Delaware General Assembly

Out of Committee 4/24/24

Reported from Committee; to list ready for consideration (Ready List)

1/4/24

Baumbach

Sen. Townsend, Pettyjohn
Reps. Minor-Brown, Carson, Dorsey Walker, Ramone, Harris

Sen. Buckson, Gay, Hansen, Hocker, Hoffner, Huxtable, Lawson, Lockman, Mantzavinos, S. McBride, Paradee, Pinkney, Richardson, Sokola, Sturgeon, Wilson
Reps. Bush, Chukwuocha, Cooke, Dukes, Gray, Griffith, Heffernan, Hensley, Hilovsky, Jones Giltner, Lambert, Longhurst, Lynn, Morris, Morrison, Neal, Parker Selby, Phillips, Postles, Romer, Michael Smith, Spiegelman, Vanderwende, Wilson-Anton

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE STATE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS COMMITTEE.

This Act adds procedural requirements to meetings of the State Employee Benefits Committee (SEBC), revises the membership of the SEBC, and requires that the Secretary of the Department of Human Resources inform State employees and retired State employees (eligible pensioners) about changes in benefits coverages affecting eligible pensioners who are receiving or eligible to receive retirement benefits under the state employees' pension plan, including proposed changes. This Act adds the following requirements to SEBC meetings: 1. If the SEBC or a subcommittee is holding a virtual meeting, the chair or vice-chair must attend at the anchor location. 2. The chair of a subcommittee must be a voting member of the SEBC. 3. The SEBC must approve a request for proposals to select a carrier or third-party administrator for the health care insurance plan for State employees or eligible pensioners during an open meeting and that the draft request for proposals must be included with the meeting notice and agenda. 4. Adds standard language for the SEBC regarding the conduct of open meetings by public bodies, including requirements for quorum and when a member designates another individual to attend a meeting. This Act revises the membership of the SEBC by doing all of the following: 1. Removes the Delaware retiree appointed by the Governor and adds 2 members who are Delaware residents eligible to receive health care insurance under Chapter 52 of Title 29 under a pension or retirement plan. The President Pro Tem of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives each appoint 1 of these members. 2. Makes the Secretary of the Department of Human Resources a non-voting member of the Committee. 3. Changes the leadership of the SEBC so that only the Director of the Office of Management and Budget serves as chair and the vice-chair is elected annually by the members of the Committee. The vice-chair must be a voting member of the Committee and may not be a cabinet secretary or hold a position of equivalent rank in the executive branch. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual. This Act is known as the “Delaware State Employee Benefits Committee (SEBC) Transparency and Accountability Act”.

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Takes effect upon being signed into law

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