THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY REICHLEY, BARRAR, BENNINGHOFF, BOYD, CLYMER, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, EVERETT, FARRY, FLECK, GINGRICH, GRELL, GROVE, HORNAMAN, MARSHALL, METCALFE, MURT, MUSTIO, QUINN, RAPP, ROSS, STEVENSON, SWANGER, J. TAYLOR, TRUE, WATSON, LEVDANSKY AND TURZAI, OCTOBER 14, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, OCTOBER 14, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Directing the Bipartisan Management Committee to establish a

process by which members and employees of the House of

Representatives make employee contributions for health care

benefits.

WHEREAS, Health care costs continue to rise, increasing twice

as fast as average wages in this Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, The Senate has recently amended its health benefits

plan to require Senators and employees of the Senate to

contribute a portion of their salary for health care benefits;

and

WHEREAS, All employers, both public and private, who are

constantly seeking to maximize coverage while minimizing costs

must continuously determine an equitable means to share the cost

burden of health care benefits; and

WHEREAS, The taxpayers of this Commonwealth are ultimately

the employers of the members and the employees of the House of

Representatives; and

WHEREAS, Members of the House of Representatives and its

employees currently do not make any employee contributions for

health care benefits; and

WHEREAS, The rank and file members have previously expressed

to caucus leaders the concern that the health care plan received

by House members reflect what average Pennsylvanians are facing

in being asked to assume a greater share of health care

insurance costs; and

WHEREAS, The leaders of each caucus in the House comprise the

Bipartisan Management Committee, which negotiates benefits for

House members and staff; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the members of the House of Representatives

and its employees begin to make employee contributions for

health care benefits; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Bipartisan Management Committee is

directed to negotiate with its health insurance carrier a

process by which members of the House of Representatives make

contributions for health care benefits by the end of calendar

year 2010; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the process established provide for

contributions to be calculated as a percentage of the cost of

each member's or employee's annual salary as negotiated by the

Bipartisan Management Committee.