the full cost or a 8 portion of the cost of the coverage. If the full cost of the 9 coverage is not paid, a surviving spouse and each surviving 10 child eligible for coverage under this section may elect to 11 continue accident or health care coverage by paying that 12 portion of the cost of the coverage not paid by the governing 13 body, county board of supervisors, or city council. 14 4. 3. A governing body, a county board of supervisors, or a 15 city council An employer shall notify the provider of accident 16 or health care coverage for its employees of a surviving spouse 17 and each surviving child to be provided coverage pursuant to 18 the requirements of this section . 19 5. 4. This section shall not require continuation of 20 coverage if the surviving spouse or surviving child who would 21 otherwise be entitled to continuation of coverage under this 22 section was, through the surviving spouse’s or surviving 23 child’s actions, a substantial contributing factor to the death 24 of the eligible peace officer or fire fighter. 25 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 509A.13F Health insurance coverage —— 26 fire fighters and peace officers. 27 1. For the purposes of this section: 28 a. “Eligible peace officer or fire fighter” means a peace 29 officer as defined in section 801.4, or a fire fighter, who is 30 receiving an accidental disability benefit as a result of a 31 work-related physical disability or injury. 32 b. “Employer” means a governing body, a county board of 33 supervisors, or a city council. 34 2. If an employer has procured accident or health care 35 -2- LSB 6966YC (3) 91 nls/ko 2/ 4

H.F. _____ coverage for its active employees pursuant to a collective 1 bargaining agreement or employer policy, the employer must 2 provide, at the employer’s expense, such coverage for an 3 eligible peace officer or fire fighter for twenty-four 4 consecutive months beginning on the date of the eligible peace 5 officer’s or fire fighter’s work-related physical disability 6 or injury. 7 EXPLANATION 8 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 9 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 10 This bill relates to health insurance coverage for surviving 11 spouses and children of deceased fire fighters and peace 12 officers; and health insurance coverage for disabled or injured 13 fire fighters and peace officers. 14 Under current law, if a governing body, a county board of 15 supervisors, or a city council has procured accident or health 16 care coverage (coverage) for its employees, such coverage shall 17 permit continuation of existing coverage or reenrollment in 18 previously existing coverage for the surviving spouse and each 19 surviving child (surviving family) of an eligible peace officer 20 or fire fighter. 21 The bill eliminates the provision under current law that 22 an employer providing accident or health care coverage is not 23 required to pay for the cost of the coverage, but may pay the 24 full cost or a portion of the cost of the coverage. The bill 25 eliminates the provision under current law that if the full 26 cost of the coverage is not paid, a surviving family eligible 27 for coverage may elect to continue accident or health care 28 coverage by paying that portion of the cost of the coverage not 29 paid by the employer. 30 Under the bill, if an employer has procured accident or 31 health care coverage for its employees, such coverage shall 32 require continuation of existing coverage or reenrollment in 33 previously existing coverage for 24 months, beginning on the 34 date of the death, for the surviving family of an eligible 35 -3- LSB 6966YC (3) 91 nls/ko 3/ 4

H.F. _____ peace officer or fire fighter, and the employer shall pay the 1 full premium. The bill defines “employer” as a governing body, 2 a county board of supervisors, or a city council. 3 Under the bill, if an employer has procured accident or 4 health care coverage for its active employees pursuant to 5 a collective bargaining agreement or employer policy, the 6 employer must provide, at the employer’s expense, such coverage 7 for a peace officer or a fire fighter who is receiving an 8 accidental disability benefit as a result of a work-related 9 physical disability or injury for 24 months beginning on the 10 date of the disability or injury. 11 -4- LSB 6966YC (3) 91 nls/ko 4/ 4