INSURANCE/GROUP-STATE: Provides for participation by full-time firefighters in insurance programs offered by the state's Office of Group Benefits (RE INCREASE SG EX See Note)

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Stephanie Hilferty

Full-time local firefighters can join the state OGB insurance if their employing locality opts in, with prior health insurance credit for their continuous prior service.

Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Main purpose and intent

Authorizes full-time firefighters employed by a political subdivision to participate in the state Office of Group Benefits (OGB) insurance programs, if the subdivision elects such participation.

Establishes credit for firefighters’ prior health insurance participation when joining OGB, to reflect their full-time fire department service prior to the employer’s election to participate.

Key provisions and changes

Section 808(B) (amended and reenacted)

Expands “employee” eligibility to include:
A full-time employee of a political subdivision’s fire department, provided the subdivision elects participation for these employees.
Clarifies that “fire department” includes any local government department, district, unit, or organization whose primary purpose is preventing/extinguishing fires.
Prohibits any law, rule, or policy from blocking an employer’s election to participate under this provision.

Section 808(A)(12) (new)

Adds eligibility category for full-time fire department employees as described above.

Section 851(W) (new)

Credits for prior participation:
An employee who participates under the new fire department provision shall receive credit for prior participation in a health insurance plan sponsored by the employer for the period of their continuous full-time fire department employment prior to the employer joining OGB.
Credit is limited to the continuous period of employment with the participating fire department as of the date the employer elects to participate in OGB.

Effective date

The act becomes effective on January 1, 2027.

Who is affected

Employees of local government fire departments (full-time), where the local government elects to participate in OGB.

Fire departments and related political subdivisions (cities, districts, units) that employ full-time firefighters.

Retirees associated with those fire departments may be affected insofar as eligibility and class participation rules apply (per the text, participation must be part of a class that includes all eligible employees and retirees affected by the election).

Procedural and timeline aspects

Election to participate: The local government employer must elect participation for its full-time firefighters; once elected, eligible employees may enroll in OGB plans.

Participation credit: Employers that join OGB via this provision must honor credit for prior health insurance participation by full-time firefighters, but only for the continuous period of employment up to the date the employer joins OGB.

Effective date: January 1, 2027, with the new eligibility and credit provisions in place.

Practical considerations

The bill provides a pathway for better integration of local fire department employees into state-level insurance programs, potentially simplifying benefits administration and improving portability.

The participation credit component aims to recognize firefighters’ prior employer-sponsored insurance history, affecting premium calculations and potential cost-sharing for participants.

If you’d like, I can add a side-by-side comparison with current OGB eligibility rules or provide a brief FAQ for municipalities considering election to participate.

Bill