HB5966 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 19221 AMC 45478 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB5966

Introduced , by Rep. Robert S. Molaro

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

40 ILCS 5/18-123	from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 18-123
40 ILCS 5/18-169

Amends the Judges Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a married participant who elected not to participate in the survivor's annuity provisions may elect to participate therein by filing with the Board before July 1, 2009 a written recision of the election not to participate. Includes language exempting any benefit increase as a result from the new benefit increase provisions. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

PENSION IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning public employee benefits.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by changing Sections 18-123 and 18-169 as follows:

(40 ILCS 5/18-123) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 18-123)

Sec. 18-123. Participation in survivor's annuity. A participant in active service as a judge after July 26, 1949, is eligible to participate in the survivor's annuity provided under this Article. A married participant who was in service on July 27, 1949 is subject to the provisions relating to survivor's annuities unless he or she filed with the Board written notice not to participate in such annuity within 30 days of that date.

A married judge who becomes a participant after July 27, 1949, an unmarried judge who becomes a participant after December 31, 1992, and a judge who marries after becoming a participant shall be subject to the provisions relating to survivor's annuities unless he or she files with the Board written notice of his or her election not to participate in the survivor's annuity within 30 days of the date of being notified of the option by the System. Once the election period has expired, a judge may not withdraw from participation under this Section except as provided in Section 18-129.

A person who became a participant before January 1, 1997 and who is not contributing for survivor's annuity may elect to make contributions for survivor's annuity by filing written notice of the election with the Board no later than April 1, 1998. Such an election may not be rescinded. A person who has so elected shall be entitled only to partial credit for survivor's annuity under subsection (g) of Section 18-129 unless all of the payments required under subsection (f) of that Section have been made.

A married participant who elects not to participate in the survivor's annuity provisions shall thereafter be ineligible to participate in the survivor's annuity unless the election is rescinded as provided herein.

A married participant who elected not to participate in the survivor's annuity provisions and who is still a judge, may elect to participate therein by filing with the Board before July 1, 2009 April 1, 1998 a written recision of the election not to participate. The participant and his or her spouse shall be entitled to all the rights of the survivor's annuity, except as limited in Section 18-129, upon paying the System for the survivor's annuity 1 1/2% of each payment of salary earned between July 27, 1949 and July 12, 1953, and 2 1/2% of each payment of salary earned after July 12, 1953, together with interest at 4% per annum, compounded annually from the date the contributions would have been due to the date of payment. The time and manner of paying the required contributions and interest shall be prescribed by the Board.

(Source: P.A. 90-507, eff. 8-22-97.)

(40 ILCS 5/18-169)

Sec. 18-169. Application and expiration of new benefit increases.

(a) As used in this Section, "new benefit increase" means an increase in the amount of any benefit provided under this Article, or an expansion of the conditions of eligibility for any benefit under this Article, that results from an amendment to this Code that takes effect after June 1, 2005 (the effective date of Public Act 94-4) this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly. "New benefit increase", however, does not include any benefit increase resulting from the changes made by this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code or any subsequent amendment to this Code, every new benefit increase is subject to this Section and shall be deemed to be granted only in conformance with and contingent upon compliance with the provisions of this Section.

(c) The Public Act enacting a new benefit increase must identify and provide for payment to the System of additional funding at least sufficient to fund the resulting annual increase in cost to the System as it accrues.

Every new benefit increase is contingent upon the General Assembly providing the additional funding required under this subsection. The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability shall analyze whether adequate additional funding has been provided for the new benefit increase and shall report its analysis to the Public Pension Division of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. A new benefit increase created by a Public Act that does not include the additional funding required under this subsection is null and void. If the Public Pension Division determines that the additional funding provided for a new benefit increase under this subsection is or has become inadequate, it may so certify to the Governor and the State Comptroller and, in the absence of corrective action by the General Assembly, the new benefit increase shall expire at the end of the fiscal year in which the certification is made.

(d) Every new benefit increase shall expire 5 years after its effective date or on such earlier date as may be specified in the language enacting the new benefit increase or provided under subsection (c). This does not prevent the General Assembly from extending or re-creating a new benefit increase by law.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in the language creating the new benefit increase, a new benefit increase that expires under this Section continues to apply to persons who applied and qualified for the affected benefit while the new benefit increase was in effect and to the affected beneficiaries and alternate payees of such persons, but does not apply to any other person, including without limitation a person who continues in service after the expiration date and did not apply and qualify for the affected benefit while the new benefit increase was in effect.

(Source: P.A. 94-4, eff. 6-1-05.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.