EXECUTIVE ORDER

NUMBER FIFTY-SIX

TO: HEADS OF ALL STATE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

RE: RESCINDING EXECUTIVE ORDER 51

WHEREAS, Executive Orders 34 and 51 signed by Governor John Carney re-established a Retirement Benefit Study Committee (“RSBC”) to study post-retirement health care insurance benefits and produce findings on the impact of Other Post-Employment Benefits (“OPEB”) on the State of Delaware; and

WHEREAS, the RBSC’s analysis indicated a multi-billion dollar and rapidly escalating shortfall in the OPEB trust fund that threatens the long-term sustainability of such post-retirement healthcare benefits; and

WHEREAS, the RBSC studied the results of available and additional actuarial work related to OPEB, identified options and quantified the potential effects of such options, and assessed the desirability of the options according to criteria established in Executive Orders 34 and 51; and

WHEREAS, the RBSC issued a report dated March 31, 2022 that recommended a three-pronged approach to stabilizing the OPEB trust fund while also continuing to provide strong, effective and sustainable healthcare to State retirees to include 1) increased funding for the OPEB Trust Fund, 2) implementing plan design changes for Medicare eligible retirees, and 3) reviewing options for modifying future eligibility for Medicare and pre-Medicare retiree healthcare benefits; and

WHEREAS, the 152nd General Assembly enacted and Governor Carney signed Senate Bill 29 establishing a permanent Retiree Healthcare Benefits Advisory Subcommittee of the State Employee Benefits Committee to conduct public meetings, receive public comments and make findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly addressing State retiree healthcare benefits.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOHN C. CARNEY, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Delaware, do hereby DECLARE and ORDER the following:

1. All work and materials of the Retirement Benefit Study Committee is deemed complete and shall be retained and archived by the Secretary of the Department of Finance and made available to members of the Retiree Healthcare Benefits Advisory Subcommittee of the State Employee Benefits Committee.
2. Executive Order Number 51, signed by Governor Carney on July 21, 2021, is hereby rescinded.

APPROVED this 15th day of February 2023.

John C. Carney
Governor

ATTEST:
Secretary of State 

PDF of Executive Order

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