1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Protect Health Care for Retired Public Safety Officers Act of 2019”.
Protect Health Care for Retired Public Safety Officers Act of 2019
A BILL
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to protect the health care benefits of retired public safety officers, and for other purposes.
2. Protection of health care benefits of retired public safety officers
Title XX of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended—
in section 2001 (6 U.S.C. 601)—
by redesignating paragraphs (12), (13), and (14) as paragraphs (14), (15), and (16), respectively;
by redesignating paragraphs (6) through (11) as paragraphs (7) through (12), respectively;
by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
“(6) Health care benefits—The term health care benefits means health, dental, vision, prescription, and other insurance benefits.”
by inserting after paragraph (12), as so redesignated, the following:
“(13) Public safety officer—The term public safety officer means an employee of a public agency—
“(A) who is a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or an emergency medical services responder; and
“(B) whose conditions of employment are determined in accordance with a collective bargaining agreement.”
in section 2004(b)(2) (6 U.S.C. 605(b)(2))—
in subparagraph (B), by striking “and” at the end;
in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(D) a written certification stating that the State shall not—
“(i) unilaterally modify or eliminate the health care benefits for a public safety officer retiree, as established pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement in effect at the time of retirement of the public safety officer; or
“(ii) allocate grant funds to a local government or Indian tribe that has not certified to the State that the health care benefits for a public safety officer retiree, as established pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement in effect at the time of retirement of the public safety officer, shall not be unilaterally modified or eliminated.”