Bill Text: NY A05785 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Provides for health insurance and supplemental benefits to retirees of the New York city off track betting corporation.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-1)

Status: (Vetoed) 2011-09-23 - tabled [A05785 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-A05785-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         5785
                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 28, 2011
                                      ___________
       Introduced by M. of A. ABBATE -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on Governmental Employees
       AN  ACT  to  amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in
         relation to provision of health insurance and supplemental benefits to
         retirees of the New York city off track betting corporation
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Legislative intent. The state of New York has an interest
    2  in the welfare of its citizens, and the general welfare  of  its  senior
    3  citizens  is  a matter of great public concern to the state of New York.
    4  On December 7, 2010, the New York City Off Track Betting Corporation,  a
    5  public  benefits  corporation  created in 1973 pursuant to article VI of
    6  the racing, pari-mutual wagering and breeding law ceased operations. The
    7  legislature finds that, since its inception, New  York  City  Off  Track
    8  Betting  provided  the  state  of  New York with significant revenues to
    9  support government operations. The legislature further finds that  after
   10  the governor of the state of New York issued an executive order to allow
   11  the  New  York City Off Track Betting Corporation to file for bankruptcy
   12  pursuant to Chapter 9 of the United States Bankruptcy Code,  the  unions
   13  representing  the  employees  of  NYCOTB worked tirelessly to assist the
   14  corporation in  its  restructuring  efforts,  including  two  collective
   15  bargaining  agreements  wherein  the  employees made significant conces-
   16  sions, including voluntary separation from the corporation, in order  to
   17  save the corporation and assist their fellow employees.
   18    The  legislature  further finds that employees retired from the corpo-
   19  ration, after having received the assurance that they and  their  depen-
   20  dants  would  receive health insurance and supplemental benefit coverage
   21  under  their  collective  bargaining  representative's  welfare  benefit
   22  program.  After  the  closure  of New York City Off Track Betting, those
   23  benefits ceased.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD09353-01-1
       A. 5785                             2
    1    The legislature further finds that  cessation  of  these  benefits  to
    2  public  employees  who  have devoted their working lives to service of a
    3  New York state public benefits corporation works a great injustice and a
    4  severe hardship to the retirees and their  dependants,  thereby  putting
    5  their health and very lives in danger.
    6    The  legislature  further  finds  that  by  honoring the commitment to
    7  provide health insurance and supplemental benefits to  retirees  of  New
    8  York City Off Track Betting, the state reaffirms its commitment to amel-
    9  iorate  the  deleterious  impact  which the closure of New York City Off
   10  Track Betting has had upon the citizens of the state of New York.
   11    S 2. Subdivision 4 of section 606 of the racing, pari-mutuel  wagering
   12  and  breeding  law,  as  amended  by chapter 115 of the laws of 2008, is
   13  amended to read as follows:
   14    4. All [employees and officers] PRESENT AND  FUTURE  RETIREES  of  the
   15  corporation  in  classes  or  positions  whose incumbents, in equivalent
   16  classes or positions of the city, are eligible, as of the effective date
   17  hereof, to participate in, and receive benefits from any city authorized
   18  health insurance or  welfare  benefit  program,  shall  be  eligible  to
   19  participate  in,  and receive benefits from any such health insurance or
   20  welfare benefit program; provided, however, that the [corporation] STATE
   21  shall reimburse the city or its designee for the actual cost of benefits
   22  under this subdivision.
   23    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.