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Sheriff presents bill to create trust fund for retirees’ medical premiums; committee advances measure
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Summary
Sheriff Greg Champine presented Senate Bill 85 to the Judiciary B committee on March 10, proposing a trust fund for sheriff’s office retirees’ medical insurance; Champine said the fund cannot be used until it reaches a $4,000,000 balance. The committee reported the bill favorably without objection.
Sheriff Greg Champine of the Saint Charles Parish Sheriff's Office presented Senate Bill 85 to the Senate Committee on Judiciary B on March 10, asking lawmakers to create a trust fund to pay medical insurance premiums for office retirees.
"I'm proposing a bill to create a trust fund, for the office to pay the medical insurance premiums for retirees," Champine said, explaining that retirees who have worked sufficient years would receive either partial or full coverage during retirement. He said the fund is intended to be self-generating and to ensure the office can meet long-term obligations.
Champine told the committee the fund would include a safeguard: "the fund cannot be used to fund premiums until it has a balance of at least 4,000,000. And if it goes under 4,000,000, it can't be used to fund these premiums." He described the liability for retiree premiums as an ongoing indebtedness flagged by auditors.
Chair offered the committee the opportunity to hear for Senator Miller; Champine thanked Senator Miller for carrying the bill. There were no public comment cards. A motion to report SB85 favorably passed without objection.
The committee advanced the measure to the full Senate; if passed there, SB85 would move to the House for further consideration.
