Summary as Introduced
Amends the Public Employee Disability Act. Provides that, for purposes of provisions in the Act concerning disability benefits, "eligible employee" includes any part-time or full-time county correctional officer or any other full-time or part-time employee of a county sheriff. Provides that, when an eligible employee suffers an injury in the line of duty that causes the employee to be unable to perform the employee's duties, the employing public entity shall continue to provide health insurance benefits on the same terms and conditions as were in effect immediately prior to the injury.
Staff Analysis
The bill would expand the scope of the Public Employee Disability Act (PEDA) in a way that directly increases counties’ financial costs, particularly for sheriff’s offices and correctional operations. By explicitly including both part-time and full-time county correctional officers, as well as other sheriff’s employees, within the definition of “eligible employee,” the bill broadens the pool of personnel entitled to disability-related benefits. For counties, this means a larger number of employees could qualify for continued compensation and benefits following a line-of-duty injury, increasing exposure to long-term personnel costs.
Operationally, counties may also face workforce management challenges. When an injured employee is unable to perform their duties but continues to receive pay and benefits, counties may need to backfill those roles, often through overtime or new hires, while simultaneously covering the cost of the injured employee’s compensation and benefits. This creates a dual financial strain, particularly for smaller counties with limited staffing depth and tighter budgets.