Senate File 2437 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2437 BY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO SF 2029) 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 5132SV (2) 91 ms/js

S.F. 2437 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 the 25 surviving spouse and each surviving child of an eligible peace 26 officer or fire fighter and the employer shall pay the full 27 premium . 28 b. A governing body, a county board of supervisors, or 29 a city council shall also permit continuation of existing 30 coverage for the surviving spouse and each surviving child 31 of a peace officer as defined in section 801.4 , or a fire 32 fighter who dies and to which a line of duty death benefit is 33 reasonably expected to be payable pursuant to section 97A.6, 34 subsection 16 , section 97B.52, subsection 2 , or section 411.6, 35 -1- LSB 5132SV (2) 91 ms/js 1/ 4

S.F. 2437 subsection 15 , until such time as the determination of whether 1 to provide a line of duty death benefit is made. 2 3. A governing body, a county board of supervisors, or 3 a city council providing accident or health care coverage 4 under this section shall not be required to pay for the cost 5 of the coverage. However, a governing body, a county board 6 of supervisors, or a city council may pay the full cost or a 7 portion of the cost of the coverage. If the full cost of the 8 coverage is not paid, a surviving spouse and each surviving 9 child eligible for coverage under this section may elect to 10 continue accident or health care coverage by paying that 11 portion of the cost of the coverage not paid by the governing 12 body, county board of supervisors, or city council. 13 4. 3. A governing body, a county board of supervisors, or a 14 city council An employer shall notify the provider of accident 15 or health care coverage for its employees of a surviving spouse 16 and each surviving child to be provided coverage pursuant to 17 the requirements of this section . 18 5. 4. This section shall not require continuation of 19 coverage if the surviving spouse or surviving child who would 20 otherwise be entitled to continuation of coverage under this 21 section was, through the surviving spouse’s or surviving 22 child’s actions, a substantial contributing factor to the death 23 of the eligible peace officer or fire fighter. 24 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 509A.13F Health insurance coverage —— 25 fire fighters and peace officers. 26 1. For the purposes of this section: 27 a. “Eligible peace officer or fire fighter” means a peace 28 officer as defined in section 801.4, or a fire fighter, who is 29 receiving an accidental disability benefit as a result of a 30 work-related physical disability or injury. 31 b. “Employer” means a governing body, a county board of 32 supervisors, or a city council. 33 2. If an employer has procured accident or health care 34 coverage for its active employees pursuant to a collective 35 -2- LSB 5132SV (2) 91 ms/js 2/ 4

S.F. 2437 bargaining agreement or employer policy, the employer must 1 provide, at the employer’s expense, such coverage for an 2 eligible peace officer or fire fighter until the date the 3 eligible peace officer or fire fighter turns fifty-five years 4 old. 5 EXPLANATION 6 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 7 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 8 This bill relates to health insurance coverage for surviving 9 spouses and children of deceased fire fighters and peace 10 officers; and health insurance coverage for disabled or injured 11 fire fighters and peace officers. 12 Under current law, if a governing body, a county board of 13 supervisors, or a city council has procured accident or health 14 care coverage (coverage) for its employees, such coverage shall 15 permit continuation of existing coverage or reenrollment in 16 previously existing coverage for the surviving spouse and each 17 surviving child (surviving family) of an eligible peace officer 18 or fire fighter. 19 The bill eliminates the provision under current law that 20 an employer providing accident or health care coverage is not 21 required to pay for the cost of the coverage, but may pay the 22 full cost or a portion of the cost of the coverage. The bill 23 eliminates the provision under current law that if the full 24 cost of the coverage is not paid, a surviving family eligible 25 for coverage may elect to continue accident or health care 26 coverage by paying that portion of the cost of the coverage not 27 paid by the employer. 28 Under the bill, if an employer has procured accident or 29 health care coverage for its employees, such coverage shall 30 require continuation of existing coverage or reenrollment 31 in previously existing coverage for the surviving family of 32 an eligible peace officer or fire fighter, and the employer 33 shall pay the full premium. The bill defines “employer” as 34 a governing body, a county board of supervisors, or a city 35 -3- LSB 5132SV (2) 91 ms/js 3/ 4

S.F. 2437 council. 1 Under the bill, if an employer has procured accident or 2 health care coverage for its active employees pursuant to 3 a collective bargaining agreement or employer policy, the 4 employer must provide, at the employer’s expense, such coverage 5 for a peace officer or a fire fighter who is receiving an 6 accidental disability benefit as a result of a work-related 7 physical disability or injury until the date the eligible peace 8 officer or fire fighter turns 55 years old. 9 -4- LSB 5132SV (2) 91 ms/js 4/ 4