2011 Senate Bill 7 / Public Act 152

Mandate 20 percent government employee health benefit contribution

Introduced in the Senate

Jan. 19, 2011

Introduced by Sen. Mark Jansen (R-28)

To require government employees to contribute at least 20 percent toward the cost of any health care benefits provided by their employer, with a number of exceptions and exemptions (most local governments could waive the requirement with a two-thirds vote of their governing body). This "80/20" cap would be less if the benefit is in the form of a Health Savings Account.

Referred to the Committee on Reforms, Restructuring, and Reinventing

April 14, 2011

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (S-3) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

May 12, 2011

Substitute offered

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises details but does not change the substance as previously described.

The substitute passed by voice vote

May 18, 2011

Amendment offered by Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D-8)

To revise the definition of what precisely the 20 percent employee contribution would apply to, in a way that would mean governments and school districts may have to pay more than 80 percent.

Consideration postponed

Substitute offered by Sen. Mark Jansen (R-28)

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises details but does not change the substance as previously described.

The substitute passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-18)

To tie-bar the bill to Senate Joint Resolution M, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that constitutional amendment does also. If placed on the ballot by two-thirds of the legislature and approved by voters, SJR M would repeal a constitutional provision allowing earmarked tax and other revenue in the state School Aid Fund to pay for higher education and school employee pensions, instead limiting SAF money to just K-12 public school budgets.

The amendment failed 12 to 26 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D-8)

To revise the definition of what precisely the 20 percent employee contribution would apply to, in a way that would mean government and school employees would have to pay less.

The amendment failed 12 to 26 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-18)

To extend to school districts the same option the bill provides for local governments to waive its proposed 20 percent employee copay requirement with a two-thirds vote of the school board.

The amendment failed 15 to 23 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. John Gleason (D-27)

To require school districts and local governments to pay 100 percent of the health benefit cost for an employee whose adjusted gross income is below 175 percent of the official poverty level (approximately $38,500 for a family of four).

The amendment failed 12 to 26 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Glenn Anderson (D-6)

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 4081, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 4081 would end the post-retirement health care insurance coverage provided to legislators, but only for those who were not in office after Jan. 30, 2009.

The amendment failed 17 to 20 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Howard Walker (R-37)

To prohibit a school district or local government from providing an employee health insurance benefit plan that costs more than $13,000 per employee on average.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Judy Emmons (R-33)

To move bac the effective date of the bill to Jan. 1, 2012.

The amendment passed by voice vote

Passed in the Senate 25 to 13 (details)

To require government employees to contribute at least 20 percent toward the cost of any health care benefits provided by their employer, with a number of exceptions and exemptions (most local governments could waive the requirement with a two-thirds vote of their governing body). This amount would be reduced if the benefit is in the form of a Health Savings Account.

Received in the House

May 18, 2011

Referred to the Committee on Oversight, Reform, and Ethics

June 30, 2011

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-6) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

Substitute offered

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that authorizes either a dollar-amount cap on government employee insurance benefits, or requires employees to pay at least 20 percent.

The substitute passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Lisa Brown (D-39)

To allow school boards to waive the bill's requirements with a two-thirds vote.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Passed in the House 56 to 52 (details)

To prohibit the state, local governments, public schools, colleges and universities from providing employee health insurance benefits whose premiums cost more that $5,500 for a single person, $11,000 for a couple and $15,000 for a family plan (indexed to the "medical price index"), or alternatively, require employees contribute at least 20 percent toward the cost. Most local governments but not schools could waive the requirements with a two-thirds vote of their governing body.

Received in the Senate

July 13, 2011

Failed in the Senate 0 to 36 (details)

Received in the House

July 27, 2011

Aug. 24, 2011

Passed in the House 59 to 48 (details)

To prohibit the state, local governments, public schools, colleges and universities from providing employee health insurance benefits whose premiums cost more than $5,500 for a single person, $11,000 for a couple and $15,000 for a family plan (indexed to the "medical price index"), or alternatively, require employees to contribute at least 20 percent toward the cost. Most local governments but not schools could waive the requirements with a two-thirds vote of their governing body. This vote is for a House-Senate conference report that fine-tunes some details.

Received in the Senate

Aug. 24, 2011

Passed in the Senate 25 to 13 (details)

Motion

To give the bill immediate effect.

The motion passed 26 to 12 (details)

Signed by Gov. Rick Snyder

Sept. 24, 2011