Section 5209 - Employees of Delaware authorities or commissions(a) Any Delaware authority or commission may elect to participate in the health care insurance plans provided by the provisions of this chapter for regularly scheduled full-time employees. The full cost of such coverage shall be remitted to the State by the authority or commission no later than the first day of each calendar month for which coverage is being provided. the benefits provided to such employees and the cost of coverage shall be the same as provided to state employees covered by this chapter. Any Delaware authority or commission participating in the State Group Health Insurance program shall be governed by all provisions, rules and regulations of this chapter and the State Employee Benefits Committee.(b) Any regularly scheduled full-time employee of the Delaware Stadium Corporation, the Delaware Riverfront Corporation, a Public/Private Partnership as defined in § 8702A of this title, or the Fort DuPont Redevelopment and Preservation Corporation may elect to participate in the health insurance plans provided by the State Group Health Insurance Program. The full cost of such coverage shall be remitted to the State no later than the first day of each calendar month for which coverage is being provided. The benefits provided to such employees and the cost of coverage shall be the same as provided to state employees covered by this chapter. Any Delaware Stadium Corporation, Public/Private Partnership as defined in § 8702A of this title, or Fort DuPont Redevelopment and Preservation Corporation employee participating in the State Group Health Insurance Program shall be governed by all provisions, rules and regulations of this chapter and the State Employee Benefits Committee.(c) All per diem and contractual employees of the Delaware General Assembly who have been continuously employed for 5 or more years may elect to participate in the health insurance plans provided by the State Group Health Insurance Program. The full cost of such coverage shall be remitted to the State by such employees no later than the 1st day of each calendar month for which coverage is being provided. The benefits provided to such employees and the cost of coverage shall be the same as provided to state employees covered by this chapter. Any such employees participating in the State Group Health Insurance Program shall be governed by all provisions, rules and regulations of this chapter and the State Employee Benefits Committee.(d) Any volunteer fire or volunteer ambulance company in Delaware may elect to participate in the health care insurance plans provided by the provisions of this chapter for paid employees. The full cost of such coverage shall be remitted to the State by the volunteer fire or volunteer ambulance company participating no later than the first day of each calendar month for which coverage is being provided. The benefits provided to such paid employees and the cost of coverage shall be the same as provided to state employees covered by this chapter. Any volunteer fire or volunteer ambulance company in Delaware participating in the State Group Health Insurance Program shall be governed by all provisions, rules and regulations of this chapter and the State Employee Benefits Committee.(e) Any county, soil and water conservation districts or municipality and the Municipal Services Commission for the City of New Castle may elect to participate in the health care insurance plans provided by this chapter for any of the following: (1) Regularly scheduled full-time employees;(2) Anyone receiving or who is eligible to receive retirement benefits in accordance with the Delaware County and Municipal Police/Firefighter Pension Plan with Chapter 88 of Title 11 or the county and municipal pension plan under Chapter 55A of this title. The full cost of such coverage shall be remitted to the State by the county, soil and water conservation districts or municipality and the Municipal Services Commission for the City of New Castle no later than the first day of each calendar month for which coverage is being provided. The benefits provided to such employees and the cost of coverage shall be the same as provided to the state employees covered by this chapter. Any employee participating in the State Group Health Insurance Program through this subsection shall be governed by all provisions, rules and regulations of this chapter and the State Employee Benefits Committee. For the purposes of this subsection, a "full-time employee" is an employee who works at least 30 hours or more per week or 130 hours per month (with allowable interruptions). Retirees receiving benefits may authorize the State Pension Office to deduct their share of cost from their monthly pension. Participation by any county, soil and water conservation districts or municipality and the Municipal Services Commission for the City of New Castle shall be subject to approval of the State Employee Benefits Committee.
(f) Anyone receiving retirement benefits in accordance with the Delaware and Municipal Police/Firefighter Pension Plan under Chapter 88 of Title 11 or the county and municipal pension plan under Chapter 55A of this title, may elect to participate in the health insurance plans provided by the State Group Health Insurance Program. The retiree shall authorize the State Pension Office to deduct the full cost of coverage from the retiree's monthly pension.(g) The State Employee Benefits Committee shall be authorized to recover costs from any Delaware authority or commission, the Delaware Stadium Corporation, the Delaware Riverfront Corporation, any volunteer fire company, any county soil and water conservation district, and any municipality which elects for its employees to participate in the health care insurance plans provided by this chapter, based on the number of participating employees. Further, the State Employee Benefits Committee shall be authorized to recover costs from any non-state organization which is permitted to and elects to participate in the health care insurance plans provided by this chapter, based on the number of participating employees. The revenue derived from such cost recovery shall be used exclusively to support the administration of the State Group Health Insurance Program.Amended by Laws 2017, ch. 49,s 3, eff. 7/1/2017. 70 Del. Laws, c. 118, § 33; 70 Del. Laws, c. 425, §§ 35, 36; 71 Del. Laws, c. 132, § 39; 71 Del. Laws, c. 354, § 41; 71 Del. Laws, c. 372, § 1; 72 Del. Laws, c. 94, § 40; 72 Del. Laws, c. 204, § 15; 72 Del. Laws, c. 258, § 30; 73 Del. Laws, c. 74, § 81; 73 Del. Laws, c. 233, § 1; 74 Del. Laws, c. 226, § 1.;