[§87A-34]  State and county contributions;retired employees with fewer than ten years of service.  (a)  This sectionshall apply to state and county contributions to the fund for employeesspecified in paragraph (1)(E) of the definition of "employee" in section87A-1 who:

(1)  Were hired on or before June 30, 1996; and

(2)  Retired after June 30, 1984, with fewer than tenyears of credited service, excluding sick leave.

(b)  The State, through the department ofbudget and finance, and the counties, through their respective departments offinance, shall pay to the fund a monthly contribution equal to one-half of thebase monthly contribution set forth under section 87A-33(b) for retiredemployees enrolled in medicare or non-medicare health benefits plans. If bothhusband and wife are employee-beneficiaries, the total contribution by theState or county shall not exceed the monthly contribution for supplementalmedicare family or non-medicare family plan, as appropriate. [L 2001, c 88, ptof §1]