Vermont retirees ask Senate committee to name retired-association seats on insurance advisory panel

Shelly Martin, president of the Vermont Retired State Employees Association, told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on Jan. 28 that the statute establishing the retired employees advisory committee on insurance (3 VSA §636) does not currently name the retirees’ association and instead only references the Vermont State Employees Association, the union that bargains health benefits for active employees. Martin said the omission leaves retirees without guaranteed representation and has caused lapses in communication when insurance changes were proposed.

"We represent approximately 8,200 retirees and their beneficiaries," Martin said, adding that the association maintains outreach to members and sometimes must rely on informal channels when the advisory committee does not meet. She told the committee that, at one point, only two retiree-designated slots were appointed and the statute requires three people to request a meeting, meaning the advisory group could not formally convene for about two years.

Martin asked the committee to amend the statute so the advisory group "shall consist of seven members, three to be selected by the Vermont Retired State Employees Association and three to be selected by the Vermont State Employees Association," and to add the words "or designate" after the Commissioner of Human Resources so the commissioner would not be required to attend if unavailable. She said the change is intended as a statutory "cleanup" to align the law with the existence of an independent retirees association formed after the statute was enacted.

Committee members and witnesses clarified roles: the Agency of Human Resources (Benefits division) administers insurance plans, the Retirement Office manages retirement funding, and VSEA bargains benefits for active employees while retirees typically "mirror" those negotiated plans into retirement. Charlie Dickerson, who identified himself as a VRSEA board member, told the committee that the statute predates VRSEA and likely dates to the mid-to-late 1980s.

Sen. Poggins and other members asked whether the change could be made administratively; witnesses said it requires statutory amendment. Advocates said a short-form bill has been filed from the other chamber but a bill number was not yet available; the committee asked staff to request testimony from the Secretary of Administration and the human resources benefits office when the language arrives.

No formal vote or motion was taken during the hearing. Committee members indicated they would take up the proposed statutory amendment when the short-form bill is formally submitted and would seek technical input from administration and human resources staff beforehand.

The committee paused the hearing to await subsequent witnesses and to allow staff to monitor the bill's progress; no final action was recorded on Jan. 28.