Senate Bill No. 1526 seeks to amend section 5-259 of the general statutes to include state marshals in the group hospitalization and medical and surgical insurance plans available to state employees and officials. The bill repeals subsections (a) to (l) of the current law and replaces them with new provisions that explicitly add state marshals as eligible participants, marked by the insertion of language stating, "and (9) state marshals, as provided in subdivision (2) of subsection (l) of this section." Additionally, the bill clarifies the definitions of "employee" and "municipality" to ensure comprehensive coverage. It also removes previous language that defined eligibility for insurance coverage for surviving spouses and dependent children of municipal employees, streamlining the criteria to ensure state marshals receive equal health insurance benefits.

Moreover, the bill introduces provisions for adoptive and foster parents to obtain group hospitalization and medical insurance coverage for themselves and their dependents, requiring them to pay 100% of the premium directly to the insurer. It outlines eligibility criteria for probate judges and court employees, specifying a minimum work requirement of twenty hours per week. The bill allows the Comptroller to provide health insurance coverage for employees of municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and small employers, with participation being voluntary. It establishes the "Municipal Employee Health Insurance Plan" and ensures that no group of employees can be denied entry based on health care costs or claims experience. The bill also includes new provisions for the certification of hours worked by state marshals and indicates a fiscal impact of approximately $1.5 million for the partial year in FY 26 and $2.6 million annually thereafter for the state's share of medical premiums.