Public Act No. 05-10 AN ACT CONCERNING CIVIL UNIONS
Sec. 14 - “Parties to a civil union shall have all the same benefits, protections and responsibilities under law, whether derived from the general statutes, administrative regulations or court rules, policy, common law or any other source of civil law, as are granted to spouses in a marriage, which is defined as the union of one man and one woman.”
Sec. 15 - “Wherever in the general statutes the terms “spouse”, “family”, “immediate family”, “dependent”, “next of kin” or any other term that denotes the spousal relationship are used or defined, a party to civil union shall be included in such use or definition, and wherever in the general statutes, except sections 7-45 and 17b-137a of the general statutes, as amended by this act, subdivision (4) of section 45a-727a, sections 46b-20 to 46b-34, inclusive, section 46b-150d of the general statutes, as amended by this act, and section 14 (above) of this act, the term “marriage” is used or defined, civil union shall be included in such use or definition.
For TRB purposes, this would include eligibility for the health insurance subsidy, TRB health insurance, pre-retirement death benefits and any other benefit a spouse is entitled to through this system.
This act was signed by the Governor on April 20, 2005.
Public Act No. 05-98 AN ACT REQUIRING PARTICIPANTS IN HEALTH BENEFIT PLANS OFFERED BY THE CONNECTICUT TEACHERS' RETIREMENT SYSTEM TO BE MEDICARE PART A PARTICIPANTS
The retirement board shall offer one or more health benefit plans to: any member receiving retirement benefits or a disability allowance from the system; the spouse or surviving spouse of such member, and a disabled dependent of such member if there is no spouse or surviving spouse, provided such member, spouse, surviving spouse, or disabled dependent is participating in Medicare Part A hospital insurance. The board may offer one or more basic plans, the cost of which to any such member, spouse, surviving spouse or disabled dependent shall be one-third of the basic plan's premium equivalent, and one or more optional plans, provided such member, spouse, surviving spouse, or disabled dependent shall pay one-third of the basic plan's premium equivalent plus the difference in cost between any such basic plans and any such optional plans. The board shall designate those plans which are basic and those plans which are optional for the purpose of determining such cost and the amount to be charged or withheld from benefit payments for such plans. The surviving spouse of a member, or a disabled dependent of a member if there is no surviving spouse, shall not be ineligible for participation in any such plan solely because such surviving spouse or disabled dependent is not receiving benefits from the system. With respect to any person participating in any such plan, the state shall appropriate to the board one-third of the cost of such basic plan or plans, or one-third of the cost of the rate in effect during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1998, whichever is greater.
This act was signed by the Governor on June 7, 2006.
Public Act No. 05-153 AN ACT REQUIRING THE TIMELY TRANSMITTAL BY EMPLOYERS OF NECESSARY INFORMATION TO THE TEACHERS' RETIREMENT BOARD
The law establishes the fifth business day of the following month as the deadline for submitting transmittals to the Teachers’ Retirement Board (TRB). This is the same deadline that already exists for submitting members’ contributions to TRB; contributions received after that date are subject to an interest charge of 9% per year. This law requires that not only members’ contributions but also the transmittal which supports and documents the amount of the contribution be submitted by this date. The interest charge may be applied if either the members’ contributions or the transmittal is not submitted on a timely basis. TRB will apply this law beginning with transmittals for the 2005-2006 school year.
This act was signed by the Governor on June 24, 2005.