HB2997 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 14609 RPS 19962 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB2997

Introduced 2/19/2021, by Rep. Dave Severin

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

40 ILCS 5/1-160
40 ILCS 5/16-127	from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 16-127
40 ILCS 5/16-133	from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 16-133
40 ILCS 5/16-203

Amends the General Provisions and Downstate Teacher Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a teacher may establish one additional day of service credit for each day of service credit that was earned between March 16, 2020 and June 30, 2021 in which the teacher provided in-person instruction if he or she pays certain contributions and supplies satisfactory evidence. For a Tier 1 member, provides that the System shall waive the reduction in retirement annuity for persons who retire before age 60 if the member has attained age 59 and earned service credit in the 2020-2021 school. For a Tier 2 member, provides that the reduction in retirement annuity for persons who retire before age 67 shall be waived if the member has attained age 66 and earned service credit in the 2020-2021 school year. For a Tier 1 member who earned service credit in the 2020-2021 school year and has not attained age 59 or a Tier 2 member who earned service credit in the 2020-2021 school year and has not attained age 66, provides that the member shall be deemed to be one year older than his or her actual age for purposes of provisions concerning a reduction in retirement annuity due to a member's age. Provides that any benefit increase that results from the amendatory Act is excluded from the definition of "new benefit increase". 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 1-160, 16-127, 16-133, and 16-203 as follows:

(40 ILCS 5/1-160)

Sec. 1-160. Provisions applicable to new hires.

(a) The provisions of this Section apply to a person who, on or after January 1, 2011, first becomes a member or a participant under any reciprocal retirement system or pension fund established under this Code, other than a retirement system or pension fund established under Article 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15 or 18 of this Code, notwithstanding any other provision of this Code to the contrary, but do not apply to any self-managed plan established under this Code, to any person with respect to service as a sheriff's law enforcement employee under Article 7, or to any participant of the retirement plan established under Section 22-101. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section, for purposes of this Section, a person who participated in a retirement system under Article 15 prior to January 1, 2011 shall be deemed a person who first became a member or participant prior to January 1, 2011 under any retirement system or pension fund subject to this Section. The changes made to this Section by Public Act 98-596 are a clarification of existing law and are intended to be retroactive to January 1, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act 96-889), notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1-103.1 of this Code.

This Section does not apply to a person who first becomes a noncovered employee under Article 14 on or after the implementation date of the plan created under Section 1-161 for that Article, unless that person elects under subsection (b) of Section 1-161 to instead receive the benefits provided under this Section and the applicable provisions of that Article.

This Section does not apply to a person who first becomes a member or participant under Article 16 on or after the implementation date of the plan created under Section 1-161 for that Article, unless that person elects under subsection (b) of Section 1-161 to instead receive the benefits provided under this Section and the applicable provisions of that Article.

This Section does not apply to a person who elects under subsection (c-5) of Section 1-161 to receive the benefits under Section 1-161.

This Section does not apply to a person who first becomes a member or participant of an affected pension fund on or after 6 months after the resolution or ordinance date, as defined in Section 1-162, unless that person elects under subsection (c) of Section 1-162 to receive the benefits provided under this Section and the applicable provisions of the Article under which he or she is a member or participant.

(b) "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 96 consecutive months (or 8 consecutive years) of service within 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 who first becomes a member or participant of any retirement system or pension fund to which this Section applies on or after January 1, 2011, in this Code, "final average salary" shall be substituted for the following:

(1) In Article 7 (except for service as sheriff's law enforcement employees), "final rate of earnings".

(2) In Articles 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, "highest average annual salary for any 4 consecutive years within the last 10 years of service immediately preceding the date of withdrawal".

(3) In Article 13, "average final salary".

(4) In Article 14, "final average compensation".

(5) In Article 17, "average salary".

(6) In Section 22-207, "wages or salary received by him at the date of retirement or discharge".

(b-5) Beginning on January 1, 2011, for all purposes under this Code (including without limitation the calculation of benefits and employee contributions), the annual earnings, salary, or wages (based on the plan year) of a member or participant to whom this Section applies shall not exceed $106,800; however, that amount shall annually thereafter be increased by the lesser of (i) 3% of that amount, including all previous adjustments, or (ii) one-half the annual unadjusted percentage increase (but not less than zero) in the consumer price index-u for the 12 months ending with the September preceding each November 1, including all previous adjustments.

For the purposes of this Section, "consumer price index-u" 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 all urban consumers, 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.

(c) A member or participant is entitled to a retirement annuity upon written application if he or she has attained age 67 (beginning January 1, 2015, age 65 with respect to service under Article 12 of this Code that is subject to this Section) and has at least 10 years of service credit and is otherwise eligible under the requirements of the applicable Article.

A member or participant who has attained age 62 (beginning January 1, 2015, age 60 with respect to service under Article 12 of this Code that is subject to this Section) and has at least 10 years of service credit and is otherwise eligible under the requirements of the applicable Article may elect to receive the lower retirement annuity provided in subsection (d) of this Section.

(c-5) A person who first becomes a member or a participant subject to this Section on or after July 6, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 100-23), notwithstanding any other provision of this Code to the contrary, is entitled to a retirement annuity under Article 8 or Article 11 upon written application if he or she has attained age 65 and has at least 10 years of service credit and is otherwise eligible under the requirements of Article 8 or Article 11 of this Code, whichever is applicable.

(d) The retirement annuity of a member or participant who is retiring after attaining age 62 (beginning January 1, 2015, age 60 with respect to service under Article 12 of this Code that is subject to this Section) with at least 10 years of service credit shall be reduced by one-half of 1% for each full month that the member's age is under age 67 (beginning January 1, 2015, age 65 with respect to service under Article 12 of this Code that is subject to this Section). However, this reduction shall be waived for any member under Article 16 who has attained age 66 and has earned service credit under Article 16 for the 2020-2021 school year. For the purposes of this subsection, any member under Article 16 who has not attained age 66 and has earned service credit under Article 16 for the 2020-2021 school year shall be deemed to be one year older than his or her actual age.

(d-5) The retirement annuity payable under Article 8 or Article 11 to an eligible person subject to subsection (c-5) of this Section who is retiring at age 60 with at least 10 years of service credit shall be reduced by one-half of 1% for each full month that the member's age is under age 65.

(d-10) Each person who first became a member or participant under Article 8 or Article 11 of this Code on or after January 1, 2011 and prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly shall make an irrevocable election either:

(i) to be eligible for the reduced retirement age provided in subsections (c-5) and (d-5) of this Section, the eligibility for which is conditioned upon the member or participant agreeing to the increases in employee contributions for age and service annuities provided in subsection (a-5) of Section 8-174 of this Code (for service under Article 8) or subsection (a-5) of Section 11-170 of this Code (for service under Article 11); or

(ii) to not agree to item (i) of this subsection (d-10), in which case the member or participant shall continue to be subject to the retirement age provisions in subsections (c) and (d) of this Section and the employee contributions for age and service annuity as provided in subsection (a) of Section 8-174 of this Code (for service under Article 8) or subsection (a) of Section 11-170 of this Code (for service under Article 11).

The election provided for in this subsection shall be made between October 1, 2017 and November 15, 2017. A person subject to this subsection who makes the required election shall remain bound by that election. A person subject to this subsection who fails for any reason to make the required election within the time specified in this subsection shall be deemed to have made the election under item (ii).

(e) Any retirement annuity or supplemental annuity shall be subject to annual increases on the January 1 occurring either on or after the attainment of age 67 (beginning January 1, 2015, age 65 with respect to service under Article 12 of this Code that is subject to this Section and beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, age 65 with respect to service under Article 8 or Article 11 for eligible persons who: (i) are subject to subsection (c-5) of this Section; or (ii) made the election under item (i) of subsection (d-10) of this Section) or the first anniversary of the annuity start date, whichever is later. Each annual increase shall be calculated at 3% or one-half the annual unadjusted percentage increase (but not less than zero) in the consumer price index-u for the 12 months ending with the September preceding each November 1, whichever is less, of the originally granted retirement annuity. If the annual unadjusted percentage change in the consumer price index-u 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 Section 1-103.1 of this Code, the changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly are applicable without regard to whether the employee was in active service on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly.

(f) The initial survivor's or widow's annuity of an otherwise eligible survivor or widow of a retired member or participant who first became a member or participant on or after January 1, 2011 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 who first became a member or participant on or after January 1, 2011, eligibility for a survivor's or widow's annuity shall be determined by the applicable Article of this Code. The initial 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. Any survivor's or widow's annuity shall be increased (1) on each January 1 occurring on or after the commencement of the annuity if the deceased member died while receiving a retirement annuity or (2) in other cases, on each January 1 occurring after the first anniversary of the commencement of the annuity. Each annual increase shall be calculated at 3% or one-half the annual unadjusted percentage increase (but not less than zero) in the consumer price index-u for the 12 months ending with the September preceding each November 1, whichever is less, of the originally granted survivor's annuity. If the annual unadjusted percentage change in the consumer price index-u 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.

(g) The benefits in Section 14-110 apply only if the person is a State policeman, a fire fighter in the fire protection service of a department, a conservation police officer, an investigator for the Secretary of State, an arson investigator, a Commerce Commission police officer, investigator for the Department of Revenue or the Illinois Gaming Board, a security employee of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice, or a security employee of the Department of Innovation and Technology, as those terms are defined in subsection (b) and subsection (c) of Section 14-110. A person who meets the requirements of this Section is entitled to an annuity calculated under the provisions of Section 14-110, in lieu of the regular or minimum retirement annuity, only if the person has withdrawn from service with not less than 20 years of eligible creditable service and has attained age 60, regardless of whether the attainment of age 60 occurs while the person is still in service.

(h) If a person who first becomes a member or a participant of a retirement system or pension fund subject to this Section on or after January 1, 2011 is receiving a retirement annuity or retirement pension under that system or fund and becomes a member or participant under any other system or fund created by this Code and is employed on a full-time basis, except for those members or participants exempted from the provisions of this Section under subsection (a) of this Section, then the person's retirement annuity or retirement pension under that system or fund shall be suspended during that employment. Upon termination of that employment, the person's retirement annuity or retirement pension payments shall resume and be recalculated if recalculation is provided for under the applicable Article of this Code.

If a person who first becomes a member of a retirement system or pension fund subject to this Section on or after January 1, 2012 and is receiving a retirement annuity or retirement pension under that system or fund and accepts on a contractual basis a position to provide services to a governmental entity from which he or she has retired, then that person's annuity or retirement pension earned as an active employee of the employer shall be suspended during that contractual service. A person receiving an annuity or retirement pension under this Code shall notify the pension fund or retirement system from which he or she is receiving an annuity or retirement pension, as well as his or her contractual employer, of his or her retirement status before accepting contractual employment. A person who fails to submit such notification shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and required to pay a fine of $1,000. Upon termination of that contractual employment, the person's retirement annuity or retirement pension payments shall resume and, if appropriate, be recalculated under the applicable provisions of this Code.

(i) (Blank).

(j) 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; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17; 100-563, eff. 12-8-17; 100-611, eff. 7-20-18; 100-1166, eff. 1-4-19; 101-610, eff. 1-1-20.)

(40 ILCS 5/16-127) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 16-127)

Sec. 16-127. Computation of creditable service.

(a) Each member shall receive regular credit for all service as a teacher from the date membership begins, for which satisfactory evidence is supplied and all contributions have been paid.

(b) The following periods of service shall earn optional credit and each member shall receive credit for all such service for which satisfactory evidence is supplied and all contributions have been paid as of the date specified:

(1) Prior service as a teacher.

(2) Service in a capacity essentially similar or equivalent to that of a teacher, in the public common schools in school districts in this State not included within the provisions of this System, or of any other State, territory, dependency or possession of the United States, or in schools operated by or under the auspices of the United States, or under the auspices of any agency or department of any other State, and service during any period of professional speech correction or special education experience for a public agency within this State or any other State, territory, dependency or possession of the United States, and service prior to February 1, 1951 as a recreation worker for the Illinois Department of Public Safety, for a period not exceeding the lesser of 2/5 of the total creditable service of the member or 10 years. The maximum service of 10 years which is allowable under this paragraph shall be reduced by the service credit which is validated by other retirement systems under paragraph (i) of Section 15-113 and paragraph 1 of Section 17-133. Credit granted under this paragraph may not be used in determination of a retirement annuity or disability benefits unless the member has at least 5 years of creditable service earned subsequent to this employment with one or more of the following systems: Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois, State Universities Retirement System, and the Public School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago. Whenever such service credit exceeds the maximum allowed for all purposes of this Article, the first service rendered in point of time shall be considered. The changes to this subdivision (b)(2) made by Public Act 86-272 shall apply not only to persons who on or after its effective date (August 23, 1989) are in service as a teacher under the System, but also to persons whose status as such a teacher terminated prior to such effective date, whether or not such person is an annuitant on that date.

(3) Any periods immediately following teaching service, under this System or under Article 17, (or immediately following service prior to February 1, 1951 as a recreation worker for the Illinois Department of Public Safety) spent in active service with the military forces of the United States; periods spent in educational programs that prepare for return to teaching sponsored by the federal government following such active military service; if a teacher returns to teaching service within one calendar year after discharge or after the completion of the educational program, a further period, not exceeding one calendar year, between time spent in military service or in such educational programs and the return to employment as a teacher under this System; and a period of up to 2 years of active military service not immediately following employment as a teacher.

The changes to this Section and Section 16-128 relating to military service made by P.A. 87-794 shall apply not only to persons who on or after its effective date are in service as a teacher under the System, but also to persons whose status as a teacher terminated prior to that date, whether or not the person is an annuitant on that date. In the case of an annuitant who applies for credit allowable under this Section for a period of military service that did not immediately follow employment, and who has made the required contributions for such credit, the annuity shall be recalculated to include the additional service credit, with the increase taking effect on the date the System received written notification of the annuitant's intent to purchase the credit, if payment of all the required contributions is made within 60 days of such notice, or else on the first annuity payment date following the date of payment of the required contributions. In calculating the automatic annual increase for an annuity that has been recalculated under this Section, the increase attributable to the additional service allowable under P.A. 87-794 shall be included in the calculation of automatic annual increases accruing after the effective date of the recalculation.

Credit for military service shall be determined as follows: if entry occurs during the months of July, August, or September and the member was a teacher at the end of the immediately preceding school term, credit shall be granted from July 1 of the year in which he or she entered service; if entry occurs during the school term and the teacher was in teaching service at the beginning of the school term, credit shall be granted from July 1 of such year. In all other cases where credit for military service is allowed, credit shall be granted from the date of entry into the service.

The total period of military service for which credit is granted shall not exceed 5 years for any member unless the service: (A) is validated before July 1, 1964, and (B) does not extend beyond July 1, 1963. Credit for military service shall be granted under this Section only if not more than 5 years of the military service for which credit is granted under this Section is used by the member to qualify for a military retirement allotment from any branch of the armed forces of the United States. The changes to this subdivision (b)(3) made by Public Act 86-272 shall apply not only to persons who on or after its effective date (August 23, 1989) are in service as a teacher under the System, but also to persons whose status as such a teacher terminated prior to such effective date, whether or not such person is an annuitant on that date.

(4) Any periods served as a member of the General Assembly.

(5)(i) Any periods for which a teacher, as defined in Section 16-106, is granted a leave of absence, provided he or she returns to teaching service creditable under this System or the State Universities Retirement System following the leave; (ii) periods during which a teacher is involuntarily laid off from teaching, provided he or she returns to teaching following the lay-off; (iii) periods prior to July 1, 1983 during which a teacher ceased covered employment due to pregnancy, provided that the teacher returned to teaching service creditable under this System or the State Universities Retirement System following the pregnancy and submits evidence satisfactory to the Board documenting that the employment ceased due to pregnancy; and (iv) periods prior to July 1, 1983 during which a teacher ceased covered employment for the purpose of adopting an infant under 3 years of age or caring for a newly adopted infant under 3 years of age, provided that the teacher returned to teaching service creditable under this System or the State Universities Retirement System following the adoption and submits evidence satisfactory to the Board documenting that the employment ceased for the purpose of adopting an infant under 3 years of age or caring for a newly adopted infant under 3 years of age. However, total credit under this paragraph (5) may not exceed 3 years.

Any qualified member or annuitant may apply for credit under item (iii) or (iv) of this paragraph (5) without regard to whether service was terminated before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997. In the case of an annuitant who establishes credit under item (iii) or (iv), the annuity shall be recalculated to include the additional service credit. The increase in annuity shall take effect on the date the System receives written notification of the annuitant's intent to purchase the credit, if the required evidence is submitted and the required contribution paid within 60 days of that notification, otherwise on the first annuity payment date following the System's receipt of the required evidence and contribution. The increase in an annuity recalculated under this provision shall be included in the calculation of automatic annual increases in the annuity accruing after the effective date of the recalculation.

Optional credit may be purchased under this subsection (b)(5) for periods during which a teacher has been granted a leave of absence pursuant to Section 24-13 of the School Code. A teacher whose service under this Article terminated prior to the effective date of P.A. 86-1488 shall be eligible to purchase such optional credit. If a teacher who purchases this optional credit is already receiving a retirement annuity under this Article, the annuity shall be recalculated as if the annuitant had applied for the leave of absence credit at the time of retirement. The difference between the entitled annuity and the actual annuity shall be credited to the purchase of the optional credit. The remainder of the purchase cost of the optional credit shall be paid on or before April 1, 1992.

The change in this paragraph made by Public Act 86-273 shall be applicable to teachers who retire after June 1, 1989, as well as to teachers who are in service on that date.

(6) Any days of unused and uncompensated accumulated sick leave earned by a teacher. The service credit granted under this paragraph shall be the ratio of the number of unused and uncompensated accumulated sick leave days to 170 days, subject to a maximum of 2 years of service credit. Prior to the member's retirement, each former employer shall certify to the System the number of unused and uncompensated accumulated sick leave days credited to the member at the time of termination of service. The period of unused sick leave shall not be considered in determining the effective date of retirement. A member is not required to make contributions in order to obtain service credit for unused sick leave.

Credit for sick leave shall, at retirement, be granted by the System for any retiring regional or assistant regional superintendent of schools at the rate of 6 days per year of creditable service or portion thereof established while serving as such superintendent or assistant superintendent.

(7) Periods prior to February 1, 1987 served as an employee of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy for which credit has not been terminated under Section 15-113.9 of this Code.

(8) Service as a substitute teacher for work performed prior to July 1, 1990.

(9) Service as a part-time teacher for work performed prior to July 1, 1990.

(10) Up to 2 years of employment with Southern Illinois University - Carbondale from September 1, 1959 to August 31, 1961, or with Governors State University from September 1, 1972 to August 31, 1974, for which the teacher has no credit under Article 15. To receive credit under this item (10), a teacher must apply in writing to the Board and pay the required contributions before May 1, 1993 and have at least 12 years of service credit under this Article.

(11) One additional day of service credit for each day of service credit that was earned between March 16, 2020 and June 30, 2021 for any day in which the teacher provided in-person instruction during that period.

(b-1) A member may establish optional credit for up to 2 years of service as a teacher or administrator employed by a private school recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education, provided that the teacher (i) was certified under the law governing the certification of teachers at the time the service was rendered, (ii) applies in writing on or after August 1, 2009 and on or before August 1, 2012, (iii) supplies satisfactory evidence of the employment, (iv) completes at least 10 years of contributing service as a teacher as defined in Section 16-106, and (v) pays the contribution required in subsection (d-5) of Section 16-128. The member may apply for credit under this subsection and pay the required contribution before completing the 10 years of contributing service required under item (iv), but the credit may not be used until the item (iv) contributing service requirement has been met.

(c) The service credits specified in this Section shall be granted only if: (1) such service credits are not used for credit in any other statutory tax-supported public employee retirement system other than the federal Social Security program; and (2) the member makes the required contributions as specified in Section 16-128. Except as provided in subsection (b-1) of this Section, the service credit shall be effective as of the date the required contributions are completed.

Any service credits granted under this Section shall terminate upon cessation of membership for any cause.

Credit may not be granted under this Section covering any period for which an age retirement or disability retirement allowance has been paid.

Credit may not be granted under this Section for service as an employee of an entity that provides substitute teaching services under Section 2-3.173 of the School Code and is not a school district.

(Source: P.A. 100-813, eff. 8-13-18.)

(40 ILCS 5/16-133) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 16-133)

(Text of Section WITHOUT the changes made by P.A. 98-599, which has been held unconstitutional)

Sec. 16-133. Retirement annuity; amount.

(a) The amount of the retirement annuity shall be (i) in the case of a person who first became a teacher under this Article before July 1, 2005, the larger of the amounts determined under paragraphs (A) and (B) below, or (ii) in the case of a person who first becomes a teacher under this Article on or after July 1, 2005, the amount determined under the applicable provisions of paragraph (B):

(A) An amount consisting of the sum of the following:

(1) An amount that can be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis by the member's accumulated contributions at the time of retirement; and

(2) The sum of (i) the amount that can be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis by the member's accumulated contributions representing service prior to July 1, 1947, and (ii) the amount that can be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis by the amount obtained by multiplying 1.4 times the member's accumulated contributions covering service subsequent to June 30, 1947; and

(3) If there is prior service, 2 times the amount that would have been determined under subparagraph (2) of paragraph (A) above on account of contributions which would have been made during the period of prior service creditable to the member had the System been in operation and had the member made contributions at the contribution rate in effect prior to July 1, 1947.

This paragraph (A) does not apply to a person who first becomes a teacher under this Article on or after July 1, 2005.

(B) An amount consisting of the greater of the following:

(1) For creditable service earned before July 1, 1998 that has not been augmented under Section 16-129.1: 1.67% of final average salary for each of the first 10 years of creditable service, 1.90% of final average salary for each year in excess of 10 but not exceeding 20, 2.10% of final average salary for each year in excess of 20 but not exceeding 30, and 2.30% of final average salary for each year in excess of 30; and

For creditable service earned on or after July 1, 1998 by a member who has at least 24 years of creditable service on July 1, 1998 and who does not elect to augment service under Section 16-129.1: 2.2% of final average salary for each year of creditable service earned on or after July 1, 1998 but before the member reaches a total of 30 years of creditable service and 2.3% of final average salary for each year of creditable service earned on or after July 1, 1998 and after the member reaches a total of 30 years of creditable service; and

For all other creditable service: 2.2% of final average salary for each year of creditable service; or

(2) 1.5% of final average salary for each year of creditable service plus the sum $7.50 for each of the first 20 years of creditable service.

The amount of the retirement annuity determined under this paragraph (B) shall be reduced by 1/2 of 1% for each month that the member is less than age 60 at the time the retirement annuity begins. However, this reduction shall not apply (i) if the member has at least 35 years of creditable service, or (ii) if the member retires on account of disability under Section 16-149.2 of this Article with at least 20 years of creditable service, or (iii) if the member (1) has earned during the period immediately preceding the last day of service at least one year of contributing creditable service as an employee of a department as defined in Section 14-103.04, (2) has earned at least 5 years of contributing creditable service as an employee of a department as defined in Section 14-103.04, (3) retires on or after January 1, 2001, and (4) retires having attained an age which, when added to the number of years of his or her total creditable service, equals at least 85. Portions of years shall be counted as decimal equivalents. The System shall waive this reduction for any member who has attained age 59 and has earned service credit for the 2020-2021 school year. For the purposes of this paragraph, any member who has not attained age 59 and has earned service credit for the 2020-2021 school year shall be deemed to be one year older than his or her actual age.

(b) For purposes of this Section, final average salary shall be the average salary for the highest 4 consecutive years within the last 10 years of creditable service as determined under rules of the board. The minimum final average salary shall be considered to be $2,400 per year.

In the determination of final average salary for members other than elected officials and their appointees when such appointees are allowed by statute, that part of a member's salary for any year beginning after June 30, 1979 which exceeds the member's annual full-time salary rate with the same employer for the preceding year by more than 20% shall be excluded. The exclusion shall not apply in any year in which the member's creditable earnings are less than 50% of the preceding year's mean salary for downstate teachers as determined by the survey of school district salaries provided in Section 2-3.103 of the School Code.

(c) In determining the amount of the retirement annuity under paragraph (B) of this Section, a fractional year shall be granted proportional credit.

(d) The retirement annuity determined under paragraph (B) of this Section shall be available only to members who render teaching service after July 1, 1947 for which member contributions are required, and to annuitants who re-enter under the provisions of Section 16-150.

(e) The maximum retirement annuity provided under paragraph (B) of this Section shall be 75% of final average salary.

(f) A member retiring after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998 shall receive a pension equal to 75% of final average salary if the member is qualified to receive a retirement annuity equal to at least 74.6% of final average salary under this Article or as proportional annuities under Article 20 of this Code.

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

(40 ILCS 5/16-203)

Sec. 16-203. 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). "New benefit increase", however, does not include any benefit increase resulting from the changes made to Article 1 or this Article by Public Act 95-910, Public Act 100-23, Public Act 100-587, Public Act 100-743, or Public Act 100-769, Public Act 101-10, Public Act 101-49, or this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly or this amendatory Act of the 101st 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 Insurance. 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. 100-23, eff. 7-6-17; 100-587, eff. 6-4-18; 100-743, eff. 8-10-18; 100-769, eff. 8-10-18; 101-10, eff. 6-5-19; 101-49, eff. 7-12-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; revised 8-13-19.)

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