PRINTER'S NO. 1301
No. 195 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, RHOADES, COSTA, WENGER, ERICKSON, GREENLEAF,
KASUNIC, BRIGHTBILL, MUSTO, LEMMOND, LOGAN, MELLOW, WAUGH,
LAVALLE, WOZNIAK, ARMSTRONG, PIPPY, WONDERLING, M. WHITE,
STACK, RAFFERTY AND BROWNE, OCTOBER 31, 2005
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, OCTOBER 31, 2005
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to study and
2 offer an evaluation of the efficacy of directing the 501
3 school districts of the Commonwealth to engage in group
4 purchasing of employee health care benefits.
5 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has 501 different school districts in
6 67 counties; and
7 WHEREAS, Each of these school districts has many employees,
8 including, but not limited to, professional, administrative,
9 clerical, maintenance and custodial employees; and
10 WHEREAS, Health care benefits often include, but are not
11 limited to, medical insurance, prescription drug coverage,
12 dental insurance and a vision plan, and are generally provided
13 as part of the salary or wages paid to each employee of these
14 school districts; and
15 WHEREAS, Many of our 501 school districts seek out their own
16 providers of employee health care benefits; and
17 WHEREAS, These individual plans vary widely in scope and
18 breadth; and
1 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Employee Benefit Trust Fund
2 currently administers health care benefits for approximately
3 85,000 State employees and 52,000 retirees; and
4 WHEREAS, Economies of scale and group purchasing might result
5 in lower costs for each of our 501 school districts as well as
6 the standardization of benefits; therefore be it
7 RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Joint State Government
8 Commission to study the current health care benefits, providers
9 and costs of employee health care benefits offered by each of
10 Pennsylvania's 501 school districts; and be it further
11 RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission compare
12 benefits currently offered by school districts with benefits
13 negotiated for and administered by the Pennsylvania Employee
14 Benefit Trust Fund; and be it further
15 RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission consider
16 and formulate a recommendation on whether the health care
17 benefits of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts should be
18 negotiated for and administered by the Pennsylvania Employee
19 Benefit Trust Fund; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission report
21 its findings and recommendation to the Senate no later than
22 November 30, 2006.
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