93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
SB3032

 

Introduced 2/6/2004, by Kimberly A. Lightford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
820 ILCS 320/10

    Amends the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act. Defines the term "catastrophic injury" as an injury or disability (1) that is so severe that the injured employee is unemployable in any capacity or (2) that, when taken into account in combination with the injured employee's age, skills, training, and work history, makes the injured employee unable to perform any services for which there is a reasonably stable job market.


LRB093 18054 LRD 43741 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3032 LRB093 18054 LRD 43741 b

1     AN ACT concerning public safety employee benefits.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Public Safety Employee Benefits Act is
5 amended by changing Section 10 as follows:
 
6     (820 ILCS 320/10)
7     Sec. 10. Required health coverage benefits.
8     (a) An employer who employs a full-time law enforcement,
9 correctional or correctional probation officer, or
10 firefighter, who, on or after the effective date of this Act
11 suffers a catastrophic injury or is killed in the line of duty
12 shall pay the entire premium of the employer's health insurance
13 plan for the injured employee, the injured employee's spouse,
14 and for each dependent child of the injured employee until the
15 child reaches the age of majority or until the end of the
16 calendar year in which the child reaches the age of 25 if the
17 child continues to be dependent for support or the child is a
18 full-time or part-time student and is dependent for support.
19 For the purpose of this Section, the term "catastrophic injury"
20 means an injury or disability (1) that is so severe that the
21 injured employee is unemployable in any capacity or (2) that,
22 when taken into account in combination with the injured
23 employee's age, skills, training, and work history, makes the
24 injured employee unable to perform any services for which there
25 is a reasonably stable job market. The term "health insurance
26 plan" does not include supplemental benefits that are not part
27 of the basic group health insurance plan. If the injured
28 employee subsequently dies, the employer shall continue to pay
29 the entire health insurance premium for the surviving spouse
30 until remarried and for the dependent children under the
31 conditions established in this Section. However:
32         (1) Health insurance benefits payable from any other

 

 

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1     source shall reduce benefits payable under this Section.
2         (2) It is unlawful for a person to willfully and
3     knowingly make, or cause to be made, or to assist, conspire
4     with, or urge another to make, or cause to be made, any
5     false, fraudulent, or misleading oral or written statement
6     to obtain health insurance coverage as provided under this
7     Section. A violation of this item is a Class A misdemeanor.
8         (3) Upon conviction for a violation described in item
9     (2), a law enforcement, correctional or correctional
10     probation officer, or other beneficiary who receives or
11     seeks to receive health insurance benefits under this
12     Section shall forfeit the right to receive health insurance
13     benefits and shall reimburse the employer for all benefits
14     paid due to the fraud or other prohibited activity. For
15     purposes of this item, "conviction" means a determination
16     of guilt that is the result of a plea or trial, regardless
17     of whether adjudication is withheld.
18     (b) In order for the law enforcement, correctional or
19 correctional probation officer, firefighter, spouse, or
20 dependent children to be eligible for insurance coverage under
21 this Act, the injury or death must have occurred as the result
22 of the officer's response to fresh pursuit, the officer or
23 firefighter's response to what is reasonably believed to be an
24 emergency, an unlawful act perpetrated by another, or during
25 the investigation of a criminal act. Nothing in this Section
26 shall be construed to limit health insurance coverage or
27 pension benefits for which the officer, firefighter, spouse, or
28 dependent children may otherwise be eligible.
29 (Source: P.A. 90-535, eff. 11-14-97.)