BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    






          SENATE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT & RETIREMENT     BILL NO: SB 235
          Patricia Wiggins, Chair      Hearing date: April 16, 2007
          SB 235 (Negrete McLeod)     as introduced 2/14/07         
          FISCAL:   YES

           CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY RETIREES:  VISION CARE PLAN PAID  
          FOR BY THE RETIREE
           
           HISTORY  :

              Sponsor:  California State Employees Association (CSEA),  
          Retired Division

              Prior legislation:  AB 2242 (Assembly PER&SS Committee)
                         Chapter 611 of 2006

           
          SUMMARY  :

          Would extend the vision care program for state annuitants and  
          their dependents, enacted by  Chapter 611 of 2006  , to retirees  
          of the California State University (CSU), under the  
          administration of the state Department of Personnel  
          Administration (DPA).


           BACKGROUND  :  

           1)   Existing law before Chapter 611 of 2006

          Existing law provided vision care for active state employees  
          only - not retirees - before Chapter 611 of 2006

           The committee is advised that, under regulations and through  
          collective bargaining agreements, DPA has provided vision  
          care benefits to approximately 176,000 active state employees  
          and their dependents since 1986.  Until  Chapter 611 of 2006  ,  
          vision care benefits were not made available to state  
          retirees.

          2)   Chapter 611 of 2006  

           Vision care now available for retired state employees  
          David Felderstein
          Date: 4/12/07                                          Page 1  










          pursuant to Chapter 611 of 2006
          
           When a state employee currently receiving vision care  
          benefits retires, enrollment in the vision care plan  
          administered by DPA is now permitted to continue if the  
          retiree pays the monthly insurance premium (estimated to be  
          $12 to $18/month).


































          David Felderstein
          Date: 4/12/07                                          Page 2  










           ANALYSIS  :

          1)   This bill  would:

            a)  extend the vision care program for state annuitants and  
            their dependents to retirees of the CSU, under the  
            administration of DPA, and

            b)  permit CSU retirees to choose to stay in the vision  
            care plan by  paying the full cost of the monthly premium  ,  
            said to cost between $12 and $18/month.


           FISCAL IMPACT  :
          
          None, cost would by fully paid by CSU retiree contributions


           COMMENTS  :

          1)   SUPPORT  :

               California State Employees Association (CSEA)
               Retired Public Employees Association (RPEA)
               American Federation of State, County and Municipal  
          Employees (AFSCME)

          2)   OPPOSITION  :

               California State University




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          David Felderstein
          Date: 4/12/07                                          Page 3