PRINTER'S NO. 3120
No. 2266 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY McILHINNEY, BELFANTI, ALLEN, ARMSTRONG, BARRAR,
BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, CAPPELLI, L. I. COHEN, COSTA, COY,
CREIGHTON, DALEY, DiGIROLAMO, FICHTER, FLICK, FREEMAN,
GEORGE, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HORSEY, JAMES, KELLER,
KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN, LESCOVITZ, MAHER, McGEEHAN, MELIO, MUNDY,
PALLONE, PERZEL, PETRARCA, PHILLIPS, RAYMOND, SCHRODER,
SCHULER, SHANER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK, E. Z. TAYLOR,
THOMAS, TIGUE, STEELMAN, TRICH, WATSON, WOJNAROSKI AND
YOUNGBLOOD, JANUARY 4, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, JANUARY 4, 2002
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, further providing for extension of
3 certain benefits during military duty and requiring public
4 employers to subsidize wages of certain employees.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Section 7309(c) of Title 51 of the Pennsylvania
8 Consolidated Statutes is amended and the section is amended by
9 adding a subsection to read:
10 § 7309. Employment discrimination for military membership or
11 duty.
12 * * *
13 (c) Extension of benefits during military duty.--Whenever a
14 member of the Pennsylvania National Guard is called or ordered
15 into active Federal service or active State duty under orders
1 authorized by law or a member of any reserve component is called
2 or ordered onto active duty, other than active duty for
3 training, the public or private employer of the member shall, at
4 no cost to the member, continue health insurance and other
5 benefits in effect for at least the first 30 days of the
6 military duty. After the expiration of the first 30 days, the
7 public or private employer shall give the member of the National
8 Guard or other reserve component the voluntary option of
9 continuing such health insurance and other benefits in effect at
10 his own expense by paying for the insurance or benefits at the
11 same rates paid by the employer, and the insurance coverage
12 shall continue, except for injuries incurred in the line of
13 military duty. When the Commonwealth employs an individual who
14 is a member of the National Guard or reserve component of the
15 armed forces of the United States who is called or ordered into
16 active duty during a military conflict or peacekeeping mission,
17 the Commonwealth shall, at no cost to the member, continue
18 health insurance and other benefits in effect until the member
19 has returned from active military duty.
20 (d) Subsidized wages by the Commonwealth.--When the
21 Commonwealth employs an individual who is a member of the
22 National Guard or reserve component of the armed forces of the
23 United States who is called or ordered into active duty during a
24 military conflict or peacekeeping mission, the Commonwealth
25 shall subsidize the employee's difference in wages from his
26 civilian employment wages and his military wages for the period
27 in which the employee is absent from work due to being granted a
28 military leave of absence in accordance with section 7302
29 (relating to granting military leaves of absence).
30 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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