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S1362.......................................by COMMERCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES HEALTH INSURANCE - MILITARY DEPLOYMENT - Amends existing law to clarify that persons deployed in the military who shall also be officers or employees of the state shall be entitled to their existing medical benefits from the state for the first thirty days of a deployment and this shall not decrease any existing leave balances. 02/08 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing 02/09 Rpt prt - to Com/HuRes 02/17 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg 02/20 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg 02/22 3rd rdg - PASSED - 34-0-1 AYES -- Andreason, Brandt(Harper), Broadsword, Bunderson, Burkett, Burtenshaw, Cameron, Coiner, Compton, Corder, Darrington, Davis, Fulcher, Gannon, Geddes, Goedde, Hill, Jorgenson, Kelly, Langhorst, Little, Lodge, Malepeai, Marley, McGee, McKenzie, Pearce, Richardson, Schroeder, Stegner, Stennett, Sweet, Werk, Williams NAYS -- None Absent and excused -- Keough Floor Sponsor - Stennett Title apvd - to House 02/23 House intro - 1st rdg - to Transp 03/07 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg 03/08 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg 03/16 3rd rdg - PASSED - 64-0-6 AYES -- Anderson, Andrus, Barraclough, Barrett, Bastian, Bayer, Bedke, Bell, Bilbao, Black, Block, Boe, Bolz, Brackett, Bradford, Cannon, Chadderdon, Clark, Collins, Deal, Edmunson, Ellsworth, Eskridge, Field(18), Field(23), Hart, Harwood, Henbest, Henderson, Jaquet, Kemp, Lake, LeFavour, Loertscher, Martinez, Mathews, McGeachin, McKague, Miller, Mitchell, Moyle, Nielsen, Nonini, Pence, Raybould, Ring, Ringo, Roberts, Rusche, Rydalch, Sali, Sayler, Schaefer, Shepherd(2), Shepherd(8), Shirley, Skippen, Smith(24), Smylie, Snodgrass, Stevenson, Trail, Wills, Mr. Speaker NAYS -- None Absent and excused -- Crow, Denney, Garrett, Pasley-Stuart, Smith(30), Wood Floor Sponsor - Skippen Title apvd - to Senate 03/17 To enrol 03/20 Rpt enrol - Pres signed - Sp signed 03/21 To Governor 03/23 Governor signed Session Law Chapter 172 Effective: 03/23/06
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]] Fifty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2006IN THE SENATE SENATE BILL NO. 1362 BY COMMERCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE 1 AN ACT 2 RELATING TO PERSONS IN THE MILITARY; AMENDING SECTION 46-225, IDAHO CODE, TO 3 CLARIFY THAT PERSONS DEPLOYED IN THE MILITARY WHO SHALL ALSO BE OFFICERS 4 OR EMPLOYEES OF THE STATE SHALL BE ENTITLED TO THEIR EXISTING MEDICAL BEN- 5 EFITS FROM THE STATE FOR THE FIRST THIRTY DAYS OF A DEPLOYMENT AND THIS 6 SHALL NOT DECREASE ANY EXISTING LEAVE BALANCES; AND DECLARING AN EMER- 7 GENCY. 8 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho: 9 SECTION 1. That Section 46-225, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby 10 amended to read as follows: 11 46-225. VACATION, SICK LEAVE, BONUS, HEALTH INSURANCE AND ADVANCEMENT 12 UNAFFECTED BY LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Such absence for military training shall not 13 affect the employee's right to receive normal vacation, sick leave, bonus, 14 advancement, and other advantages of his employment normally to be anticipated 15 in his particular position. All officers and employees of the state of Idaho 16 who shall be members of the national guard or who shall be reservists in the 17 armed forces of the United States shall also be entitled to their existing 18 medical benefits for the first thirty (30) days of a deployment ordered or 19 authorized under the provisions of the national defense act, and such entitle- 20 ment shall not decrease any existing accrued leave balances. 21 SECTION 2. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby 22 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its 23 passage and approval.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE RS 15906C2 The intent of this legislation is to cover a loophole in Idaho Code that leaves the dependents of Idaho National Guard Members who are also state employees without their health care coverage for 30 days during a time of deployment. When an Idaho National Guard member is called to active duty the military automatically covers the guard member s health care insurance under Tn-Care. This benefit is not offered to the dependents of guard members until thirty days after deployment. When the call of duty does not align with the state s health insurance premium payments, the Guard member and family members currently covered by state insurance loses health care coverage with the state. A guard member can lengthen employment time and keep existing benefits with the state if they use vacation leave to help cover the gap of time until the family is picked up by the military coverage. In some case guard members do not have the vacation time accrued and they are left without any options. This bill would spare guard member s well-earned vacation time and would continue health care coverage for Idaho Guard families until they are otherwise covered. FISCAL IMPACT In the rare occasions of this event the state would be require to pay its portion of the employees health care premium for thirty extra days, which is approximately $500/month. Contact Name: Sen. Clint Stennett Sen. Kate Kelly Rep. Mike Mitchell Rep. Kathy Skippen Phone: 332 1351 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE S 1362