40 ILCS 5/22-101B

(40 ILCS 5/22-101B)

Sec. 22-101B. Health Care Benefits.

(a) The Chicago Transit Authority (hereinafter referred to in this Section as the "Authority") shall take all actions lawfully available to it to separate the funding of health care benefits for retirees and their dependents and survivors from the funding for its retirement system. The Authority shall endeavor to achieve this separation as soon as possible, and in any event no later than July 1, 2009.

(b) Effective 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, a Retiree Health Care Trust is established for the purpose of providing health care benefits to eligible retirees and their dependents and survivors in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 22-101B. The Retiree Health Care Trust shall be solely responsible for providing health care benefits to eligible retirees and their dependents and survivors upon the exhaustion of the account established by the Retirement Plan for Chicago Transit Authority Employees pursuant to Section 401(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, but no earlier than January 1, 2009 and no later than July 1, 2009.

(1) The Board of Trustees shall consist of 7 members appointed as follows: (i) 3 trustees shall be appointed by the Chicago Transit Board; (ii) one trustee shall be appointed by an organization representing the highest number of Chicago Transit Authority participants; (iii) one trustee shall be appointed by an organization representing the second-highest number of Chicago Transit Authority participants; (iv) one trustee shall be appointed by the recognized coalition representatives of participants who are not represented by an organization with the highest or second-highest number of Chicago Transit Authority participants; and (v) one trustee shall be selected by the Regional Transportation Authority Board of Directors, and the trustee shall be a professional fiduciary who has experience in the area of collectively bargained retiree health plans. Trustees shall serve until a successor has been appointed and qualified, or until resignation, death, incapacity, or disqualification.

Any person appointed as a trustee of the board shall qualify by taking an oath of office that he or she will diligently and honestly administer the affairs of the system, and will not knowingly violate or willfully permit the violation of any of the provisions of law applicable to the Plan, including Sections 1-109, 1-109.1, 1-109.2, 1-110, 1-111, 1-114, and 1-115 of Article 1 of the Illinois Pension Code.

Each trustee shall cast individual votes, and a majority vote shall be final and binding upon all interested parties, provided that the Board of Trustees may require a supermajority vote with respect to the investment of the assets of the Retiree Health Care Trust, and may set forth that requirement in the trust agreement or by-laws of the Board of Trustees. Each trustee shall have the rights, privileges, authority and obligations as are usual and customary for such fiduciaries.

(2) The Board of Trustees shall establish and administer a health care benefit program for eligible retirees and their dependents and survivors. Any health care benefit program established by the Board of Trustees for eligible retirees and their dependents and survivors effective on or after July 1, 2009 shall not contain any plan which provides for more than 90% coverage for in-network services or 70% coverage for out-of-network services after any deductible has been paid, except that coverage through a health maintenance organization ("HMO") may be provided at 100%.

(2.5) The Board of Trustees may also establish and administer a health reimbursement arrangement for retirees and for former employees of the Authority or the Retirement Plan, and their survivors, who have contributed to the Retiree Health Care Trust but do not satisfy the years of service requirement of subdivision (b)(4) and the terms of the retiree health care plan; or for those who do satisfy the requirements of subdivision (b)(4) and the terms of the retiree health care plan but who decline coverage under the plan prior to retirement. Any such health reimbursement arrangement may provide that: the retirees or former employees of the Authority or the Retirement Plan, and their survivors, must have reached age 65 to be eligible to participate in the health reimbursement arrangement; contributions by the retirees or former employees of the Authority or the Retirement Plan to the Retiree Health Care Trust shall be considered assets of the Retiree Health Care Trust only; contributions shall not accrue interest for the benefit of the retiree or former employee of the Authority or the Retirement Plan or survivor; benefits shall be payable in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; the amounts paid to or on account of the retiree or former employee of the Authority or the Retirement Plan or survivor shall not exceed the total amount which the retiree or former employee of the Authority or the Retirement Plan contributed to the Retiree Health Care Trust; the Retiree Health Care Trust may charge a reasonable administrative fee for processing the benefits. The Board of Trustees of the Retiree Health Care Trust may establish such rules, limitations and requirements as the Board of Trustees deems appropriate.

(3) The Retiree Health Care Trust shall be administered by the Board of Trustees according to the following requirements:

(i) The Board of Trustees may cause amounts on deposit in the Retiree Health Care Trust to be invested in those investments that are permitted investments for the investment of moneys held under any one or more of the pension or retirement systems of the State, any unit of local government or school district, or any agency or instrumentality thereof. The Board, by a vote of at least two-thirds of the trustees, may transfer investment management to the Illinois State Board of Investment, which is hereby authorized to manage these investments when so requested by the Board of Trustees.

(ii) The Board of Trustees shall establish and maintain an appropriate funding reserve level which shall not be less than the amount of incurred and unreported claims plus 12 months of expected claims and administrative expenses.

(iii) The Board of Trustees shall make an annual assessment of the funding levels of the Retiree Health Care Trust and shall submit a report to the Auditor General at least 90 days prior to the end of the fiscal year. The report shall provide the following:

(A) the actuarial present value of projected benefits expected to be paid to current and future retirees and their dependents and survivors;

(B) the actuarial present value of projected contributions and trust income plus assets;

(C) the reserve required by subsection (b)(3)(ii); and

(D) an assessment of whether the actuarial present value of projected benefits expected to be paid to current and future retirees and their dependents and survivors exceeds or is less than the actuarial present value of projected contributions and trust income plus assets in excess of the reserve required by subsection (b)(3)(ii).

If the actuarial present value of projected benefits expected to be paid to current and future retirees and their dependents and survivors exceeds the actuarial present value of projected contributions and trust income plus assets in excess of the reserve required by subsection (b)(3)(ii), then the report shall provide a plan, to be implemented over a period of not more than 10 years from each valuation date, which would make the actuarial present value of projected contributions and trust income plus assets equal to or exceed the actuarial present value of projected benefits expected to be paid to current and future retirees and their dependents and survivors. The plan may consist of increases in employee, retiree, dependent, or survivor contribution levels, decreases in benefit levels, or other plan changes or any combination thereof. If the actuarial present value of projected benefits expected to be paid to current and future retirees and their dependents and survivors is less than the actuarial present value of projected contributions and trust income plus assets in excess of the reserve required by subsection (b)(3)(ii), then the report may provide a plan of decreases in employee, retiree, dependent, or survivor contribution levels, increases in benefit levels, or other plan changes, or any combination thereof, to the extent of the surplus.

(iv) The Auditor General shall review the report and plan provided in subsection (b)(3)(iii) and issue a determination within 90 days after receiving the report and plan, with a copy of such determination provided to the General Assembly and the Regional Transportation Authority, as follows:

(A) In the event of a projected shortfall, if the Auditor General determines that the assumptions stated in the report are not unreasonable in the aggregate and that the plan of increases in employee, retiree, dependent, or survivor contribution levels, decreases in benefit levels, or other plan changes, or any combination thereof, to be implemented over a period of not more than 10 years from each valuation date, is reasonably projected to make the actuarial present value of projected contributions and trust income plus assets equal to or in excess of the actuarial present value of projected benefits expected to be paid to current and future retirees and their dependents and survivors, then the Board of Trustees shall implement the plan. If the Auditor General determines that the assumptions stated in the report are unreasonable in the aggregate, or that the plan of increases in employee, retiree, dependent, or survivor contribution levels, decreases in benefit levels, or other plan changes to be implemented over a period of not more than 10 years from each valuation date, is not reasonably projected to make the actuarial present value of projected contributions and trust income plus assets equal to or in excess of the actuarial present value of projected benefits expected to be paid to current and future retirees and their dependents and survivors, then the Board of Trustees shall not implement the plan, the Auditor General shall explain the basis for such determination to the Board of Trustees, and the Auditor General may make recommendations as to an alternative report and plan.

(B) In the event of a projected surplus, if the Auditor General determines that the assumptions stated in the report are not unreasonable in the aggregate and that the plan of decreases in employee, retiree, dependent, or survivor contribution levels, increases in benefit levels, or both, is not unreasonable in the aggregate, then the Board of Trustees shall implement the plan. If the Auditor General determines that the assumptions stated in the report are unreasonable in the aggregate, or that the plan of decreases in employee, retiree, dependent, or survivor contribution levels, increases in benefit levels, or both, is unreasonable in the aggregate, then the Board of Trustees shall not implement the plan, the Auditor General shall explain the basis for such determination to the Board of Trustees, and the Auditor General may make recommendations as to an alternative report and plan.

(C) The Board of Trustees shall submit an alternative report and plan within 45 days after receiving a rejection determination by the Auditor General. A determination by the Auditor General on any alternative report and plan submitted by the Board of Trustees shall be made within 90 days after receiving the alternative report and plan, and shall be accepted or rejected according to the requirements of this subsection (b)(3)(iv). The Board of Trustees shall continue to submit alternative reports and plans to the Auditor General, as necessary, until a favorable determination is made by the Auditor General.

(4) For any retiree who first retires effective on or after January 18, 2008, to be eligible for retiree health care benefits upon retirement, the retiree must be at least 55 years of age, retire with 10 or more years of continuous service and satisfy the preconditions established by Public Act 95-708 in addition to any rules or regulations promulgated by the Board of Trustees. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any retiree hired on or before September 5, 2001 who retires with 25 years or more of continuous service shall be eligible for retiree health care benefits upon retirement in accordance with any rules or regulations adopted by the Board of Trustees; provided he or she retires prior to the full execution of the successor collective bargaining agreement to the collective bargaining agreement that became effective January 1, 2007 between the Authority and the organizations representing the highest and second-highest number of Chicago Transit Authority participants. This paragraph (4) shall not apply to a disability allowance.

(5) Effective January 1, 2009, the aggregate amount of retiree, dependent and survivor contributions to the cost of their health care benefits shall not exceed more than 45% of the total cost of such benefits. The Board of Trustees shall have the discretion to provide different contribution levels for retirees, dependents and survivors based on their years of service, level of coverage or Medicare eligibility, provided that the total contribution from all retirees, dependents, and survivors shall be not more than 45% of the total cost of such benefits. The term "total cost of such benefits" for purposes of this subsection shall be the total amount expended by the retiree health benefit program in the prior plan year, as calculated and certified in writing by the Retiree Health Care Trust's enrolled actuary to be appointed and paid for by the Board of Trustees.

(6) Effective January 1, 2022, all employees of the Authority shall contribute to the Retiree Health Care Trust in an amount not less than 1% of compensation.

(7) No earlier than January 1, 2009 and no later than July 1, 2009 as the Retiree Health Care Trust becomes solely responsible for providing health care benefits to eligible retirees and their dependents and survivors in accordance with subsection (b) of this Section 22-101B, the Authority shall not have any obligation to provide health care to current or future retirees and their dependents or survivors. Employees, retirees, dependents, and survivors who are required to make contributions to the Retiree Health Care Trust shall make contributions at the level set by the Board of Trustees pursuant to the requirements of this Section 22-101B.

(Source: P.A. 102-415, eff. 1-1-22.)