40 ILCS 5/1-161

(40 ILCS 5/1-161)

Sec. 1-161. Optional benefits for certain Tier 2 members under Articles 14, 15, and 16.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code to the contrary, the provisions of this Section apply to a person who first becomes a member or a participant under Article 14, 15, or 16 on or after the implementation date under this Section for the applicable Article and who does not make the election under subsection (b) or (c), whichever applies. The provisions of this Section also apply to a person who makes the election under subsection (c-5). However, the provisions of this Section do not apply to any participant in a self-managed plan, nor to a covered employee under Article 14.

As used in this Section and Section 1-160, the "implementation date" under this Section means the earliest date upon which the board of a retirement system authorizes members of that system to begin participating in accordance with this Section, as determined by the board of that retirement system. Each of the retirement systems subject to this Section shall endeavor to make such participation available as soon as possible after the effective date of this Section and shall establish an implementation date by board resolution.

(b) In lieu of the benefits provided under this Section, a member or participant, except for a participant under Article 15, may irrevocably elect the benefits under Section 1-160 and the benefits otherwise applicable to that member or participant. The election must be made within 30 days after becoming a member or participant. Each retirement system shall establish procedures for making this election.

(c) A participant under Article 15 may irrevocably elect the benefits otherwise provided to a Tier 2 member under Article 15. The election must be made within 30 days after becoming a member. The retirement system under Article 15 shall establish procedures for making this election.

(c-5) A non-covered participant under Article 14 to whom Section 1-160 applies, a Tier 2 member under Article 15, or a participant under Article 16 to whom Section 1-160 applies may irrevocably elect to receive the benefits under this Section in lieu of the benefits under Section 1-160 or the benefits otherwise available to a Tier 2 member under Article 15, whichever is applicable. Each retirement System shall establish procedures for making this election.

(d) "Final average salary" means the average monthly (or annual) salary obtained by dividing the total salary or earnings calculated under the Article applicable to the member or participant during the last 120 months (or 10 years) of service in which the total salary or earnings calculated under the applicable Article was the highest by the number of months (or years) of service in that period. For the purposes of a person to whom this Section applies, in this Code, "final average salary" shall be substituted for "final average compensation" in Article 14.

(e) Beginning on the implementation date, for all purposes under this Code (including without limitation the calculation of benefits and employee contributions), the annual earnings, salary, compensation, or wages (based on the plan year) of a member or participant to whom this Section applies shall not at any time exceed the federal Social Security Wage Base then in effect.

(f) A member or participant is entitled to a retirement annuity upon written application if he or she has attained the normal retirement age determined by the Social Security Administration for that member or participant's year of birth, but no earlier than 67 years of age, and has at least 10 years of service credit and is otherwise eligible under the requirements of the applicable Article.

(g) The amount of the retirement annuity to which a member or participant is entitled shall be computed by multiplying 1.25% for each year of service credit by his or her final average salary.

(h) Any retirement annuity or supplemental annuity shall be subject to annual increases on the first anniversary of the annuity start date. Each annual increase shall be one-half the annual unadjusted percentage increase (but not less than zero) in the consumer price index-w for the 12 months ending with the September preceding each November 1 of the originally granted retirement annuity. If the annual unadjusted percentage change in the consumer price index-w for the 12 months ending with the September preceding each November 1 is zero or there is a decrease, then the annuity shall not be increased.

For the purposes of this Section, "consumer price index-w" means the index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor that measures the average change in prices of goods and services purchased by Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, United States city average, all items, 1982-84 = 100. The new amount resulting from each annual adjustment shall be determined by the Public Pension Division of the Department of Insurance and made available to the boards of the retirement systems and pension funds by November 1 of each year.

(i) The initial survivor's or widow's annuity of an otherwise eligible survivor or widow of a retired member or participant to whom this Section applies shall be in the amount of 66 2/3% of the retired member's or participant's retirement annuity at the date of death. In the case of the death of a member or participant who has not retired and to whom this Section applies, eligibility for a survivor's or widow's annuity shall be determined by the applicable Article of this Code. The benefit shall be 66 2/3% of the earned annuity without a reduction due to age. A child's annuity of an otherwise eligible child shall be in the amount prescribed under each Article if applicable.

(j) In lieu of any other employee contributions, except for the contribution to the defined contribution plan under subsection (k) of this Section, each employee shall contribute 6.2% of his her or salary to the retirement system. However, the employee contribution under this subsection shall not exceed the amount of the total normal cost of the benefits for all members making contributions under this Section (except for the defined contribution plan under subsection (k) of this Section), expressed as a percentage of payroll and certified on or before January 15 of each year by the board of trustees of the retirement system. If the board of trustees of the retirement system certifies that the 6.2% employee contribution rate exceeds the normal cost of the benefits under this Section (except for the defined contribution plan under subsection (k) of this Section), then on or before December 1 of that year, the board of trustees shall certify the amount of the normal cost of the benefits under this Section (except for the defined contribution plan under subsection (k) of this Section), expressed as a percentage of payroll, to the State Actuary and the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, and the employee contribution under this subsection shall be reduced to that amount beginning July 1 of that year. Thereafter, if the normal cost of the benefits under this Section (except for the defined contribution plan under subsection (k) of this Section), expressed as a percentage of payroll and certified on or before January 1 of each year by the board of trustees of the retirement system, exceeds 6.2% of salary, then on or before January 15 of that year, the board of trustees shall certify the normal cost to the State Actuary and the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, and the employee contributions shall revert back to 6.2% of salary beginning January 1 of the following year.

(k) In accordance with each retirement system's implementation date, each retirement system under Article 14, 15, or 16 shall prepare and implement a defined contribution plan for members or participants who are subject to this Section. The defined contribution plan developed under this subsection shall be a plan that aggregates employer and employee contributions in individual participant accounts which, after meeting any other requirements, are used for payouts after retirement in accordance with this subsection and any other applicable laws.

(1) Each member or participant shall contribute a minimum of 4% of his or her salary to the defined contribution plan.

(2) For each participant in the defined contribution plan who has been employed with the same employer for at least one year, employer contributions shall be paid into that participant's accounts at a rate expressed as a percentage of salary. This rate may be set for individual employees, but shall be no higher than 6% of salary and shall be no lower than 2% of salary.

(3) Employer contributions shall vest when those contributions are paid into a member's or participant's account.

(4) The defined contribution plan shall provide a variety of options for investments. These options shall include investments handled by the Illinois State Board of Investment as well as private sector investment options.

(5) The defined contribution plan shall provide a variety of options for payouts to retirees and their survivors.

(6) To the extent authorized under federal law and as authorized by the retirement system, the defined contribution plan shall allow former participants in the plan to transfer or roll over employee and employer contributions, and the earnings thereon, into other qualified retirement plans.

(7) Each retirement system shall reduce the employee contributions credited to the member's defined contribution plan account by an amount determined by that retirement system to cover the cost of offering the benefits under this subsection and any applicable administrative fees.

(8) No person shall begin participating in the defined contribution plan until it has attained qualified plan status and received all necessary approvals from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

(l) In the case of a conflict between the provisions of this Section and any other provision of this Code, the provisions of this Section shall control.

(Source: P.A. 100-23, eff. 7-6-17.)