SB2357 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB098 10732 EFG 41071 b

98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB2357

Introduced 2/15/2013, by Sen. Kyle McCarter

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

See Index

Amends the Project Labor Agreements Act. Prohibits the State Board of Education and the Capital Development Board from requiring a project labor agreement for any school construction project or grant. Authorizes a board of education to exempt any school construction project from the requirements of the Act. Amends the General Assembly, State Employees, State Universities, Downstate Teachers, and Judges Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Prohibits employees, except in certain circumstances, from receiving a retirement annuity before age 62. Changes the conditions of eligibility for, and the amount of, automatic annual increases in retirement annuities. Caps pensionable salary and compensation. Suspends the accrual of benefits in traditional and portable benefit packages. Establishes a self-managed plan for each State-funded retirement system. Requires affected participants to participate in the self-managed plans with respect to future service. Shifts normal costs to local school districts if certain mandates are funded. In various Articles, excludes new hires of certain government-related organizations from participation in State retirement systems. Amends the School Code. Makes changes in provisions concerning mandates for public and private schools. Repeals the Driver's Education Act. Amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Prohibits school districts from entering into, amending, or renewing certain technology-related collective bargaining agreements. Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that a board of education may exempt school construction projects undertaken in the district from the Act. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

PENSION IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

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 1. The Illinois Public Labor Relations Act is amended by changing Section 15 as follows:

(5 ILCS 315/15) (from Ch. 48, par. 1615)

Sec. 15. Act Takes Precedence.

(a) In case of any conflict between the provisions of this Act and any other law (other than Section 5 of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 and other than the changes made by this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly or to the Illinois Pension Code by this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly), executive order or administrative regulation relating to wages, hours and conditions of employment and employment relations, the provisions of this Act or any collective bargaining agreement negotiated thereunder shall prevail and control. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to replace or diminish the rights of employees established by Sections 28 and 28a of the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act, Sections 2.15 through 2.19 of the Regional Transportation Authority Act. The provisions of this Act are subject to Section 5 of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to replace the necessity of complaints against a sworn peace officer, as defined in Section 2(a) of the Uniform Peace Officer Disciplinary Act, from having a complaint supported by a sworn affidavit.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (a) above, any collective bargaining contract between a public employer and a labor organization executed pursuant to this Act shall supersede any contrary statutes, charters, ordinances, rules or regulations relating to wages, hours and conditions of employment and employment relations adopted by the public employer or its agents. Any collective bargaining agreement entered into prior to the effective date of this Act shall remain in full force during its duration.

(c) It is the public policy of this State, pursuant to paragraphs (h) and (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, that the provisions of this Act are the exclusive exercise by the State of powers and functions which might otherwise be exercised by home rule units. Such powers and functions may not be exercised concurrently, either directly or indirectly, by any unit of local government, including any home rule unit, except as otherwise authorized by this Act.

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 96-889, eff. 1-1-11.)

Section 5. The Project Labor Agreements Act is amended by changing Sections 10 and 15 and by adding Section 17 as follows:

(30 ILCS 571/10)

Sec. 10. Public works projects. Except as provided in Section 17 of this Act, on On a project-by-project basis, a State department, agency, authority, board, or instrumentality that is under the control of the Governor shall include a project labor agreement on a public works project when that department, agency, authority, board, or instrumentality has determined that the agreement advances the State's interests of cost, efficiency, quality, safety, timeliness, skilled labor force, labor stability, or the State's policy to advance minority-owned and women-owned businesses and minority and female employment.

(Source: P.A. 97-199, eff. 7-27-11.)

(30 ILCS 571/15)

Sec. 15. Public works projects funded with federal funds. Except as provided in Section 17 of this Act, when When it has been determined that a project labor agreement is appropriate, and in furtherance of the President's Executive Order 13502, the State department, agency, authority, board, or instrumentality responsible for awarding the project may include a project labor agreement on a public works project funded in whole or in part with federal funds.

(Source: P.A. 97-199, eff. 7-27-11.)

(30 ILCS 571/17 new)

Sec. 17. School construction projects; grants.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the State Board of Education and the Capital Development Board shall not require a project labor agreement for any school construction project or any school construction project grant or debt service grant provided under the School Construction Law.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the board of education of any school district may, by passage of a resolution, exempt any school construction project undertaken in the district from the requirements of this Act, unless the district has already entered into a project labor agreement concerning that school construction project.

(c) For the purposes of this Section, "school construction project" means the acquisition, development, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, architectural planning, and installation of capital facilities consisting of buildings, structures, durable equipment, and land for educational purposes.

Section 10. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by changing Sections 1-160, 2-108, 2-119, 2-119.1, 7-109, 14-103.10, 14-107, 14-110, 14-114, 15-103.1, 15-103.2, 15-107, 15-111, 15-134.5, 15-135, 15-136, 15-158.2, 16-106, 16-121, 16-132, 16-133.1, 16-152.1, 16-158, 18-111, 18-124, and 18-125.1 and adding Sections 2-103.1, 2-103.2, 2-105.1, 2-126.2, 14-103.40, 14-103.41, 14-103.42, 14-103.43, 14-106.5, 14-133.2, 15-107.1, 15-134.6, 16-104.1, 16-104.2, 16-106.4, 16-131.7, 16-158.2, 18-105.1, 18-105.2, 18-108.1, 18-123.3, and 18-133.2 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, 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.

(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 Articles 7 (except for service as sheriff's law enforcement employees) and 15, "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 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 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.

(d) The retirement annuity of a member or participant who is retiring after attaining age 62 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.

(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 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.

(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, special agent, a fire fighter in the fire protection service of a department, or a security employee of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice, or an investigator for the Department of State Police, as those terms are defined in subsection (c) (b) 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) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, a person who first becomes a participant of the retirement system established under Article 15 on or after January 1, 2011 shall have the option to enroll in the self-managed plan created under Section 15-158.2 of this Code.

(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. 96-889, eff. 1-1-11; 96-1490, eff. 1-1-11; 97-609, eff. 1-1-12.)

(40 ILCS 5/2-103.1 new)

Sec. 2-103.1. Traditional benefit package. "Traditional benefit package" means the defined benefit retirement program maintained by the System, which includes retirement annuities payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections 2-119, 2-119.01, 2-119.1, and 2-120; survivor's annuities payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections 2-121, 2-121.1, 2-121.2, and 2-121.3; and contribution refunds, as provided in Section 2-123.

(40 ILCS 5/2-103.2 new)

Sec. 2-103.2. Self-managed plan. "Self-managed plan" means the defined contribution retirement program maintained by the System, as described in Section 2-126.2. The self-managed plan does not include retirement annuities or survivor's benefits payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections 2-119, 2-119.01, 2-119.1, 2-120, 2-121, 2-121.1, 2-121.2, and 2-121.3 or refunds determined under Section 2-123.

(40 ILCS 5/2-105.1 new)

Sec. 2-105.1. Tier I employee. "Tier I employee": A participant who first became a participant before January 1, 2011.

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

Sec. 2-108. Salary. "Salary": (1) For members of the General Assembly, the total compensation paid to the member by the State for one year of service, including the additional amounts, if any, paid to the member as an officer pursuant to Section 1 of "An Act in relation to the compensation and emoluments of the members of the General Assembly", approved December 6, 1907, as now or hereafter amended.

(2) For the State executive officers specified in Section 2-105, the total compensation paid to the member for one year of service.

(3) For members of the System who are participants under Section 2-117.1, or who are serving as Clerk or Assistant Clerk of the House of Representatives or Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Senate, the total compensation paid to the member for one year of service, but not to exceed the salary of the highest salaried officer of the General Assembly.

However, in the event that federal law results in any participant receiving imputed income based on the value of group term life insurance provided by the State, such imputed income shall not be included in salary for the purposes of this Article.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, for periods of service on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, "salary" does not include any annual remuneration for personal services in an amount that is in excess of the annual contribution and benefit base established for the previous year by the Commissioner of Social Security pursuant to Section 230 of the federal Social Security Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-27; 86-273; 86-1028; 86-1488.)

(40 ILCS 5/2-119) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 2-119)

Sec. 2-119. Retirement annuity - conditions for eligibility.

(a) A participant whose service as a member is terminated, regardless of age or cause, is entitled to a retirement annuity beginning on the date specified by the participant in a written application subject to the following conditions:

1. The date the annuity begins does not precede the date of final termination of service, or is not more than 30 days before the receipt of the application by the board in the case of annuities based on disability or one year before the receipt of the application in the case of annuities based on attained age;

2. The participant meets one of the following eligibility requirements:

For a participant who first becomes a participant of this System before January 1, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act 96-889):

(A) He or she has attained age 55 and has at least 8 years of service credit;

(B) He or she has attained age 62 and terminated service after July 1, 1971 with at least 4 years of service credit; or

(C) He or she has completed 8 years of service and has become permanently disabled and as a consequence, is unable to perform the duties of his or her office.

For a participant who first becomes a participant of this System on or after January 1, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act 96-889), he or she has attained age 67 and has at least 8 years of service credit.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, a Tier I employee shall not, regardless of the amount of accrued service credit, be entitled to a retirement annuity until he or she has attained age 62.

(a-5) A participant who first becomes a participant of this System on or after January 1, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act 96-889) who has attained age 62 and has at least 8 years of service credit may elect to receive the lower retirement annuity provided in paragraph (c) of Section 2-119.01 of this Code.

(b) A participant shall be considered permanently disabled only if: (1) disability occurs while in service and is of such a nature as to prevent him or her from reasonably performing the duties of his or her office at the time; and (2) the board has received a written certificate by at least 2 licensed physicians appointed by the board stating that the member is disabled and that the disability is likely to be permanent.

(Source: P.A. 96-889, eff. 1-1-11; 96-1490, eff. 1-1-11.)

(40 ILCS 5/2-119.1) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 2-119.1)

Sec. 2-119.1. Automatic increase in retirement annuity.

(a) A participant who retires after June 30, 1967, and who has not received an initial increase under this Section before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991, shall, in January or July next following the first anniversary of retirement, whichever occurs first, and in the same month of each year thereafter, but in no event prior to age 60, have the amount of the originally granted retirement annuity increased as follows: for each year through 1971, 1 1/2%; for each year from 1972 through 1979, 2%; and for 1980 and each year thereafter, 3%. Annuitants who have received an initial increase under this subsection prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991 shall continue to receive their annual increases in the same month as the initial increase.

(b) Beginning January 1, 1990, for eligible participants who remain in service after attaining 20 years of creditable service, the 3% increases provided under subsection (a) shall begin to accrue on the January 1 next following the date upon which the participant (1) attains age 55, or (2) attains 20 years of creditable service, whichever occurs later, and shall continue to accrue while the participant remains in service; such increases shall become payable on January 1 or July 1, whichever occurs first, next following the first anniversary of retirement. For any person who has service credit in the System for the entire period from January 15, 1969 through December 31, 1992, regardless of the date of termination of service, the reference to age 55 in clause (1) of this subsection (b) shall be deemed to mean age 50.

This subsection (b) does not apply to any person who first becomes a member of the System after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.

(b-5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, except subsections (f), (f-5), and (g) of this Section, a participant who first becomes a participant on or after January 1, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act 96-889) shall, in January or July next following the first anniversary of retirement, whichever occurs first, and in the same month of each year thereafter, but in no event prior to age 67, have the amount of the retirement annuity then being paid increased by 3% or the annual unadjusted percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers as determined by the Public Pension Division of the Department of Insurance under subsection (a) of Section 2-108.1, whichever is less.

(c) The foregoing provisions relating to automatic increases are not applicable to a participant who retires before having made contributions (at the rate prescribed in Section 2-126) for automatic increases for less than the equivalent of one full year. However, in order to be eligible for the automatic increases, such a participant may make arrangements to pay to the system the amount required to bring the total contributions for the automatic increase to the equivalent of one year's contributions based upon his or her last salary.

(d) A participant who terminated service prior to July 1, 1967, with at least 14 years of service is entitled to an increase in retirement annuity beginning January, 1976, and to additional increases in January of each year thereafter.

The initial increase shall be 1 1/2% of the originally granted retirement annuity multiplied by the number of full years that the annuitant was in receipt of such annuity prior to January 1, 1972, plus 2% of the originally granted retirement annuity for each year after that date. The subsequent annual increases shall be at the rate of 2% of the originally granted retirement annuity for each year through 1979 and at the rate of 3% for 1980 and thereafter.

(e) Beginning January 1, 1990, all automatic annual increases payable under this Section shall be calculated as a percentage of the total annuity payable at the time of the increase, including previous increases granted under this Article.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, except subsection (f-5) of this Section, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the monthly retirement annuity of an annuitant shall first be subject to annual increases on the January 1 occurring on or next after either the attainment of age 67 or the January 1 occurring on or next after the fifth anniversary of the annuity start date, whichever occurs earlier. If on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly an annuitant has already received an annual increase under this Section but is not eligible to receive an annual increase under this subsection (f), then the annual increases already received shall continue in force, but no additional annual increase shall be granted until the annuitant meets the new eligibility requirements.

(f-5) Notwithstanding subsection (f), no annual increase shall be paid under this Section in a calendar year if, on January 1 of the preceding calendar year, the total assets of the System are less than 85% of the total actuarial liabilities of the System, as annually certified by the System.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, except subsection (f-5), beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the amount of each automatic annual increase in retirement annuity occurring on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly shall be 3% or one-half of the annual unadjusted percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index-U for the 12 months ending with the preceding September, whichever is less, of the originally granted retirement annuity. 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.

(Source: P.A. 96-889, eff. 1-1-11; 96-1490, eff. 1-1-11.)

(40 ILCS 5/2-126.2 new)

Sec. 2-126.2. Self-managed plan.

(a) The General Assembly finds that the State should have the flexibility to provide a defined contribution (self-managed) plan for eligible participants. Accordingly, the General Assembly Retirement System is hereby required, within 6 months after the effective date of this Section, to establish and administer a self-managed plan, which shall offer participants the opportunity to accumulate assets for retirement through a combination of participant and State contributions that may be invested in mutual funds, collective investment funds, or other investment products and used to purchase annuity contracts, either fixed or variable or a combination of fixed and variable. The plan must be qualified under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

(b) The Board shall adopt the self-managed plan established under this Section for all participants under this Article.

The General Assembly Retirement System shall be the plan sponsor for the self-managed plan and shall prepare a plan document and adopt any rules and procedures as are considered necessary or desirable for the administration of the self-managed plan. Consistent with its fiduciary duty to the participants and beneficiaries of the self-managed plan, the Board of Trustees of the System may delegate aspects of plan administration as it sees fit to companies authorized to do business in this State.

(c) The System shall solicit proposals to provide administrative services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan from insurance and annuity companies and mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, or other financial institutions authorized to do business in this State. In reviewing the proposals received and approving and contracting with no fewer than 2 and no more than 7 companies, the Board of Trustees of the System shall consider, among other things, the following criteria:

(1) the nature and extent of the benefits that would be provided to the participants;

(2) the reasonableness of the benefits in relation to the premium charged;

(3) the suitability of the benefits to the needs and interests of the participants and the State; and

(4) the ability of the company to provide benefits under the contract and the financial stability of the company.

The System shall periodically review each approved company. A company may continue to provide administrative services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan only so long as it continues to be an approved company under contract with the Board.

In addition to the companies approved by the System under this subsection (c), the System may offer its participants an investment fund managed by the System.

(d) Participants in the program must be allowed to direct the transfer of their account balances among the various investment options offered, subject to applicable contractual provisions. The participant shall not be deemed a fiduciary by reason of providing such investment direction. A person who is a fiduciary shall not be liable for any loss resulting from that investment direction and shall not be deemed to have breached any fiduciary duty by acting in accordance with that direction. Neither the System nor the State shall guarantee any of the investments in the participant's account balances.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, beginning on the effective date of the self-managed plan established pursuant to this Section, all participants shall participate in the self-managed plan instead of the traditional benefit package with respect to service under this Article on and after that date. A member's participation in the traditional benefit package under this Article shall terminate on that date, and any existing rights and credits in the traditional benefit package shall be rolled over into the self-managed plan in accordance with subsection (f) of this Section.

Participation in the self-managed plan under this Section shall constitute participation in the General Assembly Retirement System.

A participant under this Section shall be entitled to the benefits of Article 20 of this Code.

(f) If, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under this Section, a participant has rights and credits in the System due to previous participation in the traditional benefit package, the System shall establish for the participant an opening account balance in the self-managed plan, equal to (1) the amount of the contribution refund that the participant would be eligible to receive under Section 2-123 if the participant terminated employment on that date and elected a refund of contributions and (2) an amount equal to the regular employer contribution that would be required to fund the actual regular cost incurred for each year of service credit earned, provided that the total opening account balance does not exceed 7.6% of the participant's salary for that year, plus interest. The interest used in this subsection (f) is calculated as the average annual rate of return that the System has earned over the past 20 fiscal years and is compounded. The System shall transfer assets from the defined benefit retirement program to the self-managed plan, as a tax-free transfer in accordance with Internal Revenue Service guidelines, for purposes of funding the participant's opening account balance.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, a participant may not purchase or receive service or service credit applicable to the traditional benefit package under this Article for any period during which the member was a participant in the self-managed plan established under this Section.

(h) The self-managed plan shall be funded by contributions from participants in the self-managed plan, as provided in this Section.

The annual required contribution for participants in the self-managed plan shall be an amount equal to 6% of the employee's salary. This required contribution shall be made as an employer pick-up under Section 414(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any successor Section thereof. Participants may make additional contributions to the self-managed plan in accordance with procedures prescribed by the System, to the extent permitted under rules adopted by the System.

(i) A participant in the self-managed plan who receives a distribution from the self-managed plan while not yet eligible for retirement under this Article (and Article 20, if applicable) shall forfeit all service credit and accrued rights in the System; if he or she subsequently becomes a participant under this Article again, he or she shall be considered a new participant. If a former participant again becomes a participating member (or becomes employed by a participating system under Article 20 of this Code) and continues as such for at least 2 years, all rights, service credits, and previous status as a participant shall be restored upon repayment of the amount of the distribution, without interest.

(j) If a participant in the self-managed plan terminates employment, the participant shall be entitled to a benefit that is based on the account values attributable to contributions and any investment return thereon.

(k) If a participant so requests, a distribution of funds from the self-managed plan may be paid in the form of a direct rollover to another qualified plan, to the extent allowed by federal law and in accordance with the rules of the System.

(40 ILCS 5/7-109) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 7-109)

Sec. 7-109. Employee.

(1) "Employee" means any person who:

(a) 1. Receives earnings as payment for the performance of personal services or official duties out of the general fund of a municipality, or out of any special fund or funds controlled by a municipality, or by an instrumentality thereof, or a participating instrumentality, including, in counties, the fees or earnings of any county fee office; and

2. Under the usual common law rules applicable in determining the employer-employee relationship, has the status of an employee with a municipality, or any instrumentality thereof, or a participating instrumentality, including aldermen, county supervisors and other persons (excepting those employed as independent contractors) who are paid compensation, fees, allowances or other emolument for official duties, and, in counties, the several county fee offices.

(b) Serves as a township treasurer appointed under the School Code, as heretofore or hereafter amended, and who receives for such services regular compensation as distinguished from per diem compensation, and any regular employee in the office of any township treasurer whether or not his earnings are paid from the income of the permanent township fund or from funds subject to distribution to the several school districts and parts of school districts as provided in the School Code, or from both such sources; or is the chief executive officer, chief educational officer, chief fiscal officer, or other employee of a Financial Oversight Panel established pursuant to Article 1H of the School Code, other than a superintendent or certified school business official, except that such person shall not be treated as an employee under this Section if that person has negotiated with the Financial Oversight Panel, in conjunction with the school district, a contractual agreement for exclusion from this Section.

(c) Holds an elective office in a municipality, instrumentality thereof or participating instrumentality.

(2) "Employee" does not include persons who:

(a) Are eligible for inclusion under any of the following laws:

1. "An Act in relation to an Illinois State Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund", approved May 27, 1915, as amended;

2. Articles 15 and 16 of this Code.

However, such persons shall be included as employees to the extent of earnings that are not eligible for inclusion under the foregoing laws for services not of an instructional nature of any kind.

However, any member of the armed forces who is employed as a teacher of subjects in the Reserve Officers Training Corps of any school and who is not certified under the law governing the certification of teachers shall be included as an employee.

(b) Are designated by the governing body of a municipality in which a pension fund is required by law to be established for policemen or firemen, respectively, as performing police or fire protection duties, except that when such persons are the heads of the police or fire department and are not eligible to be included within any such pension fund, they shall be included within this Article; provided, that such persons shall not be excluded to the extent of concurrent service and earnings not designated as being for police or fire protection duties. However, (i) any head of a police department who was a participant under this Article immediately before October 1, 1977 and did not elect, under Section 3-109 of this Act, to participate in a police pension fund shall be an "employee", and (ii) any chief of police who elects to participate in this Fund under Section 3-109.1 of this Code, regardless of whether such person continues to be employed as chief of police or is employed in some other rank or capacity within the police department, shall be an employee under this Article for so long as such person is employed to perform police duties by a participating municipality and has not lawfully rescinded that election.

(c) After August 26, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act 97-609), are contributors to or eligible to contribute to a Taft-Hartley pension plan established on or before June 1, 2011 and are employees of a theatre, arena, or convention center that is located in a municipality located in a county with a population greater than 5,000,000, and to which the participating municipality is required to contribute as the person's employer based on earnings from the municipality. Nothing in this paragraph shall affect service credit or creditable service for any period of service prior to August 26, 2011, and this paragraph shall not apply to individuals who are participating in the Fund prior to August 26, 2011.

(d) Become an employee of any of the following participating instrumentalities on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly: the Illinois Municipal League; the Illinois Association of Park Districts; the Illinois Supervisors, County Commissioners and Superintendents of Highways Association; an association, or not-for-profit corporation, membership in which is authorized under Section 85-15 of the Township Code; the United Counties Council; or the Will County Governmental League.

(3) All persons, including, without limitation, public defenders and probation officers, who receive earnings from general or special funds of a county for performance of personal services or official duties within the territorial limits of the county, are employees of the county (unless excluded by subsection (2) of this Section) notwithstanding that they may be appointed by and are subject to the direction of a person or persons other than a county board or a county officer. It is hereby established that an employer-employee relationship under the usual common law rules exists between such employees and the county paying their salaries by reason of the fact that the county boards fix their rates of compensation, appropriate funds for payment of their earnings and otherwise exercise control over them. This finding and this amendatory Act shall apply to all such employees from the date of appointment whether such date is prior to or after the effective date of this amendatory Act and is intended to clarify existing law pertaining to their status as participating employees in the Fund.

(Source: P.A. 97-429, eff. 8-16-11; 97-609, eff. 8-26-11; 97-813, eff. 7-13-12.)

(40 ILCS 5/14-103.10) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 14-103.10)

Sec. 14-103.10. Compensation.

(a) For periods of service prior to January 1, 1978, the full rate of salary or wages payable to an employee for personal services performed if he worked the full normal working period for his position, subject to the following maximum amounts: (1) prior to July 1, 1951, $400 per month or $4,800 per year; (2) between July 1, 1951 and June 30, 1957 inclusive, $625 per month or $7,500 per year; (3) beginning July 1, 1957, no limitation.

In the case of service of an employee in a position involving part-time employment, compensation shall be determined according to the employees' earnings record.

(b) For periods of service on and after January 1, 1978, all remuneration for personal services performed defined as "wages" under the Social Security Enabling Act, including that part of such remuneration which is in excess of any maximum limitation provided in such Act, and including any benefits received by an employee under a sick pay plan in effect before January 1, 1981, but excluding lump sum salary payments:

(1) for vacation,

(2) for accumulated unused sick leave,

(3) upon discharge or dismissal,

(4) for approved holidays.

(c) For periods of service on or after December 16, 1978, compensation also includes any benefits, other than lump sum salary payments made at termination of employment, which an employee receives or is eligible to receive under a sick pay plan authorized by law.

(d) For periods of service after September 30, 1985, compensation also includes any remuneration for personal services not included as "wages" under the Social Security Enabling Act, which is deducted for purposes of participation in a program established pursuant to Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code or its successor laws.

(e) For members for which Section 1-160 applies for periods of service on and after January 1, 2011, all remuneration for personal services performed defined as "wages" under the Social Security Enabling Act, excluding remuneration that is in excess of the annual earnings, salary, or wages of a member or participant, as provided in subsection (b-5) of Section 1-160, but including any benefits received by an employee under a sick pay plan in effect before January 1, 1981. Compensation shall exclude lump sum salary payments:

(1) for vacation;

(2) for accumulated unused sick leave;

(3) upon discharge or dismissal; and

(4) for approved holidays.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, for periods of service on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, "compensation" does not include any annual remuneration for personal services in an amount that is in excess of the annual contribution and benefit base established for the previous year by the Commissioner of Social Security pursuant to Section 230 of the federal Social Security Act or any remuneration for overtime.

(Source: P.A. 96-1490, eff. 1-1-11.)

(40 ILCS 5/14-103.40 new)

Sec. 14-103.40. Tier I employee. "Tier I employee": An employee under this Article who first became a member or participant before January 1, 2011 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, or 18 of this Code.

(40 ILCS 5/14-103.41 new)

Sec. 14-103.41. Tier II employee. "Tier II employee": An employee under this Article to whom Section 1-160 applies.

(40 ILCS 5/14-103.42 new)

Sec. 14-103.42. Traditional benefit package. "Traditional benefit package" means the defined benefit retirement program maintained by the System, which includes retirement annuities payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections 14-107, 14-108, 14-108.3, 14-108.4, 14-109, 14-110, 14-112, 14-113, 14-114, and 14-115; disability benefits payable under Sections 14-123, 14-123.1, 14-124, 14-125, 14-125.1, and 14-126; death benefits payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections 14-116, 14-117, and 14-128; widow or survivors annuities payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections 14-118, 14-119, 14-120, 14-121, 14-121.1, and 14-122; and contribution refunds, as provided in Section 14-130. The traditional benefit package also includes any benefits determined under Section 1-160 with respect to service performed under this Article.

(40 ILCS 5/14-103.43 new)

Sec. 14-103.43. Self-managed plan. "Self-managed plan" means the defined contribution retirement program maintained under the System, as described in Section 14-133.2. The self-managed plan also includes disability benefits, as provided in Sections 14-123, 14-123.1, 14-124, 14-125, 14-125.1, and 14-126. The self-managed plan does not include retirement annuities, death benefits, widow or survivors annuities payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections 14-107, 14-108, 14-108.3, 14-108.4, 14-109, 14-110, 14-112, 14-113, 14-114, 14-115, 14-116, 14-117, 14-118, 14-119, 14-120, 14-121, 14-121.1, 14-122, and 14-128 or refunds determined under Section 14-130.

(40 ILCS 5/14-106.5 new)

Sec. 14-106.5. Suspension of the accrual of benefits under the traditional benefit package.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, the retirement annuity of a member who satisfies, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under Section 14-133.2, the service requirement for a retirement annuity under this Article and who retires on or after that date shall be calculated based on the service credit accrued under this Article prior to that date and the member's annual rate of compensation on that date.

However, notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, a member who does not, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under Section 14-133.2, satisfy the service requirement for a retirement annuity under this Article shall not be entitled to a retirement annuity under this Article, but shall instead be eligible to have an initial account balance established in the self-managed plan in accordance with Section 14-133.2.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, if a member or any other person is eligible for a benefit in the traditional benefit package, other than a retirement annuity, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under Section 14-133.2, then he or she shall continue to be eligible for that benefit while he or she continues to meet all otherwise applicable eligibility requirements.

However, notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, if a member or other person is ineligible for a benefit in the traditional benefit package, other than a retirement annuity, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under Section 14-133.2, then he or she shall remain ineligible for that benefit on and after the effective date of this Section.

(40 ILCS 5/14-107) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 14-107)

Sec. 14-107. Retirement annuity - service and age - conditions. A member is entitled to a retirement annuity after having at least 8 years of creditable service.

A member who has at least 35 years of creditable service may claim his or her retirement annuity at any age. A member having at least 8 years of creditable service but less than 35 may claim his or her retirement annuity upon or after attainment of age 60 or, beginning January 1, 2001, any lesser age which, when added to the number of years of his or her creditable service, equals at least 85. A member upon or after attainment of age 55 having at least 25 years of creditable service (30 years if retirement is before January 1, 2001) may elect to receive the lower retirement annuity provided in paragraph (c) of Section 14-108 of this Code. For purposes of the rule of 85, portions of years shall be counted in whole months.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, a member shall not, regardless of the amount of accrued service credit, be entitled to a retirement annuity until he or she has attained age 62, except as provided in Section 14-110 and subsection (g) of Section 1-160.

The allowance shall begin with the first full calendar month specified in the member's application therefor, the first day of which shall not be before the date of withdrawal as approved by the board. Regardless of the date of withdrawal, the allowance need not begin within one year of application therefor.

(Source: P.A. 91-927, eff. 12-14-00.)

(40 ILCS 5/14-110) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 14-110)

Sec. 14-110. Alternative retirement annuity.

(a) Any member who has withdrawn from service with not less than 20 years of eligible creditable service and has attained age 55, and any member who has withdrawn from service with not less than 25 years of eligible creditable service and has attained age 50, regardless of whether the attainment of either of the specified ages occurs while the member is still in service, shall, upon payment of the amount specified in subsection (o), be entitled to receive at the option of the member, in lieu of the regular or minimum retirement annuity, a retirement annuity computed as follows:

(i) for periods of service as a noncovered employee: if retirement occurs on or after January 1, 2001, 3% of final average compensation for each year of creditable service; if retirement occurs before January 1, 2001, 2 1/4% of final average compensation for each of the first 10 years of creditable service, 2 1/2% for each year above 10 years to and including 20 years of creditable service, and 2 3/4% for each year of creditable service above 20 years; and

(ii) for periods of eligible creditable service as a covered employee: if retirement occurs on or after January 1, 2001, 2.5% of final average compensation for each year of creditable service; if retirement occurs before January 1, 2001, 1.67% of final average compensation for each of the first 10 years of such service, 1.90% for each of the next 10 years of such service, 2.10% for each year of such service in excess of 20 but not exceeding 30, and 2.30% for each year in excess of 30.

Such annuity shall be subject to a maximum of 75% of final average compensation if retirement occurs before January 1, 2001 or to a maximum of 80% of final average compensation if retirement occurs on or after January 1, 2001.

These rates shall not be applicable to any service performed by a member as a covered employee which is not eligible creditable service. Service as a covered employee which is not eligible creditable service shall be subject to the rates and provisions of Section 14-108.

(b) For the purpose of this Section, prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, "eligible creditable service" means creditable service resulting from service in one or more of the following positions:

(1) State policeman;

(2) fire fighter in the fire protection service of a department;

(3) air pilot;

(4) special agent;

(5) investigator for the Secretary of State;

(6) conservation police officer;

(7) investigator for the Department of Revenue or the Illinois Gaming Board;

(8) security employee of the Department of Human Services;

(9) Central Management Services security police officer;

(10) security employee of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice;

(11) dangerous drugs investigator;

(12) investigator for the Department of State Police;

(13) investigator for the Office of the Attorney General;

(14) controlled substance inspector;

(15) investigator for the Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor;

(16) Commerce Commission police officer;

(17) arson investigator;

(18) State highway maintenance worker.

A person employed in one of the positions specified in this subsection is entitled to eligible creditable service for service credit earned under this Article while undergoing the basic police training course approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, if completion of that training is required of persons serving in that position. For the purposes of this Code, service during the required basic police training course shall be deemed performance of the duties of the specified position, even though the person is not a sworn peace officer at the time of the training.

(b-1) For the purpose of this Section, on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, "eligible creditable service" means creditable service resulting from service in one or more of the following positions:

(1) State policeman;

(2) special agent;

(3) security employee of the Department of Corrections;

(4) investigator for the Department of State Police.

(c) For the purposes of this Section:

(1) The term "state policeman" includes any title or position in the Department of State Police that is held by an individual employed under the State Police Act.

(2) The term "fire fighter in the fire protection service of a department" includes all officers in such fire protection service including fire chiefs and assistant fire chiefs.

(3) The term "air pilot" includes any employee whose official job description on file in the Department of Central Management Services, or in the department by which he is employed if that department is not covered by the Personnel Code, states that his principal duty is the operation of aircraft, and who possesses a pilot's license; however, the change in this definition made by this amendatory Act of 1983 shall not operate to exclude any noncovered employee who was an "air pilot" for the purposes of this Section on January 1, 1984.

(4) The term "special agent" means any person who by reason of employment by the Division of Narcotic Control, the Bureau of Investigation or, after July 1, 1977, the Division of Criminal Investigation, the Division of Internal Investigation, the Division of Operations, or any other Division or organizational entity in the Department of State Police is vested by law with duties to maintain public order, investigate violations of the criminal law of this State, enforce the laws of this State, make arrests and recover property. The term "special agent" includes any title or position in the Department of State Police that is held by an individual employed under the State Police Act.

(5) The term "investigator for the Secretary of State" means any person employed by the Office of the Secretary of State and vested with such investigative duties as render him ineligible for coverage under the Social Security Act by reason of Sections 218(d)(5)(A), 218(d)(8)(D) and 218(l)(1) of that Act.

A person who became employed as an investigator for the Secretary of State between January 1, 1967 and December 31, 1975, and who has served as such until attainment of age 60, either continuously or with a single break in service of not more than 3 years duration, which break terminated before January 1, 1976, shall be entitled to have his retirement annuity calculated in accordance with subsection (a), notwithstanding that he has less than 20 years of credit for such service.

(6) The term "Conservation Police Officer" means any person employed by the Division of Law Enforcement of the Department of Natural Resources and vested with such law enforcement duties as render him ineligible for coverage under the Social Security Act by reason of Sections 218(d)(5)(A), 218(d)(8)(D), and 218(l)(1) of that Act. The term "Conservation Police Officer" includes the positions of Chief Conservation Police Administrator and Assistant Conservation Police Administrator.

(7) The term "investigator for the Department of Revenue" means any person employed by the Department of Revenue and vested with such investigative duties as render him ineligible for coverage under the Social Security Act by reason of Sections 218(d)(5)(A), 218(d)(8)(D) and 218(l)(1) of that Act.

The term "investigator for the Illinois Gaming Board" means any person employed as such by the Illinois Gaming Board and vested with such peace officer duties as render the person ineligible for coverage under the Social Security Act by reason of Sections 218(d)(5)(A), 218(d)(8)(D), and 218(l)(1) of that Act.

(8) The term "security employee of the Department of Human Services" means any person employed by the Department of Human Services who (i) is employed at the Chester Mental Health Center and has daily contact with the residents thereof, (ii) is employed within a security unit at a facility operated by the Department and has daily contact with the residents of the security unit, (iii) is employed at a facility operated by the Department that includes a security unit and is regularly scheduled to work at least 50% of his or her working hours within that security unit, or (iv) is a mental health police officer. "Mental health police officer" means any person employed by the Department of Human Services in a position pertaining to the Department's mental health and developmental disabilities functions who is vested with such law enforcement duties as render the person ineligible for coverage under the Social Security Act by reason of Sections 218(d)(5)(A), 218(d)(8)(D) and 218(l)(1) of that Act. "Security unit" means that portion of a facility that is devoted to the care, containment, and treatment of persons committed to the Department of Human Services as sexually violent persons, persons unfit to stand trial, or persons not guilty by reason of insanity. With respect to past employment, references to the Department of Human Services include its predecessor, the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities.

The changes made to this subdivision (c)(8) by Public Act 92-14 apply to persons who retire on or after January 1, 2001, notwithstanding Section 1-103.1.

(9) "Central Management Services security police officer" means any person employed by the Department of Central Management Services who is vested with such law enforcement duties as render him ineligible for coverage under the Social Security Act by reason of Sections 218(d)(5)(A), 218(d)(8)(D) and 218(l)(1) of that Act.

(10) For a member who first became an employee under this Article before July 1, 2005, the term "security employee of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice" means any employee of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice or the former Department of Personnel, and any member or employee of the Prisoner Review Board, who has daily contact with inmates or youth by working within a correctional facility or Juvenile facility operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice or who is a parole officer or an employee who has direct contact with committed persons in the performance of his or her job duties. For a member who first becomes an employee under this Article on or after July 1, 2005, the term means an employee of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice who is any of the following: (i) officially headquartered at a correctional facility or Juvenile facility operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice, (ii) a parole officer, (iii) a member of the apprehension unit, (iv) a member of the intelligence unit, (v) a member of the sort team, or (vi) an investigator.

(11) The term "dangerous drugs investigator" means any person who is employed as such by the Department of Human Services.

(12) The term "investigator for the Department of State Police" means a person employed by the Department of State Police who is vested under Section 4 of the Narcotic Control Division Abolition Act with such law enforcement powers as render him ineligible for coverage under the Social Security Act by reason of Sections 218(d)(5)(A), 218(d)(8)(D) and 218(l)(1) of that Act.

(13) "Investigator for the Office of the Attorney General" means any person who is employed as such by the Office of the Attorney General and is vested with such investigative duties as render him ineligible for coverage under the Social Security Act by reason of Sections 218(d)(5)(A), 218(d)(8)(D) and 218(l)(1) of that Act. For the period before January 1, 1989, the term includes all persons who were employed as investigators by the Office of the Attorney General, without regard to social security status.

(14) "Controlled substance inspector" means any person who is employed as such by the Department of Professional Regulation and is vested with such law enforcement duties as render him ineligible for coverage under the Social Security Act by reason of Sections 218(d)(5)(A), 218(d)(8)(D) and 218(l)(1) of that Act. The term "controlled substance inspector" includes the Program Executive of Enforcement and the Assistant Program Executive of Enforcement.

(15) The term "investigator for the Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor" means a person employed in that capacity on a full time basis under the authority of Section 7.06 of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor's Act.

(16) "Commerce Commission police officer" means any person employed by the Illinois Commerce Commission who is vested with such law enforcement duties as render him ineligible for coverage under the Social Security Act by reason of Sections 218(d)(5)(A), 218(d)(8)(D), and 218(l)(1) of that Act.

(17) "Arson investigator" means any person who is employed as such by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and is vested with such law enforcement duties as render the person ineligible for coverage under the Social Security Act by reason of Sections 218(d)(5)(A), 218(d)(8)(D), and 218(l)(1) of that Act. A person who was employed as an arson investigator on January 1, 1995 and is no longer in service but not yet receiving a retirement annuity may convert his or her creditable service for employment as an arson investigator into eligible creditable service by paying to the System the difference between the employee contributions actually paid for that service and the amounts that would have been contributed if the applicant were contributing at the rate applicable to persons with the same social security status earning eligible creditable service on the date of application.

(18) The term "State highway maintenance worker" means a person who is either of the following:

(i) A person employed on a full-time basis by the Illinois Department of Transportation in the position of highway maintainer, highway maintenance lead worker, highway maintenance lead/lead worker, heavy construction equipment operator, power shovel operator, or bridge mechanic; and whose principal responsibility is to perform, on the roadway, the actual maintenance necessary to keep the highways that form a part of the State highway system in serviceable condition for vehicular traffic.

(ii) A person employed on a full-time basis by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority in the position of equipment operator/laborer H-4, equipment operator/laborer H-6, welder H-4, welder H-6, mechanical/electrical H-4, mechanical/electrical H-6, water/sewer H-4, water/sewer H-6, sign maker/hanger H-4, sign maker/hanger H-6, roadway lighting H-4, roadway lighting H-6, structural H-4, structural H-6, painter H-4, or painter H-6; and whose principal responsibility is to perform, on the roadway, the actual maintenance necessary to keep the Authority's tollways in serviceable condition for vehicular traffic.

(d) A security employee of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice, and a security employee of the Department of Human Services who is not a mental health police officer, shall not be eligible for the alternative retirement annuity provided by this Section unless he or she meets the following minimum age and service requirements at the time of retirement:

(i) 25 years of eligible creditable service and age 55; or

(ii) beginning January 1, 1987, 25 years of eligible creditable service and age 54, or 24 years of eligible creditable service and age 55; or

(iii) beginning January 1, 1988, 25 years of eligible creditable service and age 53, or 23 years of eligible creditable service and age 55; or

(iv) beginning January 1, 1989, 25 years of eligible creditable service and age 52, or 22 years of eligible creditable service and age 55; or

(v) beginning January 1, 1990, 25 years of eligible creditable service and age 51, or 21 years of eligible creditable service and age 55; or

(vi) beginning January 1, 1991, 25 years of eligible creditable service and age 50, or 20 years of eligible creditable service and age 55.

Persons who have service credit under Article 16 of this Code for service as a security employee of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice, or the Department of Human Services in a position requiring certification as a teacher may count such service toward establishing their eligibility under the service requirements of this Section; but such service may be used only for establishing such eligibility, and not for the purpose of increasing or calculating any benefit.

(e) If a member enters military service while working in a position in which eligible creditable service may be earned, and returns to State service in the same or another such position, and fulfills in all other respects the conditions prescribed in this Article for credit for military service, such military service shall be credited as eligible creditable service for the purposes of the retirement annuity prescribed in this Section.

(f) For purposes of calculating retirement annuities under this Section, periods of service rendered after December 31, 1968 and before October 1, 1975 as a covered employee in the position of special agent, conservation police officer, mental health police officer, or investigator for the Secretary of State, shall be deemed to have been service as a noncovered employee, provided that the employee pays to the System prior to retirement an amount equal to (1) the difference between the employee contributions that would have been required for such service as a noncovered employee, and the amount of employee contributions actually paid, plus (2) if payment is made after July 31, 1987, regular interest on the amount specified in item (1) from the date of service to the date of payment.

For purposes of calculating retirement annuities under this Section, periods of service rendered after December 31, 1968 and before January 1, 1982 as a covered employee in the position of investigator for the Department of Revenue shall be deemed to have been service as a noncovered employee, provided that the employee pays to the System prior to retirement an amount equal to (1) the difference between the employee contributions that would have been required for such service as a noncovered employee, and the amount of employee contributions actually paid, plus (2) if payment is made after January 1, 1990, regular interest on the amount specified in item (1) from the date of service to the date of payment.

(g) A State policeman may elect, not later than January 1, 1990, to establish eligible creditable service for up to 10 years of his service as a policeman under Article 3, by filing a written election with the Board, accompanied by payment of an amount to be determined by the Board, equal to (i) the difference between the amount of employee and employer contributions transferred to the System under Section 3-110.5, and the amounts that would have been contributed had such contributions been made at the rates applicable to State policemen, plus (ii) interest thereon at the effective rate for each year, compounded annually, from the date of service to the date of payment.

Subject to the limitation in subsection (i), a State policeman may elect, not later than July 1, 1993, to establish eligible creditable service for up to 10 years of his service as a member of the County Police Department under Article 9, by filing a written election with the Board, accompanied by payment of an amount to be determined by the Board, equal to (i) the difference between the amount of employee and employer contributions transferred to the System under Section 9-121.10 and the amounts that would have been contributed had those contributions been made at the rates applicable to State policemen, plus (ii) interest thereon at the effective rate for each year, compounded annually, from the date of service to the date of payment.

(h) Subject to the limitation in subsection (i), a State policeman or investigator for the Secretary of State may elect to establish eligible creditable service for up to 12 years of his service as a policeman under Article 5, by filing a written election with the Board on or before January 31, 1992, and paying to the System by January 31, 1994 an amount to be determined by the Board, equal to (i) the difference between the amount of employee and employer contributions transferred to the System under Section 5-236, and the amounts that would have been contributed had such contributions been made at the rates applicable to State policemen, plus (ii) interest thereon at the effective rate for each year, compounded annually, from the date of service to the date of payment.

Subject to the limitation in subsection (i), a State policeman, conservation police officer, or investigator for the Secretary of State may elect to establish eligible creditable service for up to 10 years of service as a sheriff's law enforcement employee under Article 7, by filing a written election with the Board on or before January 31, 1993, and paying to the System by January 31, 1994 an amount to be determined by the Board, equal to (i) the difference between the amount of employee and employer contributions transferred to the System under Section 7-139.7, and the amounts that would have been contributed had such contributions been made at the rates applicable to State policemen, plus (ii) interest thereon at the effective rate for each year, compounded annually, from the date of service to the date of payment.

Subject to the limitation in subsection (i), a State policeman, conservation police officer, or investigator for the Secretary of State may elect to establish eligible creditable service for up to 5 years of service as a police officer under Article 3, a policeman under Article 5, a sheriff's law enforcement employee under Article 7, a member of the county police department under Article 9, or a police officer under Article 15 by filing a written election with the Board and paying to the System an amount to be determined by the Board, equal to (i) the difference between the amount of employee and employer contributions transferred to the System under Section 3-110.6, 5-236, 7-139.8, 9-121.10, or 15-134.4 and the amounts that would have been contributed had such contributions been made at the rates applicable to State policemen, plus (ii) interest thereon at the effective rate for each year, compounded annually, from the date of service to the date of payment.

Subject to the limitation in subsection (i), an investigator for the Office of the Attorney General, or an investigator for the Department of Revenue, may elect to establish eligible creditable service for up to 5 years of service as a police officer under Article 3, a policeman under Article 5, a sheriff's law enforcement employee under Article 7, or a member of the county police department under Article 9 by filing a written election with the Board within 6 months after August 25, 2009 (the effective date of Public Act 96-745) and paying to the System an amount to be determined by the Board, equal to (i) the difference between the amount of employee and employer contributions transferred to the System under Section 3-110.6, 5-236, 7-139.8, or 9-121.10 and the amounts that would have been contributed had such contributions been made at the rates applicable to State policemen, plus (ii) interest thereon at the actuarially assumed rate for each year, compounded annually, from the date of service to the date of payment.

Subject to the limitation in subsection (i), a State policeman, conservation police officer, investigator for the Office of the Attorney General, an investigator for the Department of Revenue, or investigator for the Secretary of State may elect to establish eligible creditable service for up to 5 years of service as a person employed by a participating municipality to perform police duties, or law enforcement officer employed on a full-time basis by a forest preserve district under Article 7, a county corrections officer, or a court services officer under Article 9, by filing a written election with the Board within 6 months after August 25, 2009 (the effective date of Public Act 96-745) and paying to the System an amount to be determined by the Board, equal to (i) the difference between the amount of employee and employer contributions transferred to the System under Sections 7-139.8 and 9-121.10 and the amounts that would have been contributed had such contributions been made at the rates applicable to State policemen, plus (ii) interest thereon at the actuarially assumed rate for each year, compounded annually, from the date of service to the date of payment.

(i) The total amount of eligible creditable service established by any person under subsections (g), (h), (j), (k), and (l) of this Section shall not exceed 12 years.

(j) Subject to the limitation in subsection (i), an investigator for the Office of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor or a controlled substance inspector may elect to establish eligible creditable service for up to 10 years of his service as a policeman under Article 3 or a sheriff's law enforcement employee under Article 7, by filing a written election with the Board, accompanied by payment of an amount to be determined by the Board, equal to (1) the difference between the amount of employee and employer contributions transferred to the System under Section 3-110.6 or 7-139.8, and the amounts that would have been contributed had such contributions been made at the rates applicable to State policemen, plus (2) interest thereon at the effective rate for each year, compounded annually, from the date of service to the date of payment.

(k) Subject to the limitation in subsection (i) of this Section, an alternative formula employee may elect to establish eligible creditable service for periods spent as a full-time law enforcement officer or full-time corrections officer employed by the federal government or by a state or local government located outside of Illinois, for which credit is not held in any other public employee pension fund or retirement system. To obtain this credit, the applicant must file a written application with the Board by March 31, 1998, accompanied by evidence of eligibility acceptable to the Board and payment of an amount to be determined by the Board, equal to (1) employee contributions for the credit being established, based upon the applicant's salary on the first day as an alternative formula employee after the employment for which credit is being established and the rates then applicable to alternative formula employees, plus (2) an amount determined by the Board to be the employer's normal cost of the benefits accrued for the credit being established, plus (3) regular interest on the amounts in items (1) and (2) from the first day as an alternative formula employee after the employment for which credit is being established to the date of payment.

(l) Subject to the limitation in subsection (i), a security employee of the Department of Corrections may elect, not later than July 1, 1998, to establish eligible creditable service for up to 10 years of his or her service as a policeman under Article 3, by filing a written election with the Board, accompanied by payment of an amount to be determined by the Board, equal to (i) the difference between the amount of employee and employer contributions transferred to the System under Section 3-110.5, and the amounts that would have been contributed had such contributions been made at the rates applicable to security employees of the Department of Corrections, plus (ii) interest thereon at the effective rate for each year, compounded annually, from the date of service to the date of payment.

(m) The amendatory changes to this Section made by this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly apply only to: (1) security employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice employed by the Department of Corrections before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly and transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice by this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly; and (2) persons employed by the Department of Juvenile Justice on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly who are required by subsection (b) of Section 3-2.5-15 of the Unified Code of Corrections to have a bachelor's or advanced degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in criminal justice, education, psychology, social work, or a closely related social science or, in the case of persons who provide vocational training, who are required to have adequate knowledge in the skill for which they are providing the vocational training.

(n) A person employed in a position under subsection (b) of this Section who has purchased service credit under subsection (j) of Section 14-104 or subsection (b) of Section 14-105 in any other capacity under this Article may convert up to 5 years of that service credit into service credit covered under this Section by paying to the Fund an amount equal to (1) the additional employee contribution required under Section 14-133, plus (2) the additional employer contribution required under Section 14-131, plus (3) interest on items (1) and (2) at the actuarially assumed rate from the date of the service to the date of payment.

(o) Any member who applies to the System for an alternative retirement annuity under this Section on or after the effective date of this subsection (o) shall, at the time of applying for that annuity, make a one-time payment to the System in an amount, to be determined by the Board, that is equal to:

(1) in the case of Tier I employees,

(A) the employee contributions that would be due under Section 14-133 in each of the next 7 years if the member remained employed during those years in the position that he or she held on the date of application for the alternative retirement annuity and earned an annual salary in each of those years in an amount equal to the annual salary that he or she earned on the date of application for the alternative retirement annuity, plus

(B) the amount of employer contributions that would be due for that employee under Section 14-131 in each of the next 7 years, as estimated by the Board, plus

(C) interest on items (A) and (B) at the actuarially assumed rate; and

(2) in the case of Tier II employees,

(A) the employee contributions that would be due under Section 14-133 in each of the next 2 years if the member remained employed during those years in the position that he or she held on the date of application for the alternative retirement annuity and earned an annual salary in each of those years in an amount equal to the annual salary that he or she earned on the date of application for the alternative retirement annuity, plus

(B) the amount of employer contributions that would be due for that employee under Section 14-131 in each of the next 2 years, as estimated by the Board, plus

(C) interest on items (A) and (B) at the actuarially assumed rate.

(Source: P.A. 95-530, eff. 8-28-07; 95-1036, eff. 2-17-09; 96-37, eff. 7-13-09; 96-745, eff. 8-25-09; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)

(40 ILCS 5/14-114) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 14-114)

Sec. 14-114. Automatic increase in retirement annuity.

(a) Any person receiving a retirement annuity under this Article who retires having attained age 60, or who retires before age 60 having at least 35 years of creditable service, or who retires on or after January 1, 2001 at an age which, when added to the number of years of his or her creditable service, equals at least 85, shall, on January 1 next following the first full year of retirement, have the amount of the then fixed and payable monthly retirement annuity increased 3%. Any person receiving a retirement annuity under this Article who retires before attainment of age 60 and with less than (i) 35 years of creditable service if retirement is before January 1, 2001, or (ii) the number of years of creditable service which, when added to the member's age, would equal 85, if retirement is on or after January 1, 2001, shall have the amount of the fixed and payable retirement annuity increased by 3% on the January 1 occurring on or next following (1) attainment of age 60, or (2) the first anniversary of retirement, whichever occurs later. However, for persons who receive the alternative retirement annuity under Section 14-110, references in this subsection (a) to attainment of age 60 shall be deemed to refer to attainment of age 55. For a person receiving early retirement incentives under Section 14-108.3 whose retirement annuity began after January 1, 1992 pursuant to an extension granted under subsection (e) of that Section, the first anniversary of retirement shall be deemed to be January 1, 1993. For a person who retires on or after June 28, 2001 and on or before October 1, 2001, and whose retirement annuity is calculated, in whole or in part, under Section 14-110 or subsection (g) or (h) of Section 14-108, the first anniversary of retirement shall be deemed to be January 1, 2002.

On each January 1 following the date of the initial increase under this subsection, the employee's monthly retirement annuity shall be increased by an additional 3%.

Beginning January 1, 1990, all automatic annual increases payable under this Section shall be calculated as a percentage of the total annuity payable at the time of the increase, including previous increases granted under this Article.

(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this Section shall be applicable to an employee only if the employee makes the additional contributions required after December 31, 1969 for the purpose of the automatic increases for not less than the equivalent of one full year. If an employee becomes an annuitant before his additional contributions equal one full year's contributions based on his salary at the date of retirement, the employee may pay the necessary balance of the contributions to the system, without interest, and be eligible for the increasing annuity authorized by this Section.

(c) The provisions of subsection (a) of this Section shall not be applicable to any annuitant who is on retirement on December 31, 1969, and thereafter returns to State service, unless the member has established at least one year of additional creditable service following reentry into service.

(d) In addition to other increases which may be provided by this Section, on January 1, 1981 any annuitant who was receiving a retirement annuity on or before January 1, 1971 shall have his retirement annuity then being paid increased $1 per month for each year of creditable service. On January 1, 1982, any annuitant who began receiving a retirement annuity on or before January 1, 1977, shall have his retirement annuity then being paid increased $1 per month for each year of creditable service.

On January 1, 1987, any annuitant who began receiving a retirement annuity on or before January 1, 1977, shall have the monthly retirement annuity increased by an amount equal to 8¢ per year of creditable service times the number of years that have elapsed since the annuity began.

(e) Every person who receives the alternative retirement annuity under Section 14-110 and who is eligible to receive the 3% increase under subsection (a) on January 1, 1986, shall also receive on that date a one-time increase in retirement annuity equal to the difference between (1) his actual retirement annuity on that date, including any increases received under subsection (a), and (2) the amount of retirement annuity he would have received on that date if the amendments to subsection (a) made by Public Act 84-162 had been in effect since the date of his retirement.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, except subsection (f-5) of this Section, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the monthly retirement annuity of an annuitant shall first be subject to annual increases on the January 1 occurring on or next after either the attainment of age 67 or the January 1 occurring on or next after the fifth anniversary of the annuity start date, whichever occurs earlier. If on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly an annuitant has already received an annual increase under this Section but is not eligible to receive an annual increase under this subsection, then the annual increases already received shall continue in force, but no additional annual increase shall be granted until the annuitant meets the new eligibility requirements.

(f-5) Notwithstanding subsection (f), no annual increase shall be paid under this Section in a calendar year if, on January 1 of the preceding calendar year, the total assets of the System are less than 85% of the total actuarial liabilities of the System, as annually certified by the System.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, except subsection (f-5) of this Section, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the amount of each automatic annual increase in retirement annuity occurring on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly shall be 3% or one-half of the annual unadjusted percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index-U for the 12 months ending with the preceding September, whichever is less, of the originally granted retirement annuity. 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.

(Source: P.A. 91-927, eff. 12-14-00; 92-14, eff. 6-28-01; 92-651, eff. 7-11-02.)

(40 ILCS 5/14-133.2 new)

Sec. 14-133.2. Self-managed plan.

(a) The General Assembly finds that it is important for Illinois to be able to attract and retain the most qualified employees and that in order to attract and retain these employees, the State of Illinois should have the flexibility to provide a defined contribution (self-managed) plan for eligible employees. Accordingly, the State Employees Retirement System of Illinois is hereby required, within 6 months after the effective date of this Section, to establish and administer a self-managed plan, which shall offer participating employees the opportunity to accumulate assets for retirement through a combination of employee and employer contributions that may be invested in mutual funds, collective investment funds, or other investment products and used to purchase annuity contracts, either fixed or variable or a combination of fixed and variable. The plan must be qualified under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

(b) The Board shall adopt the self-managed plan established under this Section for any person who is a member under this Article.

The State Employees Retirement System of Illinois shall be the plan sponsor for the self-managed plan and shall prepare a plan document and adopt such rules and procedures as are considered necessary or desirable for the administration of the self-managed plan. Consistent with its fiduciary duty to the participants and beneficiaries of the self-managed plan, the Board of Trustees of the System may delegate aspects of plan administration as it sees fit to companies authorized to do business in this State.

(c) The System shall solicit proposals to provide administrative services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan from insurance and annuity companies and mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, or other financial institutions authorized to do business in this State. In reviewing the proposals received and approving and contracting with no fewer than 2 and no more than 7 companies, the Board of Trustees of the System shall consider, among other things, the following criteria:

(1) the nature and extent of the benefits that would be provided to the participants;

(2) the reasonableness of the benefits in relation to the premium charged;

(3) the suitability of the benefits to the needs and interests of the participating employees and the State;

(4) the ability of the company to provide benefits under the contract and the financial stability of the company; and

(5) the efficacy of the contract in the recruitment and retention of employees.

The System shall periodically review each approved company. A company may continue to provide administrative services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan only so long as it continues to be an approved company under contract with the Board.

In addition to the companies approved by the System under this subsection (c), the System may offer its participants an investment fund managed by the System.

(d) Employees who are participating in the program must be allowed to direct the transfer of their account balances among the various investment options offered, subject to applicable contractual provisions. The participant shall not be deemed a fiduciary by reason of providing such investment direction. A person who is a fiduciary shall not be liable for any loss resulting from such investment direction and shall not be deemed to have breached any fiduciary duty by acting in accordance with that direction. Neither the System nor the employer shall guarantee any of the investments in the employee's account balances.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, beginning on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under this Section, each member shall participate in the self-managed plan with respect to service under this Article on and after that date, and a member's ability to accrue, on and after that date, additional benefits under the traditional benefit package is terminated.

A member who participates in the self-managed plan under this Section must continue participation while employed in an eligible position, and may not participate in the traditional benefit package administered by the System under this Article while employed by the State under this Article.

Participation in the self-managed plan under this Section shall constitute membership in the State Employees' Retirement System of Illinois.

A participant under this Section shall be entitled to the benefits of Article 20 of this Code.

(f) If a member has rights and credits in the System due to previous participation in the traditional benefit package but those credits are insufficient, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under this Section, to satisfy the service requirement for a retirement annuity under this Article, then the System shall establish for the member an opening account balance in the self-managed plan, equal to (i) the amount of the contribution refund that the member would be eligible to receive under Section 14-130 if the employee terminated employment on that date and elected a refund of contributions, plus (ii) an amount equal to the regular employer contribution that would be required to fund the actual regular cost incurred for each year of service credit earned, provided that the total opening account balance does not exceed 7.6% of that participant's salary for that year, plus interest. The interest used in this subsection (f) is calculated as the average annual rate of return that the System has earned over the past 20 fiscal years and is compounded. The System shall transfer assets from the traditional benefit package to the self-managed plan, as a tax-free transfer in accordance with Internal Revenue Service guidelines, for purposes of funding the member's opening account balance.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, a member may not purchase or receive service or service credit applicable to the traditional benefit package under this Article for any period during which the employee was a participant in the self-managed plan established under this Section.

(h) The self-managed plan shall be funded by contributions from employees participating in the self-managed plan and State contributions as provided in this Section.

The annual required contribution for employees participating in the self-managed plan shall be an amount equal to 6% of the employee's salary. This required contribution shall be made as an employer pick-up under Section 414(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any successor Section thereof. Participants may make additional contributions to the self-managed plan in accordance with procedures prescribed by the System, to the extent permitted under rules adopted by the System.

The program shall provide for annual State contributions to be credited to the account of each employee who participates in the self-managed plan in an amount equal to 6% of the employee's compensation.

The System shall not be obligated to remit the required employer contributions to any of the insurance and annuity companies, mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, financial institutions, or other sponsors of any of the funding vehicles offered under the self-managed plan until it has received the required employer contributions from the State. In the event of a deficiency in the amount of State contributions, the System shall implement any procedures to obtain the required funding from the General Revenue Fund.

(i) A participant in the self-managed plan becomes vested in the employer contributions credited to his or her accounts in the self-managed plan on the earliest to occur of the following: (1) completion of 5 years of service credit under this Article; (2) the death of the participating employee while employed by an employer under this Article, if the participant has completed at least 1.5 years of service; or (3) the participant's election to retire and apply the reciprocal provisions of Article 20 of this Code.

A participant in the self-managed plan who receives a distribution of his or her vested amounts from the self-managed plan while not yet eligible for retirement under this Article (and Article 20, if applicable) shall forfeit all service credit and accrued rights in the System; if subsequently re-employed, the participant shall be considered a new employee. If a former participant again becomes a participating employee (or becomes employed by a participating system under Article 20 of this Code) and continues as such for at least 2 years, all rights, service credits, and previous status as a participant shall be restored upon repayment of the amount of the distribution, without interest.

(j) If an employee participating in the self-managed plan who is vested in employer contributions terminates employment, the employee shall be entitled to a benefit which is based on the account values attributable to both employer and employee contributions and any investment return thereon.

If an employee participating in the self-managed plan who is not vested in employer contributions terminates employment, the employee shall be entitled to a benefit based solely on the account values attributable to the employee's contributions and any investment return thereon, and the employer contributions and any investment return thereon shall be forfeited. Any employer contributions which are forfeited shall be held in escrow by the company investing those contributions and shall be used, as directed by the System, for future allocations of employer contributions or for the restoration of amounts previously forfeited by former participants who again become participating employees.

(k) If a participant so requests, a distribution of funds from the self-managed plan may be paid in the form of a direct rollover to another qualified plan, to the extent allowed by federal law and in accordance with the rules of the System.

(40 ILCS 5/15-103.1)

Sec. 15-103.1. Traditional Benefit Package. "Traditional benefit package": The defined benefit retirement program maintained under the System which includes retirement annuities payable directly from the System as provided in Sections 15-135 through 15-140 (but disregarding Section 15-136.4), disability retirement annuities payable under Section 15-153.2, death benefits payable directly from the System as provided in Sections 15-141 through 15-144, survivors insurance benefits payable directly from the System as provided in Sections 15-145 through 15-149, and contribution refunds as provided in Section 15-154. The traditional benefit package also includes disability benefits as provided in Sections 15-150 through 15-153.3. The traditional benefit package also includes any benefits determined under Section 1-160 with respect to service performed under this Article.

(Source: P.A. 90-766, eff. 8-14-98.)

(40 ILCS 5/15-103.2)

Sec. 15-103.2. Portable Benefit Package. "Portable benefit package": The defined benefit retirement program maintained under the System which includes retirement annuities payable directly from the System as provided in Sections 15-135 through 15-139 (specifically including Section 15-136.4), disability retirement annuities payable under Section 15-153.2, death benefits payable directly from the System as provided in Sections 15-141 through 15-144, and contribution refunds as provided in Section 15-154. The portable benefit package also includes disability benefits as provided in Sections 15-150 through 15-153.3. The portable benefit package does not include the survivors insurance benefits payable directly from the System as provided in Sections 15-145 through 15-149. The traditional benefit package also includes any benefits determined under Section 1-160 with respect to service performed under this Article.

(Source: P.A. 90-766, eff. 8-14-98.)

(40 ILCS 5/15-107) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-107)

Sec. 15-107. Employee.

(a) "Employee" means any member of the educational, administrative, secretarial, clerical, mechanical, labor or other staff of an employer whose employment is permanent and continuous or who is employed in a position in which services are expected to be rendered on a continuous basis for at least 4 months or one academic term, whichever is less, who (A) receives payment for personal services on a warrant issued pursuant to a payroll voucher certified by an employer and drawn by the State Comptroller upon the State Treasurer or by an employer upon trust, federal or other funds, or (B) is on a leave of absence without pay. Employment which is irregular, intermittent or temporary shall not be considered continuous for purposes of this paragraph.

However, a person is not an "employee" if he or she:

(1) is a student enrolled in and regularly attending classes in a college or university which is an employer, and is employed on a temporary basis at less than full time;

(2) is currently receiving a retirement annuity or a disability retirement annuity under Section 15-153.2 from this System;

(3) is on a military leave of absence;

(4) is eligible to participate in the Federal Civil Service Retirement System and is currently making contributions to that system based upon earnings paid by an employer;

(5) is on leave of absence without pay for more than 60 days immediately following termination of disability benefits under this Article;

(6) is hired after June 30, 1979 as a public service employment program participant under the Federal Comprehensive Employment and Training Act and receives earnings in whole or in part from funds provided under that Act; or

(7) is employed on or after July 1, 1991 to perform services that are excluded by subdivision (a)(7)(f) or (a)(19) of Section 210 of the federal Social Security Act from the definition of employment given in that Section (42 U.S.C. 410).

(b) Any employer may, by filing a written notice with the board, exclude from the definition of "employee" all persons employed pursuant to a federally funded contract entered into after July 1, 1982 with a federal military department in a program providing training in military courses to federal military personnel on a military site owned by the United States Government, if this exclusion is not prohibited by the federally funded contract or federal laws or rules governing the administration of the contract.

(c) Any person appointed by the Governor under the Civil Administrative Code of the State is an employee, if he or she is a participant in this system on the effective date of the appointment.

(d) A participant on lay-off status under civil service rules is considered an employee for not more than 120 days from the date of the lay-off.

(e) A participant is considered an employee during (1) the first 60 days of disability leave, (2) the period, not to exceed one year, in which his or her eligibility for disability benefits is being considered by the board or reviewed by the courts, and (3) the period he or she receives disability benefits under the provisions of Section 15-152, workers' compensation or occupational disease benefits, or disability income under an insurance contract financed wholly or partially by the employer.

(f) Absences without pay, other than formal leaves of absence, of less than 30 calendar days, are not considered as an interruption of a person's status as an employee. If such absences during any period of 12 months exceed 30 work days, the employee status of the person is considered as interrupted as of the 31st work day.

(g) A staff member whose employment contract requires services during an academic term is to be considered an employee during the summer and other vacation periods, unless he or she declines an employment contract for the succeeding academic term or his or her employment status is otherwise terminated, and he or she receives no earnings during these periods.

(h) An individual who was a participating employee employed in the fire department of the University of Illinois's Champaign-Urbana campus immediately prior to the elimination of that fire department and who immediately after the elimination of that fire department became employed by the fire department of the City of Urbana or the City of Champaign shall continue to be considered as an employee for purposes of this Article for so long as the individual remains employed as a firefighter by the City of Urbana or the City of Champaign. The individual shall cease to be considered an employee under this subsection (h) upon the first termination of the individual's employment as a firefighter by the City of Urbana or the City of Champaign.

(i) An individual who is employed on a full-time basis as an officer or employee of a statewide teacher organization that serves System participants or an officer of a national teacher organization that serves System participants may participate in the System and shall be deemed an employee, provided that (1) the individual has previously earned creditable service under this Article, (2) the individual files with the System an irrevocable election to become a participant before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, (3) the individual does not receive credit for that employment under any other Article of this Code, and (4) the individual first became a full-time employee of the teacher organization and becomes a participant before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly. An employee under this subsection (i) is responsible for paying to the System both (A) employee contributions based on the actual compensation received for service with the teacher organization and (B) employer contributions equal to the normal costs (as defined in Section 15-155) resulting from that service; all or any part of these contributions may be paid on the employee's behalf or picked up for tax purposes (if authorized under federal law) by the teacher organization.

A person who is an employee as defined in this subsection (i) may establish service credit for similar employment prior to becoming an employee under this subsection by paying to the System for that employment the contributions specified in this subsection, plus interest at the effective rate from the date of service to the date of payment. However, credit shall not be granted under this subsection for any such prior employment for which the applicant received credit under any other provision of this Code, or during which the applicant was on a leave of absence under Section 15-113.2.

(j) A person employed by the State Board of Higher Education in a position with the Illinois Century Network as of June 30, 2004 shall be considered to be an employee for so long as he or she remains continuously employed after that date by the Department of Central Management Services in a position with the Illinois Century Network, the Bureau of Communication and Computer Services, or, if applicable, any successor bureau and meets the requirements of subsection (a).

(k) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, an individual who begins employment with any of the following employers on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly shall not be deemed an employee and shall not be eligible to participate in the System with respect to that employment: any association of community college boards organized under Section 3-55 of the Public Community College Act, the Association of Illinois Middle-Grade Schools, the Illinois Association of School Administrators, the Illinois Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Illinois Principals Association, the Illinois Association of School Business Officials, or the Illinois Special Olympics; provided, however, that those individuals who are both employed and already participants in the System on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly shall be allowed to continue as participants in the System for the duration of that employment.

(Source: P.A. 97-651, eff. 1-5-12.)

(40 ILCS 5/15-107.1 new)

Sec. 15-107.1. Tier I employee. "Tier I employee": An employee under this Article who first became a member or participant before January 1, 2011 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, or 18 of this Code.

(40 ILCS 5/15-111) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-111)

Sec. 15-111. Earnings. "Earnings": An amount paid for personal services equal to the sum of the basic compensation plus extra compensation for summer teaching, overtime or other extra service. For periods for which an employee receives service credit under subsection (c) of Section 15-113.1 or Section 15-113.2, earnings are equal to the basic compensation on which contributions are paid by the employee during such periods. Compensation for employment which is irregular, intermittent and temporary shall not be considered earnings, unless the participant is also receiving earnings from the employer as an employee under Section 15-107.

With respect to transition pay paid by the University of Illinois to a person who was a participating employee employed in the fire department of the University of Illinois's Champaign-Urbana campus immediately prior to the elimination of that fire department:

(1) "Earnings" includes transition pay paid to the employee on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly.

(2) "Earnings" includes transition pay paid to the employee before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly only if (i) employee contributions under Section 15-157 have been withheld from that transition pay or (ii) the employee pays to the System before January 1, 2001 an amount representing employee contributions under Section 15-157 on that transition pay. Employee contributions under item (ii) may be paid in a lump sum, by withholding from additional transition pay accruing before January 1, 2001, or in any other manner approved by the System. Upon payment of the employee contributions on transition pay, the corresponding employer contributions become an obligation of the State.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, for periods of service on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, "earnings" does not include any annual remuneration for personal services in an amount that is in excess of the annual contribution and benefit base established for the previous year by the Commissioner of Social Security pursuant to Section 230 of the federal Social Security Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-887, eff. 7-6-00.)

(40 ILCS 5/15-134.5)

Sec. 15-134.5. Retirement program elections.

(a) All participating employees are participants under the traditional benefit package prior to January 1, 1998.

Effective as of the date that an employer elects, as described in Section 15-158.2, to offer to its employees the portable benefit package and the self-managed plan as alternatives to the traditional benefit package, each of that employer's eligible employees (as defined in subsection (b)) shall be given the choice to elect which retirement program he or she wishes to participate in with respect to all periods of covered employment occurring on and after the effective date of the employee's election. The retirement program election made by an eligible employee must be made in writing, in the manner prescribed by the System, and within the time period described in subsection (d) or (d-1).

The employee election authorized by this Section is a one-time, irrevocable election. If an employee terminates employment after making the election provided under this subsection (a), then upon his or her subsequent re-employment with an employer the original election shall automatically apply to him or her, provided that the employer is then a participating employer as described in Section 15-158.2.

An eligible employee who fails to make this election shall, by default, participate in the traditional benefit package.

(b) "Eligible employee" means an employee (as defined in Section 15-107) who is either a currently eligible employee or a newly eligible employee. For purposes of this Section, a "currently eligible employee" is an employee who is employed by an employer on the effective date on which the employer offers to its employees the portable benefit package and the self-managed plan as alternatives to the traditional benefit package. A "newly eligible employee" is an employee who first becomes employed by an employer after the effective date on which the employer offers its employees the portable benefit package and the self-managed plan as alternatives to the traditional benefit package. A newly eligible employee participates in the traditional benefit package until he or she makes an election to participate in the portable benefit package or the self-managed plan. If an employee does not elect to participate in the portable benefit package or the self-managed plan, he or she shall continue to participate in the traditional benefit package by default.

(c) An eligible employee who at the time he or she is first eligible to make the election described in subsection (a) does not have sufficient age and service to qualify for a retirement annuity under Section 15-135 may elect to participate in the traditional benefit package, the portable benefit package, or the self-managed plan. An eligible employee who has sufficient age and service to qualify for a retirement annuity under Section 15-135 at the time he or she is first eligible to make the election described in subsection (a) may elect to participate in the traditional benefit package or the portable benefit package, but may not elect to participate in the self-managed plan.

(d) A currently eligible employee must make this election within one year after the effective date of the employer's adoption of the self-managed plan.

A newly eligible employee must make this election within 6 months after the date on which the System receives the report of status certification from the employer. If an employee elects to participate in the self-managed plan, no employer contributions shall be remitted to the self-managed plan when the employee's account balance transfer is made. Employer contributions to the self-managed plan shall commence as of the first pay period that begins after the System receives the employee's election.

(d-1) A newly eligible employee who, prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, fails to make the election within the period provided under subsection (d) and participates by default in the traditional benefit package may make a late election to participate in the portable benefit package or the self-managed plan instead of the traditional benefit package at any time within 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly.

(e) If a currently eligible employee elects the portable benefit package, that election shall not become effective until the one-year anniversary of the date on which the election is filed with the System, provided the employee remains continuously employed by the employer throughout the one-year waiting period, and any benefits payable to or on account of the employee before such one-year waiting period has ended shall not be determined under the provisions applicable to the portable benefit package but shall instead be determined in accordance with the traditional benefit package. If a currently eligible employee who has elected the portable benefit package terminates employment covered by the System before the one-year waiting period has ended, then no benefits shall be determined under the portable benefit package provisions while he or she is inactive in the System and upon re-employment with an employer covered by the System he or she shall begin a new one-year waiting period before the provisions of the portable benefit package become effective.

(f) An eligible employee shall be provided with written information prepared or prescribed by the System which describes the employee's retirement program choices. The eligible employee shall be offered an opportunity to receive counseling from the System prior to making his or her election. This counseling may consist of videotaped materials, group presentations, individual consultation with an employee or authorized representative of the System in person or by telephone or other electronic means, or any combination of these methods.

(g) This Section applies only prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly. On and after that date, all participants in the System, other than annuitants, shall participate in the self-managed plan.

(Source: P.A. 90-766, eff. 8-14-98; 91-887, eff. 7-6-00.)

(40 ILCS 5/15-134.6 new)

Sec. 15-134.6. Suspension of the accrual of benefits under the traditional benefit package and portable benefit package.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, the retirement annuity of an employee who satisfies, on the effective date of this Section, the service requirement for a retirement annuity under this Article and who retires on or after that date shall be calculated based on the service credit accrued under this Article prior to that date and the employee's annual rate of earnings on that date.

However, notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, an employee who does not, on the effective date of this Section, satisfy the service requirement for a retirement annuity under this Article shall not be entitled to a retirement annuity under this Article, but shall instead be eligible to have an initial account balance established in the self-managed plan in accordance with Section 15-158.2.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, if an employee or any other person is eligible for a benefit in the traditional benefit package or portable benefit package, other than a retirement annuity, on the effective date of this Section, then he or she shall continue to be eligible for that benefit while he or she continues to meet all otherwise applicable eligibility requirements.

However, notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, if an employee or other person is ineligible for a benefit in the traditional benefit package or portable benefit package, other than a retirement annuity, on the effective date of this Section, then he or she shall remain ineligible for that benefit on and after the effective date of this Section.

(40 ILCS 5/15-135) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-135)

Sec. 15-135. Retirement annuities - Conditions.

(a) A participant who retires in one of the following specified years with the specified amount of service is entitled to a retirement annuity at any age under the retirement program applicable to the participant:

35 years if retirement is in 1997 or before;

34 years if retirement is in 1998;

33 years if retirement is in 1999;

32 years if retirement is in 2000;

31 years if retirement is in 2001;

30 years if retirement is in 2002 or later.

A participant with 8 or more years of service after September 1, 1941, is entitled to a retirement annuity on or after attainment of age 55.

A participant with at least 5 but less than 8 years of service after September 1, 1941, is entitled to a retirement annuity on or after attainment of age 62.

A participant who has at least 25 years of service in this system as a police officer or firefighter is entitled to a retirement annuity on or after the attainment of age 50, if Rule 4 of Section 15-136 is applicable to the participant.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, a Tier I employee shall not, regardless of the amount of accrued service credit, be entitled to a retirement annuity until he or she has attained age 62.

(b) The annuity payment period shall begin on the date specified by the participant or the recipient of a disability retirement annuity submitting a written application, which date shall not be prior to termination of employment or more than one year before the application is received by the board; however, if the participant is not an employee of an employer participating in this System or in a participating system as defined in Article 20 of this Code on April 1 of the calendar year next following the calendar year in which the participant attains age 70 1/2, the annuity payment period shall begin on that date regardless of whether an application has been filed.

(c) An annuity is not payable if the amount provided under Section 15-136 is less than $10 per month.

(Source: P.A. 97-933, eff. 8-10-12; 97-968, eff. 8-16-12.)

(40 ILCS 5/15-136) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-136)

Sec. 15-136. Retirement annuities - Amount. The provisions of this Section 15-136 apply only to those participants who are participating in the traditional benefit package or the portable benefit package and do not apply to participants who are participating in the self-managed plan.

(a) The amount of a participant's retirement annuity, expressed in the form of a single-life annuity, shall be determined by whichever of the following rules is applicable and provides the largest annuity:

Rule 1: The retirement annuity shall be 1.67% of final rate of earnings for each of the first 10 years of service, 1.90% for each of the next 10 years of service, 2.10% for each year of service in excess of 20 but not exceeding 30, and 2.30% for each year in excess of 30; or for persons who retire on or after January 1, 1998, 2.2% of the final rate of earnings for each year of service.

Rule 2: The retirement annuity shall be the sum of the following, determined from amounts credited to the participant in accordance with the actuarial tables and the effective rate of interest in effect at the time the retirement annuity begins:

(i) the normal annuity which can be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis, by the accumulated normal contributions as of the date the annuity begins;

(ii) an annuity from employer contributions of an amount equal to that which can be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis from the accumulated normal contributions made by the participant under Section 15-113.6 and Section 15-113.7 plus 1.4 times all other accumulated normal contributions made by the participant; and

(iii) the annuity that can be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis from the entire contribution made by the participant under Section 15-113.3.

With respect to a police officer or firefighter who retires on or after August 14, 1998, the accumulated normal contributions taken into account under clauses (i) and (ii) of this Rule 2 shall include the additional normal contributions made by the police officer or firefighter under Section 15-157(a).

The amount of a retirement annuity calculated under this Rule 2 shall be computed solely on the basis of the participant's accumulated normal contributions, as specified in this Rule and defined in Section 15-116. Neither an employee or employer contribution for early retirement under Section 15-136.2 nor any other employer contribution shall be used in the calculation of the amount of a retirement annuity under this Rule 2.

This amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly is a clarification of existing law and applies to every participant and annuitant without regard to whether status as an employee terminates before the effective date of this amendatory Act.

This Rule 2 does not apply to a person who first becomes an employee under this Article on or after July 1, 2005.

Rule 3: The retirement annuity of a participant who is employed at least one-half time during the period on which his or her final rate of earnings is based, shall be equal to the participant's years of service not to exceed 30, multiplied by (1) $96 if the participant's final rate of earnings is less than $3,500, (2) $108 if the final rate of earnings is at least $3,500 but less than $4,500, (3) $120 if the final rate of earnings is at least $4,500 but less than $5,500, (4) $132 if the final rate of earnings is at least $5,500 but less than $6,500, (5) $144 if the final rate of earnings is at least $6,500 but less than $7,500, (6) $156 if the final rate of earnings is at least $7,500 but less than $8,500, (7) $168 if the final rate of earnings is at least $8,500 but less than $9,500, and (8) $180 if the final rate of earnings is $9,500 or more, except that the annuity for those persons having made an election under Section 15-154(a-1) shall be calculated and payable under the portable retirement benefit program pursuant to the provisions of Section 15-136.4.

Rule 4: A participant who is at least age 50 and has 25 or more years of service as a police officer or firefighter, and a participant who is age 55 or over and has at least 20 but less than 25 years of service as a police officer or firefighter, shall be entitled to a retirement annuity of 2 1/4% of the final rate of earnings for each of the first 10 years of service as a police officer or firefighter, 2 1/2% for each of the next 10 years of service as a police officer or firefighter, and 2 3/4% for each year of service as a police officer or firefighter in excess of 20. The retirement annuity for all other service shall be computed under Rule 1.

For purposes of this Rule 4, a participant's service as a firefighter shall also include the following:

(i) service that is performed while the person is an employee under subsection (h) of Section 15-107; and

(ii) in the case of an individual who was a participating employee employed in the fire department of the University of Illinois's Champaign-Urbana campus immediately prior to the elimination of that fire department and who immediately after the elimination of that fire department transferred to another job with the University of Illinois, service performed as an employee of the University of Illinois in a position other than police officer or firefighter, from the date of that transfer until the employee's next termination of service with the University of Illinois.

Rule 5: The retirement annuity of a participant who elected early retirement under the provisions of Section 15-136.2 and who, on or before February 16, 1995, brought administrative proceedings pursuant to the administrative rules adopted by the System to challenge the calculation of his or her retirement annuity shall be the sum of the following, determined from amounts credited to the participant in accordance with the actuarial tables and the prescribed rate of interest in effect at the time the retirement annuity begins:

(i) the normal annuity which can be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis, by the accumulated normal contributions as of the date the annuity begins; and

(ii) an annuity from employer contributions of an amount equal to that which can be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis from the accumulated normal contributions made by the participant under Section 15-113.6 and Section 15-113.7 plus 1.4 times all other accumulated normal contributions made by the participant; and

(iii) an annuity which can be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis from the employee contribution for early retirement under Section 15-136.2, and an annuity from employer contributions of an amount equal to that which can be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis from the employee contribution for early retirement under Section 15-136.2.

In no event shall a retirement annuity under this Rule 5 be lower than the amount obtained by adding (1) the monthly amount obtained by dividing the combined employee and employer contributions made under Section 15-136.2 by the System's annuity factor for the age of the participant at the beginning of the annuity payment period and (2) the amount equal to the participant's annuity if calculated under Rule 1, reduced under Section 15-136(b) as if no contributions had been made under Section 15-136.2.

With respect to a participant who is qualified for a retirement annuity under this Rule 5 whose retirement annuity began before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, and for whom an employee contribution was made under Section 15-136.2, the System shall recalculate the retirement annuity under this Rule 5 and shall pay any additional amounts due in the manner provided in Section 15-186.1 for benefits mistakenly set too low.

The amount of a retirement annuity calculated under this Rule 5 shall be computed solely on the basis of those contributions specifically set forth in this Rule 5. Except as provided in clause (iii) of this Rule 5, neither an employee nor employer contribution for early retirement under Section 15-136.2, nor any other employer contribution, shall be used in the calculation of the amount of a retirement annuity under this Rule 5.

The General Assembly has adopted the changes set forth in Section 25 of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly in recognition that the decision of the Appellate Court for the Fourth District in Mattis v. State Universities Retirement System et al. might be deemed to give some right to the plaintiff in that case. The changes made by Section 25 of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly are a legislative implementation of the decision of the Appellate Court for the Fourth District in Mattis v. State Universities Retirement System et al. with respect to that plaintiff.

The changes made by Section 25 of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly apply without regard to whether the person is in service as an employee on or after its effective date.

(b) The retirement annuity provided under Rules 1 and 3 above shall be reduced by 1/2 of 1% for each month the participant is under age 60 at the time of retirement. However, this reduction shall not apply in the following cases:

(1) For a disabled participant whose disability benefits have been discontinued because he or she has exhausted eligibility for disability benefits under clause (6) of Section 15-152;

(2) For a participant who has at least the number of years of service required to retire at any age under subsection (a) of Section 15-135; or

(3) For that portion of a retirement annuity which has been provided on account of service of the participant during periods when he or she performed the duties of a police officer or firefighter, if these duties were performed for at least 5 years immediately preceding the date the retirement annuity is to begin.

(c) The maximum retirement annuity provided under Rules 1, 2, 4, and 5 shall be the lesser of (1) the annual limit of benefits as specified in Section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as such Section may be amended from time to time and as such benefit limits shall be adjusted by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, and (2) 80% of final rate of earnings.

(d) An annuitant whose status as an employee terminates after August 14, 1969 shall receive automatic increases in his or her retirement annuity as follows:

Effective January 1 immediately following the date the retirement annuity begins, the annuitant shall receive an increase in his or her monthly retirement annuity of 0.125% of the monthly retirement annuity provided under Rule 1, Rule 2, Rule 3, Rule 4, or Rule 5, contained in this Section, multiplied by the number of full months which elapsed from the date the retirement annuity payments began to January 1, 1972, plus 0.1667% of such annuity, multiplied by the number of full months which elapsed from January 1, 1972, or the date the retirement annuity payments began, whichever is later, to January 1, 1978, plus 0.25% of such annuity multiplied by the number of full months which elapsed from January 1, 1978, or the date the retirement annuity payments began, whichever is later, to the effective date of the increase.

The annuitant shall receive an increase in his or her monthly retirement annuity on each January 1 thereafter during the annuitant's life of 3% of the monthly annuity provided under Rule 1, Rule 2, Rule 3, Rule 4, or Rule 5 contained in this Section. The change made under this subsection by P.A. 81-970 is effective January 1, 1980 and applies to each annuitant whose status as an employee terminates before or after that date.

Beginning January 1, 1990, all automatic annual increases payable under this Section shall be calculated as a percentage of the total annuity payable at the time of the increase, including all increases previously granted under this Article.

The change made in this subsection by P.A. 85-1008 is effective January 26, 1988, and is applicable without regard to whether status as an employee terminated before that date.

(d-1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, except subsection (d-2) of this Section, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the monthly retirement annuity of an annuitant shall first be subject to annual increases on the January 1 occurring on or next after either the attainment of age 67 or the January 1 occurring on or next after the fifth anniversary of the annuity start date, whichever occurs earlier. If on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly an annuitant has already received an annual increase under this Section but is not eligible to receive an annual increase under this subsection, then the annual increases already received shall continue in force, but no additional annual increase shall be granted until the annuitant meets the new eligibility requirements.

(d-2) Notwithstanding subsection (d-1), no annual increase shall be paid under this Section in a calendar year if, on January 1 of the preceding calendar year, the total assets of the System are less than 85% of the total actuarial liabilities of the System, as annually certified by the System.

(d-3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, except subsection (d-2) of this Section, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the amount of each automatic annual increase in retirement annuity occurring on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly shall be 3% or one-half of the annual unadjusted percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index-U for the 12 months ending with the preceding September, whichever is less, of the originally granted retirement annuity. 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.

(e) If, on January 1, 1987, or the date the retirement annuity payment period begins, whichever is later, the sum of the retirement annuity provided under Rule 1 or Rule 2 of this Section and the automatic annual increases provided under the preceding subsection or Section 15-136.1, amounts to less than the retirement annuity which would be provided by Rule 3, the retirement annuity shall be increased as of January 1, 1987, or the date the retirement annuity payment period begins, whichever is later, to the amount which would be provided by Rule 3 of this Section. Such increased amount shall be considered as the retirement annuity in determining benefits provided under other Sections of this Article. This paragraph applies without regard to whether status as an employee terminated before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1987, provided that the annuitant was employed at least one-half time during the period on which the final rate of earnings was based.

(f) A participant is entitled to such additional annuity as may be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis, by any accumulated additional contributions to his or her credit. However, the additional contributions made by the participant toward the automatic increases in annuity provided under this Section shall not be taken into account in determining the amount of such additional annuity.

(g) If, (1) by law, a function of a governmental unit, as defined by Section 20-107 of this Code, is transferred in whole or in part to an employer, and (2) a participant transfers employment from such governmental unit to such employer within 6 months after the transfer of the function, and (3) the sum of (A) the annuity payable to the participant under Rule 1, 2, or 3 of this Section (B) all proportional annuities payable to the participant by all other retirement systems covered by Article 20, and (C) the initial primary insurance amount to which the participant is entitled under the Social Security Act, is less than the retirement annuity which would have been payable if all of the participant's pension credits validated under Section 20-109 had been validated under this system, a supplemental annuity equal to the difference in such amounts shall be payable to the participant.

(h) On January 1, 1981, an annuitant who was receiving a retirement annuity on or before January 1, 1971 shall have his or her retirement annuity then being paid increased $1 per month for each year of creditable service. On January 1, 1982, an annuitant whose retirement annuity began on or before January 1, 1977, shall have his or her retirement annuity then being paid increased $1 per month for each year of creditable service.

(i) On January 1, 1987, any annuitant whose retirement annuity began on or before January 1, 1977, shall have the monthly retirement annuity increased by an amount equal to 8¢ per year of creditable service times the number of years that have elapsed since the annuity began.

(Source: P.A. 97-933, eff. 8-10-12; 97-968, eff. 8-16-12.)

(40 ILCS 5/15-158.2)

Sec. 15-158.2. Self-managed plan.

(a) Purpose. The General Assembly finds that it is important for colleges and universities to be able to attract and retain the most qualified employees and that in order to attract and retain these employees, colleges and universities should have the flexibility to provide a defined contribution plan as an alternative for eligible employees who elect not to participate in a defined benefit retirement program provided under this Article. Accordingly, the State Universities Retirement System is hereby required authorized to establish and administer a self-managed plan, which shall offer participating employees the opportunity to accumulate assets for retirement through a combination of employee and employer contributions that may be invested in mutual funds, collective investment funds, or other investment products and used to purchase annuity contracts, either fixed or variable or a combination thereof. The plan must be qualified under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

(b) Adoption by employers. Before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, each Each employer subject to this Article may elect to adopt the self-managed plan established under this Section; this election is irrevocable. An employer's election to adopt the self-managed plan makes available to the eligible employees of that employer the elections described in Section 15-134.5. On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, each employer subject to this Article shall adopt the self-managed plan established under this Section, and each participant shall participate in that plan with respect to service on and after that date.

The State Universities Retirement System shall be the plan sponsor for the self-managed plan and shall prepare a plan document and prescribe such rules and procedures as are considered necessary or desirable for the administration of the self-managed plan. Consistent with its fiduciary duty to the participants and beneficiaries of the self-managed plan, the Board of Trustees of the System may delegate aspects of plan administration as it sees fit to companies authorized to do business in this State, to the employers, or to a combination of both.

(c) Selection of service providers and funding vehicles. The System, in consultation with the employers, shall solicit proposals to provide administrative services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan from insurance and annuity companies and mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, or other financial institutions authorized to do business in this State. In reviewing the proposals received and approving and contracting with no fewer than 2 and no more than 7 companies, the Board of Trustees of the System shall consider, among other things, the following criteria:

(1) the nature and extent of the benefits that would be provided to the participants;

(2) the reasonableness of the benefits in relation to the premium charged;

(3) the suitability of the benefits to the needs and interests of the participating employees and the employer;

(4) the ability of the company to provide benefits under the contract and the financial stability of the company; and

(5) the efficacy of the contract in the recruitment and retention of employees.

The System, in consultation with the employers, shall periodically review each approved company. A company may continue to provide administrative services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan only so long as it continues to be an approved company under contract with the Board.

(d) Employee Direction. Employees who are participating in the program must be allowed to direct the transfer of their account balances among the various investment options offered, subject to applicable contractual provisions. The participant shall not be deemed a fiduciary by reason of providing such investment direction. A person who is a fiduciary shall not be liable for any loss resulting from such investment direction and shall not be deemed to have breached any fiduciary duty by acting in accordance with that direction. Neither the System nor the employer guarantees any of the investments in the employee's account balances.

(e) Participation. Prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, an An employee eligible to participate in the self-managed plan must make a written election in accordance with the provisions of Section 15-134.5 and the procedures established by the System. Participation in the self-managed plan by an electing employee shall begin on the first day of the first pay period following the later of the date the employee's election is filed with the System or the effective date as of which the employee's employer begins to offer participation in the self-managed plan. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, each participant in the System shall participate in the self-managed plan with respect to service on and after that date, and a participant's ability to accrue, on and after that date, additional benefits under the traditional benefit package or the portable benefit package is terminated. Employers may not make the self-managed plan available earlier than January 1, 1998. An employee's participation in any other retirement program administered by the System under this Article shall terminate on the date that participation in the self-managed plan begins.

An employee who has elected to participate in the self-managed plan under this Section must continue participation while employed in an eligible position, and may not participate in any other retirement program administered by the System under this Article while employed by that employer or any other employer that has adopted the self-managed plan, unless the self-managed plan is terminated in accordance with subsection (i).

Participation in the self-managed plan under this Section shall constitute membership in the State Universities Retirement System.

A participant under this Section shall be entitled to the benefits of Article 20 of this Code.

(f) Establishment of Initial Account Balance. Prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, if If at the time an employee elects to participate in the self-managed plan he or she has rights and credits in the System due to previous participation in the traditional benefit package, the System shall establish for the employee an opening account balance in the self-managed plan, equal to the amount of contribution refund that the employee would be eligible to receive under Section 15-154 if the employee terminated employment on that date and elected a refund of contributions, except that this hypothetical refund shall include interest at the effective rate for the respective years. The System shall transfer assets from the defined benefit retirement program to the self-managed plan, as a tax free transfer in accordance with Internal Revenue Service guidelines, for purposes of funding the employee's opening account balance.

Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, if a participant has rights and credits in the System due to previous participation in the traditional benefit package, portable benefit package, or both but those credits are insufficient, on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, to satisfy the service requirement for a retirement annuity under this Article, then the System shall establish for the member an opening account balance in the self-managed plan, equal to (i) the amount of the contribution refund that the member would be eligible to receive under Section 15-154 if the employee terminated employment on that date and elected a refund of contributions, plus (ii) an amount equal to the regular employer contribution that would be required to fund the actual regular cost incurred for each year of service credit earned, provided that the total opening account balance does not exceed 7.6% of that participant's salary for that year, plus interest. The interest used in this subsection (f) is calculated as the average annual rate of return that the System has earned over the past 20 fiscal years and is compounded. The System shall transfer assets from the traditional benefit package and the portable benefit package to the self-managed plan, as a tax-free transfer in accordance with Internal Revenue Service guidelines, for purposes of funding the member's opening account balance.

(g) No Duplication of Service Credit. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, an employee may not purchase or receive service or service credit applicable to any other retirement program administered by the System under this Article for any period during which the employee was a participant in the self-managed plan established under this Section.

(h) Contributions prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly. The self-managed plan shall be funded by contributions from employees participating in the self-managed plan and employer contributions as provided in this Section.

The contribution rate for employees participating in the self-managed plan under this Section shall be equal to the employee contribution rate for other participants in the System, as provided in Section 15-157. This required contribution shall be made as an "employer pick-up" under Section 414(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any successor Section thereof. Any employee participating in the System's traditional benefit package prior to his or her election to participate in the self-managed plan shall continue to have the employer pick up the contributions required under Section 15-157. However, the amounts picked up after the election of the self-managed plan shall be remitted to and treated as assets of the self-managed plan. In no event shall an employee have an option of receiving these amounts in cash. Employees may make additional contributions to the self-managed plan in accordance with procedures prescribed by the System, to the extent permitted under rules prescribed by the System.

The program shall provide for employer contributions to be credited to each self-managed plan participant at a rate of 7.6% of the participating employee's salary, less the amount used by the System to provide disability benefits for the employee. The amounts so credited shall be paid into the participant's self-managed plan accounts in a manner to be prescribed by the System.

An amount of employer contribution, not exceeding 1% of the participating employee's salary, shall be used for the purpose of providing the disability benefits of the System to the employee. Prior to the beginning of each plan year under the self-managed plan, the Board of Trustees shall determine, as a percentage of salary, the amount of employer contributions to be allocated during that plan year for providing disability benefits for employees in the self-managed plan.

The State of Illinois shall make contributions by appropriations to the System of the employer contributions required for employees who participate in the self-managed plan under this Section. The amount required shall be certified by the Board of Trustees of the System and paid by the State in accordance with Section 15-165. The System shall not be obligated to remit the required employer contributions to any of the insurance and annuity companies, mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, financial institutions, or other sponsors of any of the funding vehicles offered under the self-managed plan until it has received the required employer contributions from the State. In the event of a deficiency in the amount of State contributions, the System shall implement those procedures described in subsection (c) of Section 15-165 to obtain the required funding from the General Revenue Fund.

The provisions of this subsection (h) apply before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.

(h-5) Contributions on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.

The self-managed plan shall be funded by contributions from employees participating in the self-managed plan and State contributions as provided in this Section.

The annual required contribution for employees participating in the self-managed plan shall be an amount equal to 6% of the employee's salary. This required contribution shall be made as an employer pick-up under Section 414(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any successor Section thereof. Participants may make additional contributions to the self-managed plan in accordance with procedures prescribed by the System, to the extent permitted under rules adopted by the System.

The program shall provide for annual State contributions to be credited to the account of each employee who participates in the self-managed plan in an amount equal to 6% of the employee's compensation.

The System shall not be obligated to remit the required employer contributions to any of the insurance and annuity companies, mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, financial institutions, or other sponsors of any of the funding vehicles offered under the self-managed plan until it has received the required employer contributions from the State. In the event of a deficiency in the amount of State contributions, the System shall implement any procedures to obtain the required funding from the General Revenue Fund.

The provisions of this subsection (h-5) apply on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.

(i) Termination. (Blank). The self-managed plan authorized under this Section may be terminated by the System, subject to the terms of any relevant contracts, and the System shall have no obligation to reestablish the self-managed plan under this Section. This Section does not create a right to continued participation in any self-managed plan set up by the System under this Section. If the self-managed plan is terminated, the participants shall have the right to participate in one of the other retirement programs offered by the System and receive service credit in such other retirement program for any years of employment following the termination.

(j) Vesting; Withdrawal; Return to Service. A participant in the self-managed plan becomes vested in the employer contributions credited to his or her accounts in the self-managed plan on the earliest to occur of the following: (1) completion of 5 years of service with an employer described in Section 15-106; (2) the death of the participating employee while employed by an employer described in Section 15-106, if the participant has completed at least 1 1/2 years of service; or (3) the participant's election to retire and apply the reciprocal provisions of Article 20 of this Code.

A participant in the self-managed plan who receives a distribution of his or her vested amounts from the self-managed plan while not yet eligible for retirement under this Article (and Article 20, if applicable) shall forfeit all service credit and accrued rights in the System; if subsequently re-employed, the participant shall be considered a new employee. If a former participant again becomes a participating employee (or becomes employed by a participating system under Article 20 of this Code) and continues as such for at least 2 years, all such rights, service credits, and previous status as a participant shall be restored upon repayment of the amount of the distribution, without interest.

(k) Benefit amounts. If an employee who is vested in employer contributions terminates employment, the employee shall be entitled to a benefit which is based on the account values attributable to both employer and employee contributions and any investment return thereon.

If an employee who is not vested in employer contributions terminates employment, the employee shall be entitled to a benefit based solely on the account values attributable to the employee's contributions and any investment return thereon, and the employer contributions and any investment return thereon shall be forfeited. Any employer contributions which are forfeited shall be held in escrow by the company investing those contributions and shall be used as directed by the System for future allocations of employer contributions or for the restoration of amounts previously forfeited by former participants who again become participating employees.

(l) If a participant so requests, a distribution of funds from the self-managed plan may be paid in the form of a direct rollover to another qualified plan, to the extent allowed by federal law and in accordance with the rules of the System.

(Source: P.A. 93-347, eff. 7-24-03.)

(40 ILCS 5/16-104.1 new)

Sec. 16-104.1. Traditional benefit package. "Traditional benefit package" means the defined benefit retirement program maintained by the System, which includes retirement annuities payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections 16-132 through 16-136.4; disability benefits payable under Sections 16-149 through 16-149.5; survivor's benefits payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections 16-140 through 16-143.1; and contribution refunds, as provided in Sections 16-138, 16-143.2, and 16-151. The traditional benefit package also includes any benefits determined under Section 1-160 with respect to service performed under this Article.

(40 ILCS 5/16-104.2 new)

Sec. 16-104.2. Self-managed plan. "Self-managed plan" means the defined contribution retirement program maintained by the System, as described in Section 16-158.2. The self-managed plan also includes disability benefits, as provided in Sections 16-149 through 16-149.5 (but disregarding disability retirement annuities under Section 16-149.2). The self-managed plan does not include retirement annuities or survivor's benefits payable directly from the System as provided in Sections 16-132 through 16-136.4, Sections 16-140 through 16-143.1, and Section 16-149.2, or refunds determined under Sections 16-138, 16-143.2, and 16-151.

(40 ILCS 5/16-106) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 16-106)

Sec. 16-106. Teacher. "Teacher": The following individuals, provided that, for employment prior to July 1, 1990, they are employed on a full-time basis, or if not full-time, on a permanent and continuous basis in a position in which services are expected to be rendered for at least one school term:

(1) Any educational, administrative, professional or other staff employed in the public common schools included within this system in a position requiring certification under the law governing the certification of teachers;

(2) Any educational, administrative, professional or other staff employed in any facility of the Department of Children and Family Services or the Department of Human Services, in a position requiring certification under the law governing the certification of teachers, and any person who (i) works in such a position for the Department of Corrections, (ii) was a member of this System on May 31, 1987, and (iii) did not elect to become a member of the State Employees' Retirement System pursuant to Section 14-108.2 of this Code; except that "teacher" does not include any person who (A) becomes a security employee of the Department of Human Services, as defined in Section 14-110, after June 28, 2001 (the effective date of Public Act 92-14), or (B) becomes a member of the State Employees' Retirement System pursuant to Section 14-108.2c of this Code;

(3) Any regional superintendent of schools, assistant regional superintendent of schools, State Superintendent of Education; any person employed by the State Board of Education as an executive; any executive of the boards engaged in the service of public common school education in school districts covered under this system of which the State Superintendent of Education is an ex-officio member;

(4) Any employee of a school board association operating in compliance with Article 23 of the School Code who is certificated under the law governing the certification of teachers, provided that he or she becomes such an employee before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly;

(5) Any person employed by the retirement system who:

(i) was an employee of and a participant in the system on August 17, 2001 (the effective date of Public Act 92-416), or

(ii) becomes an employee of the system on or after August 17, 2001;

(6) Any educational, administrative, professional or other staff employed by and under the supervision and control of a regional superintendent of schools, provided such employment position requires the person to be certificated under the law governing the certification of teachers and is in an educational program serving 2 or more districts in accordance with a joint agreement authorized by the School Code or by federal legislation;

(7) Any educational, administrative, professional or other staff employed in an educational program serving 2 or more school districts in accordance with a joint agreement authorized by the School Code or by federal legislation and in a position requiring certification under the laws governing the certification of teachers;

(8) Any officer or employee of a statewide teacher organization or officer of a national teacher organization who is certified under the law governing certification of teachers, provided: (i) the individual had previously established creditable service under this Article, (ii) the individual files with the system an irrevocable election to become a member before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, (iii) the individual does not receive credit for such service under any other Article of this Code, and (iv) the individual first became an officer or employee of the teacher organization and becomes a member before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly;

(9) Any educational, administrative, professional, or other staff employed in a charter school operating in compliance with the Charter Schools Law who is certificated under the law governing the certification of teachers; .

(10) Any person employed, on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, by the Macon-Piatt Regional Office of Education in a birth-through-age-three pilot program receiving funds under Section 2-389 of the School Code who is required by the Macon-Piatt Regional Office of Education to hold a teaching certificate, provided that the Macon-Piatt Regional Office of Education makes an election, within 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, to have the person participate in the system. Any service established prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly for service as an employee of the Macon-Piatt Regional Office of Education in a birth-through-age-three pilot program receiving funds under Section 2-389 of the School Code shall be considered service as a teacher if employee and employer contributions have been received by the system and the system has not refunded those contributions.

An annuitant receiving a retirement annuity under this Article or under Article 17 of this Code who is employed by a board of education or other employer as permitted under Section 16-118 or 16-150.1 is not a "teacher" for purposes of this Article. A person who has received a single-sum retirement benefit under Section 16-136.4 of this Article is not a "teacher" for purposes of this Article.

(Source: P.A. 97-651, eff. 1-5-12; revised 8-3-12.)

(40 ILCS 5/16-106.4 new)

Sec. 16-106.4. Tier I employee. "Tier I employee": A teacher under this Article who first became a member or participant before January 1, 2011 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, or 18 of this Code.

(40 ILCS 5/16-121) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 16-121)

Sec. 16-121. Salary. "Salary": The actual compensation received by a teacher during any school year and recognized by the system in accordance with rules of the board. For purposes of this Section, "school year" includes the regular school term plus any additional period for which a teacher is compensated and such compensation is recognized by the rules of the board.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, for periods of service on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, "salary" does not include any annual remuneration for personal services in an amount that is in excess of the annual contribution and benefit base established for the previous year by the Commissioner of Social Security pursuant to Section 230 of the federal Social Security Act.

(Source: P.A. 84-1028.)

(40 ILCS 5/16-131.7 new)

Sec. 16-131.7. Suspension of the accrual of benefits under the traditional benefit package.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, the retirement annuity of a teacher who satisfies, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under Section 16-158.2, the service requirement for a retirement annuity under this Article and who retires on or after the effective date of this Section shall be calculated based on service credit accrued under this Article prior to the effective date of this Section and the teacher's annual salary on the effective date of this Section.

However, notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, a teacher who does not, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under Section 16-158.2, satisfy the service requirement for a retirement annuity under this Article shall not be entitled to a retirement annuity under this Article, but shall instead be eligible to have an initial account balance established in the self-managed plan in accordance with Section 16-158.2.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, if a teacher or any other person is eligible for a benefit in the traditional benefit package, other than a retirement annuity, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under Section 16-158.2, then he or she shall continue to be eligible for that benefit while he or she continues to meet all otherwise applicable eligibility requirements.

However, notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, if a teacher or other person is ineligible for such a benefit in the traditional benefit package, other than a retirement annuity, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under Section 16-158.2, then he or she shall remain ineligible for that benefit on and after the effective date of this Section.

(40 ILCS 5/16-132) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 16-132)

Sec. 16-132. Retirement annuity eligibility. A member who has at least 20 years of creditable service is entitled to a retirement annuity upon or after attainment of age 55. A member who has at least 10 but less than 20 years of creditable service is entitled to a retirement annuity upon or after attainment of age 60. A member who has at least 5 but less than 10 years of creditable service is entitled to a retirement annuity upon or after attainment of age 62. A member who (i) 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, (ii) has earned at least 5 years of contributing creditable service as an employee of a department as defined in Section 14-103.04, and (iii) retires on or after January 1, 2001 is entitled to a retirement annuity upon or after attainment of 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.

A member who is eligible to receive a retirement annuity of at least 74.6% of final average salary and will attain age 55 on or before December 31 during the year which commences on July 1 shall be deemed to attain age 55 on the preceding June 1.

A member meeting the above eligibility conditions is entitled to a retirement annuity upon written application to the board setting forth the date the member wishes the retirement annuity to commence. However, the effective date of the retirement annuity shall be no earlier than the day following the last day of creditable service, regardless of the date of official termination of employment.

To be eligible for a retirement annuity, a member shall not be employed as a teacher in the schools included under this System or under Article 17, except (i) as provided in Section 16-118 or 16-150.1, (ii) if the member is disabled (in which event, eligibility for salary must cease), or (iii) if the System is required by federal law to commence payment due to the member's age; the changes to this sentence made by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly apply without regard to whether the member terminated employment before or after its effective date.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, a Tier I employee shall not, regardless of the amount of accrued service credit, be entitled to a retirement annuity until he or she has attained age 62.

(Source: P.A. 93-320, eff. 7-23-03.)

(40 ILCS 5/16-133.1) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 16-133.1)

Sec. 16-133.1. Automatic annual increase in annuity.

(a) Each member with creditable service and retiring on or after August 26, 1969 is entitled to the automatic annual increases in annuity provided under this Section while receiving a retirement annuity or disability retirement annuity from the system.

An annuitant shall first be entitled to an initial increase under this Section on the January 1 next following the first anniversary of retirement, or January 1 of the year next following attainment of age 61, whichever is later. At such time, the system shall pay an initial increase determined as follows:

(1) 1.5% of the originally granted retirement annuity or disability retirement annuity multiplied by the number of years elapsed, if any, from the date of retirement until January 1, 1972, plus

(2) 2% of the originally granted annuity multiplied by the number of years elapsed, if any, from the date of retirement or January 1, 1972, whichever is later, until January 1, 1978, plus

(3) 3% of the originally granted annuity multiplied by the number of years elapsed from the date of retirement or January 1, 1978, whichever is later, until the effective date of the initial increase.

However, the initial annual increase calculated under this Section for the recipient of a disability retirement annuity granted under Section 16-149.2 shall be reduced by an amount equal to the total of all increases in that annuity received under Section 16-149.5 (but not exceeding 100% of the amount of the initial increase otherwise provided under this Section).

Following the initial increase, automatic annual increases in annuity shall be payable on each January 1 thereafter during the lifetime of the annuitant, determined as a percentage of the originally granted retirement annuity or disability retirement annuity for increases granted prior to January 1, 1990, and calculated as a percentage of the total amount of annuity, including previous increases under this Section, for increases granted on or after January 1, 1990, as follows: 1.5% for periods prior to January 1, 1972, 2% for periods after December 31, 1971 and prior to January 1, 1978, and 3% for periods after December 31, 1977.

(b) The automatic annual increases in annuity provided under this Section shall not be applicable unless a member has made contributions toward such increases for a period equivalent to one full year of creditable service. If a member contributes for service performed after August 26, 1969 but the member becomes an annuitant before such contributions amount to one full year's contributions based on the salary at the date of retirement, he or she may pay the necessary balance of the contributions to the system and be eligible for the automatic annual increases in annuity provided under this Section.

(c) Each member shall make contributions toward the cost of the automatic annual increases in annuity as provided under Section 16-152.

(d) An annuitant receiving a retirement annuity or disability retirement annuity on July 1, 1969, who subsequently re-enters service as a teacher is eligible for the automatic annual increases in annuity provided under this Section if he or she renders at least one year of creditable service following the latest re-entry.

(e) In addition to the automatic annual increases in annuity provided under this Section, an annuitant who meets the service requirements of this Section and whose retirement annuity or disability retirement annuity began on or before January 1, 1971 shall receive, on January 1, 1981, an increase in the annuity then being paid of one dollar per month for each year of creditable service. On January 1, 1982, an annuitant whose retirement annuity or disability retirement annuity began on or before January 1, 1977 shall receive an increase in the annuity then being paid of one dollar per month for each year of creditable service.

On January 1, 1987, any annuitant whose retirement annuity began on or before January 1, 1977, shall receive an increase in the monthly retirement annuity equal to 8¢ per year of creditable service times the number of years that have elapsed since the annuity began.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, except subsection (f-5) of this Section, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the monthly retirement annuity of an annuitant shall first be subject to annual increases on the January 1 occurring on or next after either the attainment of age 67 or the January 1 occurring on or next after the fifth anniversary of the annuity start date, whichever occurs earlier. If on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly an annuitant has already received an annual increase under this Section but is not eligible to receive an annual increase under this subsection, then the annual increases already received shall continue in force, but no additional annual increase shall be granted until the annuitant meets the new eligibility requirements.

(f-5) Notwithstanding subsection (f), no annual increase shall be paid under this Section in a calendar year if, on January 1 of the preceding calendar year, the total assets of the System are less than 85% of the total actuarial liabilities of the System, as annually certified by the System.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, except subsection (f-5) of this Section, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the amount of each automatic annual increase in retirement annuity occurring on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly shall be 3% or one-half of the annual unadjusted percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index-U for the 12 months ending with the preceding September, whichever is less, of the originally granted retirement annuity. 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.

(Source: P.A. 91-927, eff. 12-14-00.)

(40 ILCS 5/16-152.1) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 16-152.1)

Sec. 16-152.1. Pickup of contributions.

(a) Each employer may pick up the member contributions required under Section 16-152 for all salary earned after December 31, 1981 and before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly. If an employer decides not to pick up the member contributions, the amount that would have been picked up shall continue to be deducted from salary. If contributions are picked up, they shall be treated as employer contributions in determining tax treatment under the United States Internal Revenue Code. The employer shall pay these member contributions from the same source of funds which is used in paying salary to the member. The employer may pick up these contributions by a reduction in the cash salary of the member or by an offset against a future salary increase or by a combination of a reduction in salary and offset against a future salary increase. If member contributions are picked up, they shall be treated for all purposes of this Article 16 in the same manner as member contributions made prior to the date the pick up began.

(b) The State Board of Education shall pick up the contributions of regional superintendents required under Section 16-152 for all salary earned for the 1982 calendar year and prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly thereafter.

(c) Effective July 1, 1983 and until the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, each employer shall pick up the member contributions required under Section 16-152 for all salary earned after such date. Contributions so picked up shall be treated as employer contributions in determining tax treatment under the United States Internal Revenue Code. The employer shall pay these member contributions from the same source of funds which is used in paying salary to the member. The employer may pick up these contributions by a reduction in the cash salary of the member or by an offset against a future salary increase or by a combination of a reduction in salary and offset against a future salary increase. Member contributions so picked up shall be treated for all purposes of this Article 16 in the same manner as member contributions made prior to the date the pick up began.

(d) Subject to the requirements of federal law and the rules of the board, beginning July 1, 1998 and until the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, a member who is employed on a full-time basis may elect to have the employer pick up optional contributions that the member has elected to pay to the System, and the contributions so picked up shall be treated as employer contributions for the purposes of determining federal tax treatment. The election to have optional contributions picked up is irrevocable. At the time of making the election, the member shall execute a binding, irrevocable payroll deduction authorization. Upon receiving notice of the election, the employer shall pick up the contributions by a reduction in the cash salary of the member and shall pay the contributions from the same source of funds that is used to pay earnings to the member.

(Source: P.A. 90-448, eff. 8-16-97.)

(40 ILCS 5/16-158) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 16-158)

Sec. 16-158. Contributions by State and other employing units.

(a) The State shall make contributions to the System by means of appropriations from the Common School Fund and other State funds of amounts which, together with other employer contributions, employee contributions, investment income, and other income, will be sufficient to meet the cost of maintaining and administering the System on a 90% funded basis in accordance with actuarial recommendations.

Subject to the conditions set forth in subsection (b-4), the employers under this Article shall be responsible for paying a portion of the normal costs of the System beginning in State fiscal year 2014 and all of the normal costs of the System beginning in State fiscal year 2023.

The Board shall determine the amount of State contributions required for each fiscal year on the basis of the actuarial tables and other assumptions adopted by the Board and the recommendations of the actuary, using the formula in subsection (b-3).

(a-1) Annually, on or before November 15 until November 15, 2011, the Board shall certify to the Governor the amount of the required State contribution for the coming fiscal year. The certification under this subsection (a-1) shall include a copy of the actuarial recommendations upon which it is based and shall specifically identify the System's projected State normal cost for that fiscal year.

On or before May 1, 2004, the Board shall recalculate and recertify to the Governor the amount of the required State contribution to the System for State fiscal year 2005, taking into account the amounts appropriated to and received by the System under subsection (d) of Section 7.2 of the General Obligation Bond Act.

On or before July 1, 2005, the Board shall recalculate and recertify to the Governor the amount of the required State contribution to the System for State fiscal year 2006, taking into account the changes in required State contributions made by this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly.

On or before April 1, 2011, the Board shall recalculate and recertify to the Governor the amount of the required State contribution to the System for State fiscal year 2011, applying the changes made by Public Act 96-889 to the System's assets and liabilities as of June 30, 2009 as though Public Act 96-889 was approved on that date.

(a-5) On or before November 1 of each year, beginning November 1, 2012, the Board shall submit to the State Actuary, the Governor, and the General Assembly a proposed certification of the amount of the required State contribution to the System for the next fiscal year, along with all of the actuarial assumptions, calculations, and data upon which that proposed certification is based. On or before January 1 of each year, beginning January 1, 2013, the State Actuary shall issue a preliminary report concerning the proposed certification and identifying, if necessary, recommended changes in actuarial assumptions that the Board must consider before finalizing its certification of the required State contributions. On or before January 15, 2013 and each January 15 thereafter, the Board shall certify to the Governor and the General Assembly the amount of the required State contribution for the next fiscal year. The Board's certification must note any deviations from the State Actuary's recommended changes, the reason or reasons for not following the State Actuary's recommended changes, and the fiscal impact of not following the State Actuary's recommended changes on the required State contribution.

(b) Through State fiscal year 1995, the State contributions shall be paid to the System in accordance with Section 18-7 of the School Code.

(b-1) Beginning in State fiscal year 1996, on the 15th day of each month, or as soon thereafter as may be practicable, the Board shall submit vouchers for payment of State contributions to the System, in a total monthly amount of one-twelfth of the required annual State contribution certified under subsection (a-1). From the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly through June 30, 2004, the Board shall not submit vouchers for the remainder of fiscal year 2004 in excess of the fiscal year 2004 certified contribution amount determined under this Section after taking into consideration the transfer to the System under subsection (a) of Section 6z-61 of the State Finance Act. These vouchers shall be paid by the State Comptroller and Treasurer by warrants drawn on the funds appropriated to the System for that fiscal year.

If in any month the amount remaining unexpended from all other appropriations to the System for the applicable fiscal year (including the appropriations to the System under Section 8.12 of the State Finance Act and Section 1 of the State Pension Funds Continuing Appropriation Act) is less than the amount lawfully vouchered under this subsection, the difference shall be paid from the Common School Fund under the continuing appropriation authority provided in Section 1.1 of the State Pension Funds Continuing Appropriation Act.

(b-2) Allocations from the Common School Fund apportioned to school districts not coming under this System shall not be diminished or affected by the provisions of this Article.

(b-3) For State fiscal years 2012 through 2045, the minimum contribution to the System to be made by the State for each fiscal year shall be an amount determined by the System to be sufficient to bring the total assets of the System up to 90% of the total actuarial liabilities of the System by the end of State fiscal year 2045. In making these determinations, the required State contribution shall be calculated each year as a level percentage of payroll over the years remaining to and including fiscal year 2045 and shall be determined under the projected unit credit actuarial cost method.

For State fiscal years 1996 through 2005, the State contribution to the System, as a percentage of the applicable employee payroll, shall be increased in equal annual increments so that by State fiscal year 2011, the State is contributing at the rate required under this Section; except that in the following specified State fiscal years, the State contribution to the System shall not be less than the following indicated percentages of the applicable employee payroll, even if the indicated percentage will produce a State contribution in excess of the amount otherwise required under this subsection and subsection (a), and notwithstanding any contrary certification made under subsection (a-1) before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998: 10.02% in FY 1999; 10.77% in FY 2000; 11.47% in FY 2001; 12.16% in FY 2002; 12.86% in FY 2003; and 13.56% in FY 2004.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, the total required State contribution for State fiscal year 2006 is $534,627,700.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, the total required State contribution for State fiscal year 2007 is $738,014,500.

For each of State fiscal years 2008 through 2009, the State contribution to the System, as a percentage of the applicable employee payroll, shall be increased in equal annual increments from the required State contribution for State fiscal year 2007, so that by State fiscal year 2011, the State is contributing at the rate otherwise required under this Section.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, the total required State contribution for State fiscal year 2010 is $2,089,268,000 and shall be made from the proceeds of bonds sold in fiscal year 2010 pursuant to Section 7.2 of the General Obligation Bond Act, less (i) the pro rata share of bond sale expenses determined by the System's share of total bond proceeds, (ii) any amounts received from the Common School Fund in fiscal year 2010, and (iii) any reduction in bond proceeds due to the issuance of discounted bonds, if applicable.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, the total required State contribution for State fiscal year 2011 is the amount recertified by the System on or before April 1, 2011 pursuant to subsection (a-1) of this Section and shall be made from the proceeds of bonds sold in fiscal year 2011 pursuant to Section 7.2 of the General Obligation Bond Act, less (i) the pro rata share of bond sale expenses determined by the System's share of total bond proceeds, (ii) any amounts received from the Common School Fund in fiscal year 2011, and (iii) any reduction in bond proceeds due to the issuance of discounted bonds, if applicable. This amount shall include, in addition to the amount certified by the System, an amount necessary to meet employer contributions required by the State as an employer under paragraph (e) of this Section, which may also be used by the System for contributions required by paragraph (a) of Section 16-127.

Beginning in State fiscal year 2046, the minimum State contribution for each fiscal year shall be the amount needed to maintain the total assets of the System at 90% of the total actuarial liabilities of the System.

Amounts received by the System pursuant to Section 25 of the Budget Stabilization Act or Section 8.12 of the State Finance Act in any fiscal year do not reduce and do not constitute payment of any portion of the minimum State contribution required under this Article in that fiscal year. Such amounts shall not reduce, and shall not be included in the calculation of, the required State contributions under this Article in any future year until the System has reached a funding ratio of at least 90%. A reference in this Article to the "required State contribution" or any substantially similar term does not include or apply to any amounts payable to the System under Section 25 of the Budget Stabilization Act.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, the required State contribution for State fiscal year 2005 and for fiscal year 2008 and each fiscal year thereafter, as calculated under this Section and certified under subsection (a-1), shall not exceed an amount equal to (i) the amount of the required State contribution that would have been calculated under this Section for that fiscal year if the System had not received any payments under subsection (d) of Section 7.2 of the General Obligation Bond Act, minus (ii) the portion of the State's total debt service payments for that fiscal year on the bonds issued in fiscal year 2003 for the purposes of that Section 7.2, as determined and certified by the Comptroller, that is the same as the System's portion of the total moneys distributed under subsection (d) of Section 7.2 of the General Obligation Bond Act. In determining this maximum for State fiscal years 2008 through 2010, however, the amount referred to in item (i) shall be increased, as a percentage of the applicable employee payroll, in equal increments calculated from the sum of the required State contribution for State fiscal year 2007 plus the applicable portion of the State's total debt service payments for fiscal year 2007 on the bonds issued in fiscal year 2003 for the purposes of Section 7.2 of the General Obligation Bond Act, so that, by State fiscal year 2011, the State is contributing at the rate otherwise required under this Section.

(b-4) Beginning in State fiscal year 2014, the minimum required contribution of employers under this Article shall be the following percentages of payroll, but only if, for the specified State fiscal year, the State provides full funding at the State fiscal year 2010 level for the mandates set forth in the School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act and Article 14 and Sections 18-3, 18-4.3, and 29-5 of the School Code:

(i) for State fiscal year 2014, 0.5% of the- employer's payroll for that fiscal year;

(ii) for State fiscal year 2015, 1.0% of the employer's payroll for that fiscal year; and

(iii) for State fiscal year 2016, 2.0% of the employer's payroll for that fiscal year;

(iv) for State fiscal year 2017, 3.0% of the employer's payroll for that fiscal year;

(v) for State fiscal year 2018, 4.0% of the employer's payroll for that fiscal year;

(vi) for State fiscal year 2019, 5.0% of the employer's payroll for that fiscal year;

(vii) for State fiscal year 2020, 6.0% of the employer's payroll for that fiscal year;

(viii) for State fiscal year 2021, 7.0% of the employer's payroll for that fiscal year;

(ix) for State fiscal year 2022, 8.0% of the employer's payroll for that fiscal year; and

(x) for State fiscal year 2023 and each State fiscal year thereafter, 9.0% of the employer's payroll for that fiscal year.

If the State does not provide, for a State fiscal year, full funding at the State fiscal year 2010 level for the mandates set forth in the School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act and Article 14 and Sections 18-3, 18-4.3, and 29-5 of the School Code, then the employers shall not be required to make a contribution under this subsection (b-4) for that State fiscal year.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection (b-4), the minimum required contribution under this Section for a fiscal year shall not exceed the System's normal costs for that year.

Whenever it determines that a payment is or may be required under this subsection (b-4), the System shall calculate the amount of the payment and bill the employer for that amount. The bill shall specify the calculations used to determine the amount due. If the employer disputes the amount of the bill, it may, within 30 days after receipt of the bill, apply to the System in writing for a recalculation. The application must specify in detail the grounds of the dispute. Upon receiving a timely application for recalculation, the System shall review the application and, if appropriate, recalculate the amount due.

The employer contributions required under this subsection (b-4) may be paid in the form of a lump sum within 90 days after receipt of the bill. If the employer contributions are not paid within 90 days after receipt of the bill, then interest will be charged at a rate equal to the System's annual actuarially assumed rate of return on investment compounded annually from the 91st day after receipt of the bill. Payments must be concluded within 3 years after the employer's receipt of the bill.

The purpose of this subsection (b-4), as well as the school-mandate-related provisions of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, is to shift certain pension-related costs to employers while lessening the effects of unfunded State mandates in order to ensure the financial stability of affected employers.

(c) Payment of the required State contributions and of all pensions, retirement annuities, death benefits, refunds, and other benefits granted under or assumed by this System, and all expenses in connection with the administration and operation thereof, are obligations of the State.

If members are paid from special trust or federal funds which are administered by the employing unit, whether school district or other unit, the employing unit shall pay to the System from such funds the full accruing retirement costs based upon that service, as determined by the System. Employer contributions, based on salary paid to members from federal funds, may be forwarded by the distributing agency of the State of Illinois to the System prior to allocation, in an amount determined in accordance with guidelines established by such agency and the System.

(d) Effective July 1, 1986, any employer of a teacher as defined in paragraph (8) of Section 16-106 shall pay the employer's normal cost of benefits based upon the teacher's service, in addition to employee contributions, as determined by the System. Such employer contributions shall be forwarded monthly in accordance with guidelines established by the System.

However, with respect to benefits granted under Section 16-133.4 or 16-133.5 to a teacher as defined in paragraph (8) of Section 16-106, the employer's contribution shall be 12% (rather than 20%) of the member's highest annual salary rate for each year of creditable service granted, and the employer shall also pay the required employee contribution on behalf of the teacher. For the purposes of Sections 16-133.4 and 16-133.5, a teacher as defined in paragraph (8) of Section 16-106 who is serving in that capacity while on leave of absence from another employer under this Article shall not be considered an employee of the employer from which the teacher is on leave.

(e) Beginning July 1, 1998, every employer of a teacher shall pay to the System an employer contribution computed as follows:

(1) Beginning July 1, 1998 through June 30, 1999, the employer contribution shall be equal to 0.3% of each teacher's salary.

(2) Beginning July 1, 1999 and thereafter, the employer contribution shall be equal to 0.58% of each teacher's salary.

The school district or other employing unit may pay these employer contributions out of any source of funding available for that purpose and shall forward the contributions to the System on the schedule established for the payment of member contributions.

These employer contributions are intended to offset a portion of the cost to the System of the increases in retirement benefits resulting from this amendatory Act of 1998.

Each employer of teachers is entitled to a credit against the contributions required under this subsection (e) with respect to salaries paid to teachers for the period January 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003, equal to the amount paid by that employer under subsection (a-5) of Section 6.6 of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 with respect to salaries paid to teachers for that period.

The additional 1% employee contribution required under Section 16-152 by this amendatory Act of 1998 is the responsibility of the teacher and not the teacher's employer, unless the employer agrees, through collective bargaining or otherwise, to make the contribution on behalf of the teacher.

If an employer is required by a contract in effect on May 1, 1998 between the employer and an employee organization to pay, on behalf of all its full-time employees covered by this Article, all mandatory employee contributions required under this Article, then the employer shall be excused from paying the employer contribution required under this subsection (e) for the balance of the term of that contract. The employer and the employee organization shall jointly certify to the System the existence of the contractual requirement, in such form as the System may prescribe. This exclusion shall cease upon the termination, extension, or renewal of the contract at any time after May 1, 1998.

(f) If the amount of a teacher's salary for any school year used to determine final average salary exceeds the member's annual full-time salary rate with the same employer for the previous school year by more than 6%, the teacher's employer shall pay to the System, in addition to all other payments required under this Section and in accordance with guidelines established by the System, the present value of the increase in benefits resulting from the portion of the increase in salary that is in excess of 6%. This present value shall be computed by the System on the basis of the actuarial assumptions and tables used in the most recent actuarial valuation of the System that is available at the time of the computation. If a teacher's salary for the 2005-2006 school year is used to determine final average salary under this subsection (f), then the changes made to this subsection (f) by Public Act 94-1057 shall apply in calculating whether the increase in his or her salary is in excess of 6%. For the purposes of this Section, change in employment under Section 10-21.12 of the School Code on or after June 1, 2005 shall constitute a change in employer. The System may require the employer to provide any pertinent information or documentation. The changes made to this subsection (f) by this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly apply without regard to whether the teacher was in service on or after its effective date.

Whenever it determines that a payment is or may be required under this subsection, the System shall calculate the amount of the payment and bill the employer for that amount. The bill shall specify the calculations used to determine the amount due. If the employer disputes the amount of the bill, it may, within 30 days after receipt of the bill, apply to the System in writing for a recalculation. The application must specify in detail the grounds of the dispute and, if the employer asserts that the calculation is subject to subsection (g) or (h) of this Section, must include an affidavit setting forth and attesting to all facts within the employer's knowledge that are pertinent to the applicability of that subsection. Upon receiving a timely application for recalculation, the System shall review the application and, if appropriate, recalculate the amount due.

The employer contributions required under this subsection (f) may be paid in the form of a lump sum within 90 days after receipt of the bill. If the employer contributions are not paid within 90 days after receipt of the bill, then interest will be charged at a rate equal to the System's annual actuarially assumed rate of return on investment compounded annually from the 91st day after receipt of the bill. Payments must be concluded within 3 years after the employer's receipt of the bill.

(g) This subsection (g) applies only to payments made or salary increases given on or after June 1, 2005 but before July 1, 2011. The changes made by Public Act 94-1057 shall not require the System to refund any payments received before July 31, 2006 (the effective date of Public Act 94-1057).

When assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (f), the System shall exclude salary increases paid to teachers under contracts or collective bargaining agreements entered into, amended, or renewed before June 1, 2005.

When assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (f), the System shall exclude salary increases paid to a teacher at a time when the teacher is 10 or more years from retirement eligibility under Section 16-132 or 16-133.2.

When assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (f), the System shall exclude salary increases resulting from overload work, including summer school, when the school district has certified to the System, and the System has approved the certification, that (i) the overload work is for the sole purpose of classroom instruction in excess of the standard number of classes for a full-time teacher in a school district during a school year and (ii) the salary increases are equal to or less than the rate of pay for classroom instruction computed on the teacher's current salary and work schedule.

When assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (f), the System shall exclude a salary increase resulting from a promotion (i) for which the employee is required to hold a certificate or supervisory endorsement issued by the State Teacher Certification Board that is a different certification or supervisory endorsement than is required for the teacher's previous position and (ii) to a position that has existed and been filled by a member for no less than one complete academic year and the salary increase from the promotion is an increase that results in an amount no greater than the lesser of the average salary paid for other similar positions in the district requiring the same certification or the amount stipulated in the collective bargaining agreement for a similar position requiring the same certification.

When assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (f), the System shall exclude any payment to the teacher from the State of Illinois or the State Board of Education over which the employer does not have discretion, notwithstanding that the payment is included in the computation of final average salary.

(h) When assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (f), the System shall exclude any salary increase described in subsection (g) of this Section given on or after July 1, 2011 but before July 1, 2014 under a contract or collective bargaining agreement entered into, amended, or renewed on or after June 1, 2005 but before July 1, 2011. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, any payments made or salary increases given after June 30, 2014 shall be used in assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (f) of this Section.

(i) The System shall prepare a report and file copies of the report with the Governor and the General Assembly by January 1, 2007 that contains all of the following information:

(1) The number of recalculations required by the changes made to this Section by Public Act 94-1057 for each employer.

(2) The dollar amount by which each employer's contribution to the System was changed due to recalculations required by Public Act 94-1057.

(3) The total amount the System received from each employer as a result of the changes made to this Section by Public Act 94-4.

(4) The increase in the required State contribution resulting from the changes made to this Section by Public Act 94-1057.

(j) For purposes of determining the required State contribution to the System, the value of the System's assets shall be equal to the actuarial value of the System's assets, which shall be calculated as follows:

As of June 30, 2008, the actuarial value of the System's assets shall be equal to the market value of the assets as of that date. In determining the actuarial value of the System's assets for fiscal years after June 30, 2008, any actuarial gains or losses from investment return incurred in a fiscal year shall be recognized in equal annual amounts over the 5-year period following that fiscal year.

(k) For purposes of determining the required State contribution to the system for a particular year, the actuarial value of assets shall be assumed to earn a rate of return equal to the system's actuarially assumed rate of return.

(Source: P.A. 96-43, eff. 7-15-09; 96-1497, eff. 1-14-11; 96-1511, eff. 1-27-11; 96-1554, eff. 3-18-11; 97-694, eff. 6-18-12; 97-813, eff. 7-13-12.)

(40 ILCS 5/16-158.2 new)

Sec. 16-158.2. Self-managed plan.

(a) The General Assembly finds that it is important for schools to be able to attract and retain the most qualified employees and that in order to attract and retain these employees, schools should have the flexibility to provide a defined contribution (self-managed) plan for eligible members. Accordingly, the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois is hereby required, within 6 months after the effective date of this Section, to establish and administer a self-managed plan, which shall offer participating members the opportunity to accumulate assets for retirement through a combination of member and employer contributions that may be invested in mutual funds, collective investment funds, or other investment products and used to purchase annuity contracts, either fixed or variable or a combination of fixed and variable. The plan must be qualified under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

(b) Each employer subject to this Article shall adopt the self-managed plan established under this Section.

The Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois shall be the plan sponsor for the self-managed plan and shall prepare a plan document and adopt any rules and procedures as are considered necessary or desirable for the administration of the self-managed plan. Consistent with its fiduciary duty to the participants and beneficiaries of the self-managed plan, the Board of Trustees of the System may delegate aspects of plan administration as it sees fit to companies authorized to do business in this State, to the employers, or to a combination of both.

(c) Selection of service providers and funding vehicles. The System shall solicit proposals to provide administrative services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan from insurance and annuity companies and mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, or other financial institutions authorized to do business in this State. In reviewing the proposals received and approving and contracting with no fewer than 2 and no more than 7 companies, the Board of Trustees of the System shall consider, among other things, the following criteria:

(1) the nature and extent of the benefits that would be provided to the participants;

(2) the reasonableness of the benefits in relation to the premium charged;

(3) the suitability of the benefits to the needs and interests of the participating members and employers;

(4) the ability of the company to provide benefits under the contract and the financial stability of the company; and

(5) the efficacy of the contract in the recruitment and retention of employees.

The System shall periodically review each approved company. A company may continue to provide administrative services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan only so long as it continues to be an approved company under contract with the Board.

In addition to the companies approved by the System under this subsection (c), the System may offer its participants an investment fund managed by the System.

(d) Participants in the program must be allowed to direct the transfer of their account balances among the various investment options offered, subject to applicable contractual provisions. The participant shall not be deemed a fiduciary by reason of providing such investment direction. A person who is a fiduciary shall not be liable for any loss resulting from such investment direction and shall not be deemed to have breached any fiduciary duty by acting in accordance with that direction. Neither the System nor the employer guarantees any of the investments in the participant's account balances.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, beginning on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under this Section, each member in the System shall participate in the self-managed plan with respect to service under this Article on and after that date, and the ability of a member in the System to accrue, on and after that date, additional benefits under the traditional benefit package is terminated.

A participant in the self-managed plan under this Section must continue participation while he or she remains a member, and may not participate in the traditional benefit package while employed by that employer or any other employer under this Article.

Participation in the self-managed plan under this Section shall constitute membership in the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois.

A participant under this Section shall be entitled to the benefits of Article 20 of this Code.

(f) If a member has rights and credits in the System due to previous participation in the traditional benefit package but those credits are insufficient, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under this Section, to satisfy the service requirement for a retirement annuity under this Article, then the System shall establish for the member an opening account balance in the self-managed plan, equal to (i) the amount of the contribution refund that the member would be eligible to receive under Sections 16-143.2 and 16-151 if the employee terminated employment on that date and elected a refund of contributions, plus (ii) an amount equal to the regular employer contribution that would be required to fund the actual regular cost incurred for each year of service credit earned, provided that the total opening account balance does not exceed 7.6% of that participant's salary for that year, plus interest. The interest used in this subsection (f) is calculated as the average annual rate of return that the System has earned over the past 20 fiscal years and is compounded. The System shall transfer assets from the traditional benefit package to the self-managed plan, as a tax-free transfer in accordance with Internal Revenue Service guidelines, for purposes of funding the member's opening account balance.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, a member may not purchase or receive service or service credit applicable to the traditional benefit package under this Article for any period during which the member was a participant in the self-managed plan established under this Section.

(h) The self-managed plan shall be funded by contributions from participants in the self-managed plan and employer contributions as provided in this Section.

The annual required contribution for employees participating in the self-managed plan shall be an amount equal to 6% of the employee's salary. This required contribution shall be made as an employer pick-up under Section 414(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any successor Section thereof. Participants may make additional contributions to the self-managed plan in accordance with procedures prescribed by the System, to the extent permitted under rules adopted by the System.

The program shall provide for annual State contributions to be credited to the account of each employee who participates in the self-managed plan in an amount equal to 6% of the employee's compensation.

The System shall not be obligated to remit the required employer contributions to any of the insurance and annuity companies, mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, financial institutions, or other sponsors of any of the funding vehicles offered under the self-managed plan until it has received the required employer contributions from the State. In the event of a deficiency in the amount of State contributions, the System shall implement those procedures described in subsection (b-1) of Section 16-158 to obtain the required funding from the Common School Fund.

(i) A participant in the self-managed plan becomes vested in the employer contributions credited to his or her accounts in the self-managed plan on the earliest to occur of the following: (1) attainment of at least 5 years of creditable service under this Article; (2) the death of the participating member while employed under this Article, if the participant has completed at least 1.5 years of service; or (3) the participant's election to retire and apply the reciprocal provisions of Article 20 of this Code.

A participant in the self-managed plan who receives a distribution of his or her vested amounts from the self-managed plan while not yet eligible for retirement under this Article (and Article 20, if applicable) shall forfeit all service credit and accrued rights in the System; if subsequently re-employed under this Article, the participant shall be considered a new member. If a former participant in the self-managed plan again becomes a member (or becomes employed by a participating system under Article 20 of this Code) and continues as such for at least 2 years, all such rights, service credits, and previous status as a participant shall be restored upon repayment of the amount of the distribution, without interest.

(j) If a member participating in the self-managed plan who is vested in employer contributions terminates employment, the member shall be entitled to a benefit that is based on the account values attributable to both employer and member contributions and any investment return thereon.

If a member participating in the self-managed plan who is not vested in employer contributions terminates employment, the member shall be entitled to a benefit based solely on the account values attributable to the member's contributions and any investment return thereon, and the employer contributions and any investment return thereon shall be forfeited. Any employer contributions that are forfeited shall be held in escrow by the company investing those contributions and shall be used, as directed by the System, for future allocations of employer contributions or for the restoration of amounts previously forfeited by former participants who again become participants in the self-managed plan.

(k) If a participant so requests, a distribution of funds from the self-managed plan may be paid in the form of a direct rollover to another qualified plan, to the extent allowed by federal law and in accordance with the rules of the System.

(40 ILCS 5/18-105.1 new)

Sec. 18-105.1. Traditional benefit package. "Traditional benefit package" means the defined benefit retirement program maintained by the System, which includes retirement annuities payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections 18-124 through 18-125.1; disability retirement annuities payable under Sections 18-126 and 18-126.1; survivor's annuities payable directly from the System, as provided in Section 18-123 and Sections 18-128 through 18-128.1 and Section 18-128.3; and contribution refunds as provided in Section 18-129.

(40 ILCS 5/18-105.2 new)

Sec. 18-105.2. Self-managed plan. "Self-managed plan" means the defined contribution retirement program maintained by the System, as described in Section 18-133.2. The self-managed plan also includes disability benefits, as provided in Section 18-126.1. The self-managed plan does not include retirement annuities or survivor's annuities payable directly from the System, as provided in Section 18-123, Sections 18-124 through 18-126, Sections 18-128 through 18-128.1, and Section 18-128.3 or refunds determined under Section 18-129.

(40 ILCS 5/18-108.1 new)

Sec. 18-108.1. Tier I employee. "Tier I employee": A participant who first became a participant before January 1, 2011.

(40 ILCS 5/18-111) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 18-111)

Sec. 18-111. Salary. "Salary": The total compensation paid for personal services as a judge, by the State, or by the State and a county as authorized by law. However, in the event that federal law results in any judge receiving imputed income based on the value of group term life insurance provided by the State, such imputed income shall not be included in salary for the purposes of this Article.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, for periods of service on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, "salary" does not include any annual remuneration for personal services in an amount that is in excess of the annual contribution and benefit base established for the previous year by the Commissioner of Social Security pursuant to Section 230 of the federal Social Security Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-273.)

(40 ILCS 5/18-123.3 new)

Sec. 18-123.3. Suspension of the accrual of benefits under the traditional benefit package.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, the retirement annuity of a judge who satisfies, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under Section 18-133.2, the service requirement for a retirement annuity under this Article and who retires on or after the effective date of this Section shall be calculated based on service credit accrued under this Article prior to the effective date of this Section and the judge's annual salary on the effective date of this Section.

However, notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, a judge who does not, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under Section 18-133.2, satisfy the service requirement for a retirement annuity under this Article shall not be entitled to a retirement annuity under this Article, but shall instead be eligible to have an initial account balance established in the self-managed plan in accordance with Section 18-133.2.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, if a judge or any other person is eligible for a benefit in the traditional benefit package, other than a retirement annuity, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under Section 18-133.2, then he or she shall continue to be eligible for that benefit while he or she continues to meet all otherwise applicable eligibility requirements.

However, notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, if a judge or other person is ineligible for a benefit in the traditional benefit package, other than a retirement annuity, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under Section 18-133.2, then he or she shall remain ineligible for that benefit on and after the effective date of this Section.

(40 ILCS 5/18-124) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 18-124)

Sec. 18-124. Retirement annuities - conditions for eligibility.

(a) This subsection (a) applies to a participant who first serves as a judge before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.

A participant whose employment as a judge is terminated, regardless of age or cause is entitled to a retirement annuity beginning on the date specified in a written application subject to the following:

(1) the date the annuity begins is subsequent to the date of final termination of employment, or the date 30 days prior to the receipt of the application by the board for annuities based on disability, or one year before the receipt of the application by the board for annuities based on attained age;

(2) the participant is at least age 55, or has become permanently disabled and as a consequence is unable to perform the duties of his or her office;

(3) the participant has at least 10 years of service credit except that a participant terminating service after June 30 1975, with at least 6 years of service credit, shall be entitled to a retirement annuity at age 62 or over;

(4) the participant is not receiving or entitled to receive, at the date of retirement, any salary from an employer for service currently performed.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, a Tier I employee shall not, regardless of the amount of accrued service credit, be entitled to a retirement annuity until he or she has attained age 62.

(b) This subsection (b) applies to a participant who first serves as a judge on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.

A participant who has at least 8 years of creditable service is entitled to a retirement annuity when he or she has attained age 67.

A member who has attained age 62 and has at least 8 years of service credit may elect to receive the lower retirement annuity provided in subsection (d) of Section 18-125 of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 96-889, eff. 1-1-11.)

(40 ILCS 5/18-125.1) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 18-125.1)

Sec. 18-125.1. Automatic increase in retirement annuity.

(a) A participant who retires from service after June 30, 1969, shall, in January of the year next following the year in which the first anniversary of retirement occurs, and in January of each year thereafter, have the amount of his or her originally granted retirement annuity increased as follows: for each year up to and including 1971, 1 1/2%; for each year from 1972 through 1979 inclusive, 2%; and for 1980 and each year thereafter, 3%.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, except subsections (f), (f-5), and (g) of this Section, a retirement annuity for a participant who first serves as a judge on or after January 1, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act 96-889) shall be increased in January of the year next following the year in which the first anniversary of retirement occurs, but in no event prior to age 67, and in January of each year thereafter, by an amount equal to 3% or the annual percentage increase in the consumer price index-u as determined by the Public Pension Division of the Department of Insurance under subsection (b-5) of Section 18-125, whichever is less, of the retirement annuity then being paid.

(c) This Section is not applicable to a participant who retires before he or she has made contributions at the rate prescribed in Section 18-133 for automatic increases for not less than the equivalent of one full year, unless such a participant arranges to pay the system the amount required to bring the total contributions for the automatic increase to the equivalent of one year's contribution based upon his or her last year's salary.

This Section is applicable to all participants in service after June 30, 1969 unless a participant has elected, prior to September 1, 1969, in a written direction filed with the board not to be subject to the provisions of this Section. Any participant in service on or after July 1, 1992 shall have the option of electing prior to April 1, 1993, in a written direction filed with the board, to be covered by the provisions of the 1969 amendatory Act. Such participant shall be required to make the aforesaid additional contributions with compound interest at 4% per annum.

(d) Any participant who has become eligible to receive the maximum rate of annuity and who resumes service as a judge after receiving a retirement annuity under this Article shall have the amount of his or her retirement annuity increased by 3% of the originally granted annuity amount for each year of such resumed service, beginning in January of the year next following the date of such resumed service, upon subsequent termination of such resumed service.

(e) Beginning January 1, 1990, all automatic annual increases payable under this Section shall be calculated as a percentage of the total annuity payable at the time of the increase, including previous increases granted under this Article.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, except subsection (f-5) of this Section, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the monthly retirement annuity of an annuitant shall first be subject to annual increases on the January 1 occurring on or next after either the attainment of age 67 or the January 1 occurring on or next after the fifth anniversary of the annuity start date, whichever occurs earlier. If on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly an annuitant has already received an annual increase under this Section but is not eligible to receive an annual increase under this subsection, then the annual increases already received shall continue in force, but no additional annual increase shall be granted until the annuitant meets the new eligibility requirements.

(f-5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, no annual increase shall be paid under this Section in a calendar year if, on January 1 of the preceding calendar year, the total assets of the System are less than 85% of the total actuarial liabilities of the System, as annually certified by the System.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, except subsection (f-5) of this Section, beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, the amount of each automatic annual increase in retirement annuity occurring on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly shall be 3% or one-half of the annual unadjusted percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index-U for the 12 months ending with the preceding September, whichever is less, of the originally granted retirement annuity. 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.

(Source: P.A. 96-889, eff. 1-1-11; 96-1490, eff. 1-1-11.)

(40 ILCS 5/18-133.2 new)

Sec. 18-133.2. Self-managed plan.

(a) The General Assembly finds that it is important to be able to attract and retain the most qualified judges and that in order to attract and retain these judges, the System should have the flexibility to provide a defined contribution (self-managed) plan for eligible participants. Accordingly, the Judges Retirement System of Illinois is hereby required, within 6 months after the effective date of this Section, to establish and administer a self-managed plan, which shall offer participants the opportunity to accumulate assets for retirement through a combination of participant and employer contributions that may be invested in mutual funds, collective investment funds, or other investment products and used to purchase annuity contracts, either fixed or variable or a combination thereof. The plan must be qualified under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

(b) The Board shall adopt the self-managed plan established under this Section.

The Judges Retirement System of Illinois shall be the plan sponsor for the self-managed plan and shall prepare a plan document and prescribe such rules and procedures as are considered necessary or desirable for the administration of the self-managed plan. Consistent with its fiduciary duty to the participants and beneficiaries of the self-managed plan, the Board of Trustees of the System may delegate aspects of plan administration as it sees fit to companies authorized to do business in this State.

(c) The System shall solicit proposals to provide administrative services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan from insurance and annuity companies and mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, or other financial institutions authorized to do business in this State. In reviewing the proposals received and approving and contracting with no fewer than 2 and no more than 7 companies, the Board of Trustees of the System shall consider, among other things, the following criteria:

(1) the nature and extent of the benefits that would be provided to the participants;

(2) the reasonableness of the benefits in relation to the premium charged;

(3) the suitability of the benefits to the needs and interests of the participants and the employer;

(4) the ability of the company to provide benefits under the contract and the financial stability of the company; and

(5) the efficacy of the contract in the recruitment and retention of judges.

The System shall periodically review each approved company. A company may continue to provide administrative services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan only so long as it continues to be an approved company under contract with the Board.

In addition to the companies approved by the System under this subsection (c), the System may offer its participants an investment fund managed by the System.

(d) Participants who are under the self-managed plan must be allowed to direct the transfer of their account balances among the various investment options offered, subject to applicable contractual provisions. The participant shall not be deemed a fiduciary by reason of providing such investment direction. A person who is a fiduciary shall not be liable for any loss resulting from such investment direction and shall not be deemed to have breached any fiduciary duty by acting in accordance with that direction. Neither the System nor the State guarantees any of the investments in the participant's account balances.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, beginning on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under this Section, each participant in the System shall participate in the self-managed plan with respect to service under this Article on and after that date, and the ability of a participant in the System to accrue, on and after that date, additional benefits under the traditional benefit package is terminated.

A participant who participates in the self-managed plan under this Section must continue participation while employed as a judge, and may not participate in the traditional benefit package administered by the System under this Article while employed as a judge.

Participation in the self-managed plan under this Section shall constitute membership in the Judges Retirement System of Illinois.

A participant under this Section shall be entitled to the benefits of Article 20 of this Code.

(f) If a participant has rights and credits in the System due to previous participation in the traditional benefit package but those credits are insufficient, on the effective date of the self-managed plan established under this Section, to satisfy the service requirement for a retirement annuity under this Article, then the System shall establish for the member an opening account balance in the self-managed plan, equal to (i) the amount of the contribution refund that the member would be eligible to receive under Section 18-129 if the employee terminated employment on that date and elected a refund of contributions, plus (ii) an amount equal to the regular employer contribution that would be required to fund the actual regular cost incurred for each year of service credit earned, provided that the total opening account balance does not exceed 7.6% of that participant's salary for that year, plus interest. The interest used in this subsection (f) is calculated as the average annual rate of return that the System has earned over the past 20 fiscal years and is compounded. The System shall transfer assets from the traditional benefit package to the self-managed plan, as a tax-free transfer in accordance with Internal Revenue Service guidelines, for purposes of funding the member's opening account balance.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, a participant may not purchase or receive service or service credit applicable to the traditional benefit package under this Article for any period during which the participant was covered under the self-managed plan established under this Section.

(h) The self-managed plan shall be funded by contributions from participants in the self-managed plan and employer contributions as provided in this Section.

The annual required contribution for employees participating in the self-managed plan shall be an amount equal to 6% of the employee's salary. This required contribution shall be made as an employer pick-up under Section 414(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any successor Section thereof. Participants may make additional contributions to the self-managed plan in accordance with procedures prescribed by the System, to the extent permitted under rules adopted by the System.

The program shall provide for annual State contributions to be credited to the account of each employee who participates in the self-managed plan in an amount equal to 6% of the employee's compensation.

The System shall not be obligated to remit the required employer contributions to any of the insurance and annuity companies, mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, financial institutions, or other sponsors of any of the funding vehicles offered under the self-managed plan until it has received the required employer contributions from the State. In the event of a deficiency in the amount of State contributions, the System shall implement those procedures described in subsection (b-1) of Section 16-158 to obtain the required funding from the Common School Fund.

(i) A participant in the self-managed plan becomes vested in the employer contributions credited to his or her accounts in the self-managed plan on the earliest to occur of the following: (1) attainment of 5 years of service credit; (2) the death of the participant while employed as a judge, if the participant has completed at least 1.5 years of service; or (3) the participant's election to retire and apply the reciprocal provisions of Article 20 of this Code.

A participant in the self-managed plan who receives a distribution of his or her vested amounts from the self-managed plan while not yet eligible for retirement under this Article (and Article 20, if applicable) shall forfeit all service credit and accrued rights in the System; if subsequently re-employed as a judge, the participant shall be considered a new employee. If a former participant again becomes a participating employee (or becomes employed by a participating system under Article 20 of this Code) and continues as such for at least 2 years, all such rights, service credits, and previous status as a participant shall be restored upon repayment of the amount of the distribution, without interest.

(j) If a participant who is vested in employer contributions terminates employment, the participant shall be entitled to a benefit which is based on the account values attributable to both employer and participant contributions and any investment return thereon.

If a participant who is not vested in employer contributions terminates employment, the participant shall be entitled to a benefit based solely on the account values attributable to the participant's contributions and any investment return thereon, and the employer contributions and any investment return thereon shall be forfeited. Any employer contributions which are forfeited shall be held in escrow by the company investing those contributions and shall be used, as directed by the System, for future allocations of employer contributions or for the restoration of amounts previously forfeited by former participants who again become participating employees.

(k) If a participant so requests, a distribution of funds from the self-managed plan may be paid in the form of a direct rollover to another qualified plan, to the extent allowed by federal law and in accordance with the rules of the System.

Section 15. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 2-3.11, 10-22.34c, 14-2, and 22-60 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.11) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.11)

Sec. 2-3.11. Report to Governor and General Assembly. To report to the Governor and General Assembly annually on or before January 14 the condition of the schools of the State using the most recently available data.

Such annual report shall contain reports of the State Teacher Certification Board; the schools of the State charitable institutions; reports on driver education, special education, and transportation; and for such year the annual statistical reports of the State Board of Education, including the number and kinds of school districts; number of school attendance centers; number of men and women teachers; enrollment by grades; total enrollment; total days attendance; total days absence; average daily attendance; number of elementary and secondary school graduates; assessed valuation; tax levies and tax rates for various purposes; amount of teachers' orders, anticipation warrants, and bonds outstanding; and number of men and women teachers and total enrollment of private schools. The report shall give for all school districts receipts from all sources and expenditures for all purposes for each fund; the total operating expense, the per capita cost, and instructional expenditures; federal and state aids and reimbursements; new school buildings, and recognized schools; together with such other information and suggestions as the State Board of Education may deem important in relation to the schools and school laws and the means of promoting education throughout the state.

In this Section, "instructional expenditures" means the annual expenditures of school districts properly attributable to expenditure functions defined in rules of the State Board of Education as: 1100 (Regular Education); 1200-1220 (Special Education); 1250 (Ed. Deprived/Remedial); 1400 (Vocational Programs); 1600 (Summer School); 1650 (Gifted); 1800 (Bilingual Programs); 1900 (Truant Alternative); 2110 (Attendance and Social Work Services); 2120 (Guidance Services); 2130 (Health Services); 2140 (Psychological Services); 2150 (Speech Pathology and Audiology Services); 2190 (Other Support Services Pupils); 2210 (Improvement of Instruction); 2220 (Educational Media Services); 2230 (Assessment and Testing); 2540 (Operation and Maintenance of Plant Services); 2550 (Pupil Transportation Service); 2560 (Food Service); 4110 (Payments for Regular Programs); 4120 (Payments for Special Education Programs); 4130 (Payments for Adult Education Programs); 4140 (Payments for Vocational Education Programs); 4170 (Payments for Community College Programs); 4190 (Other payments to in-state government units); and 4200 (Other payments to out of state government units).

(Source: P.A. 95-793, eff. 1-1-09; 96-734, eff. 8-25-09.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-22.34c)

Sec. 10-22.34c. Third party non-instructional services. Notwithstanding any other law of this State, nothing in this Code prevents a (a) A board of education from entering may enter into a contract with a third party for non-instructional services currently performed by any employee or bargaining unit member or from laying lay off those educational support personnel employees upon 30 90 days written notice to the affected employees. , provided that:

(1) a contract must not be entered into and become effective during the term of a collective bargaining agreement, as that term is set forth in the agreement, covering any employees who perform the non-instructional services;

(2) a contract may only take effect upon the expiration of an existing collective bargaining agreement;

(3) any third party that submits a bid to perform the non-instructional services shall provide the following:

(A) evidence of liability insurance in scope and amount equivalent to the liability insurance provided by the school board pursuant to Section 10-22.3 of this Code;

(B) a benefits package for the third party's employees who will perform the non-instructional services comparable to the benefits package provided to school board employees who perform those services;

(C) a list of the number of employees who will provide the non-instructional services, the job classifications of those employees, and the wages the third party will pay those employees;

(D) a minimum 3-year cost projection, using generally accepted accounting principles and which the third party is prohibited from increasing if the bid is accepted by the school board, for each and every expenditure category and account for performing the non-instructional services;

(E) composite information about the criminal and disciplinary records, including alcohol or other substance abuse, Department of Children and Family Services complaints and investigations, traffic violations, and license revocations or any other licensure problems, of any employees who may perform the non-instructional services, provided that the individual names and other identifying information of employees need not be provided with the submission of the bid, but must be made available upon request of the school board; and

(F) an affidavit, notarized by the president or chief executive officer of the third party, that each of its employees has completed a criminal background check as required by Section 10-21.9 of this Code within 3 months prior to submission of the bid, provided that the results of such background checks need not be provided with the submission of the bid, but must be made available upon request of the school board;

(4) a contract must not be entered into unless the school board provides a cost comparison, using generally accepted accounting principles, of each and every expenditure category and account that the school board projects it would incur over the term of the contract if it continued to perform the non-instructional services using its own employees with each and every expenditure category and account that is projected a third party would incur if a third party performed the non-instructional services;

(5) review and consideration of all bids by third parties to perform the non-instructional services shall take place in open session of a regularly scheduled school board meeting, unless the exclusive bargaining representative of the employees who perform the non-instructional services, if any such exclusive bargaining representative exists, agrees in writing that such review and consideration can take place in open session at a specially scheduled school board meeting;

(6) a minimum of one public hearing, conducted by the school board prior to a regularly scheduled school board meeting, to discuss the school board's proposal to contract with a third party to perform the non-instructional services must be held before the school board may enter into such a contract; the school board must provide notice to the public of the date, time, and location of the first public hearing on or before the initial date that bids to provide the non-instructional services are solicited or a minimum of 30 days prior to entering into such a contract, whichever provides a greater period of notice;

(7) a contract shall contain provisions requiring the contractor to offer available employee positions pursuant to the contract to qualified school district employees whose employment is terminated because of the contract; and

(8) a contract shall contain provisions requiring the contractor to comply with a policy of nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity for all persons and to take affirmative steps to provide equal opportunity for all persons.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this Section, a board of education may enter into a contract, of no longer than 3 months in duration, with a third party for non-instructional services currently performed by an employee or bargaining unit member for the purpose of augmenting the current workforce in an emergency situation that threatens the safety or health of the school district's students or staff, provided that the school board meets all of its obligations under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act.

(c) The changes to this Section made by this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly are not applicable to non-instructional services of a school district that on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly are performed for the school district by a third party.

(Source: P.A. 95-241, eff. 8-17-07; 96-328, eff. 8-11-09.)

(105 ILCS 5/14-2)

Sec. 14-2. Class size Definition of general education classes classroom for special education students receiving services in the general education classes and special education classrooms for special education students receiving services in the special education classroom.

(a) The State Board of Education shall have no authority to adopt or promulgate any administrative rules or regulations that establish or limit the class size or ratio of the student population of a general education class for students receiving services in general education classes beyond what may be required by federal rule or law, unless the State Board of Education fully funds the cost of additional teachers and other staff that are required by such class size limitation. With respect to any State statute or administrative rule that defines a general education classroom to be composed of a certain percentage of students with individualized education programs (IEPs), students with individualized education programs shall exclude students receiving only speech services outside of the general education classroom, provided that the instruction the students receive in the general education classroom does not require modification.

(b) The State Board of Education shall have no authority to adopt or promulgate any administrative rules or regulations that establish or limit the class size of special education classes beyond what may be required by federal rule or law, unless the State Board of Education fully funds the cost of additional teachers and other staff that are required by such class size limitation. "Special Education Classes" means any circumstance where only students with individual education plans are served and at least one special education teacher is assigned and provides instruction or therapy exclusively to students with individual education plans. In every instance, a school district must ensure that composition of the general education classroom does not interfere with the provision of a free and appropriate public education to any student.

(c) Any rule or regulation in effect establishing or limiting the class size or ratio of student population of general education classes for special education students receiving services in general education classes or establishing or limiting the class size of special education classes is hereby null and void on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 97-284, eff. 8-9-11.)

(105 ILCS 5/22-60)

Sec. 22-60. Unfunded mandates prohibited.

(a) No public school district or private school is obligated to comply with any statutory or regulatory mandate or requirement the following types of mandates unless a separate appropriation has been enacted into law providing full funding for the mandate for the school year during which the mandate is required. :

(1) Any mandate in this Code enacted after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.

(2) Any regulatory mandate promulgated by the State Board of Education and adopted by rule after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly other than those promulgated with respect to this Section or statutes already enacted on or before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.

(b) If the amount appropriated to fund a statutory or regulatory mandate or requirement is insufficient to described in subsection (a) of this Section does not fully fund the mandated activity, then the school district or private school may choose to discontinue or modify the mandated activity to ensure that the costs of compliance do not exceed the funding received. Official action by a school board must take place before a school district may discontinue or modify a mandated activity due to insufficient funding from the State. If a school district discontinues or modifies a mandated activity due to insufficient funding from the State, then the school district shall maintain a list of discontinued or modified mandated activities. The list shall be provided to the State Board of Education upon request.

Before discontinuing or modifying the mandate, the school district shall petition its regional superintendent of schools on or before February 15 of each year to request to be exempt from implementing the mandate in a school or schools in the next school year. The petition shall include all legitimate costs associated with implementing and operating the mandate, the estimated reimbursement from State and federal sources, and any unique circumstances the school district can verify that exist that would cause the implementation and operation of such a mandate to be cost prohibitive.

The regional superintendent of schools shall review the petition. In accordance with the Open Meetings Act, he or she shall convene a public hearing to hear testimony from the school district and interested community members. The regional superintendent shall, on or before March 15 of each year, inform the school district of his or her decision, along with the reasons why the exemption was granted or denied, in writing. The regional superintendent must also send notification to the State Board of Education detailing which school districts requested an exemption and the results.

If the regional superintendent grants an exemption to the school district, then the school district is relieved from the requirement to establish and implement the mandate in the school or schools granted an exemption for the next school year. If the regional superintendent of schools does not grant an exemption, then the school district shall implement the mandate in accordance with the applicable law or rule by the first student attendance day of the next school year. However, the school district or a resident of the school district may on or before April 15 appeal the decision of the regional superintendent to the State Superintendent of Education. The State Superintendent shall hear appeals on the decisions of regional superintendents of schools no later than May 15 of each year. The State Superintendent shall make a final decision at the conclusion of the hearing on the school district's request for an exemption from the mandate. If the State Superintendent grants an exemption, then the school district is relieved from the requirement to implement a mandate in the school or schools granted an exemption for the next school year. If the State Superintendent does not grant an exemption, then the school district shall implement the mandate in accordance with the applicable law or rule by the first student attendance day of the next school year.

If a school district or private school discontinues or modifies a mandated activity due to lack of full funding from the State, then the school district or private school shall annually maintain and update a list of discontinued or modified mandated activities. The list shall be provided to the State Board of Education upon request.

(c) (Blank). This Section does not apply to (i) any new statutory or regulatory mandates related to revised learning standards developed through the Common Core State Standards Initiative and assessments developed to align with those standards or actions specified in this State's Phase 2 Race to the Top Grant application if the application is approved by the United States Department of Education or (ii) new statutory or regulatory mandates from the Race to the Top Grant through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 imposed on school districts designated as being in the lowest performing 5% of schools within the Race to the Top Grant application.

(d) (Blank). In any instances in which this Section conflicts with the State Mandates Act, the State Mandates Act shall prevail.

(Source: P.A. 96-1441, eff. 8-20-10.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-24 rep.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-24.1 rep.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-24.2 rep.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-24.3 rep.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-24.4 rep.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-24.5 rep.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-24.6 rep.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-24.7 rep.)

(105 ILCS 5/27-24.8 rep.)

Section 20. The School Code is amended by repealing Sections 27-24, 27-24.1, 27-24.2, 27-24.3, 27-24.4, 27-24.5, 27-24.6, 27-24.7, and 27-24.8.

Section 22. The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act is amended by changing Section 4.5 and 17 as follows:

(115 ILCS 5/4.5)

Sec. 4.5. Subjects of collective bargaining.

(a) Notwithstanding the existence of any other provision in this Act or other law, except subsection (a-5) of this Section, collective bargaining between an educational employer whose territorial boundaries are coterminous with those of a city having a population in excess of 500,000 and an exclusive representative of its employees may include any of the following subjects:

(1) (Blank).

(2) Decisions to contract with a third party for one or more services otherwise performed by employees in a bargaining unit and the procedures for obtaining such contract or the identity of the third party.

(3) Decisions to layoff or reduce in force employees.

(4) Decisions to determine class size, class staffing and assignment, class schedules, academic calendar, length of the work and school day with respect to a public school district organized under Article 34 of the School Code only, length of the work and school year with respect to a public school district organized under Article 34 of the School Code only, hours and places of instruction, or pupil assessment policies.

(5) Decisions concerning use and staffing of experimental or pilot programs and decisions concerning use of technology to deliver educational programs and services and staffing to provide the technology.

(a-5) On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, a school district organized under Article 34 of the School Code and an exclusive representative of that district's employees shall not enter into, amend, or renew a collective bargaining agreement that relates to decisions concerning the use and staffing of experimental or pilot programs or decisions concerning the use of technology to deliver educational programs and services and staffing to provide the technology.

(b) The subject or matters described in subsection (a) are permissive subjects of bargaining between an educational employer and an exclusive representative of its employees and, for the purpose of this Act, are within the sole discretion of the educational employer to decide to bargain, provided that the educational employer is required to bargain over the impact of a decision concerning such subject or matter on the bargaining unit upon request by the exclusive representative. During this bargaining, the educational employer shall not be precluded from implementing its decision. If, after a reasonable period of bargaining, a dispute or impasse exists between the educational employer and the exclusive representative, the dispute or impasse shall be resolved exclusively as set forth in subsection (b) of Section 12 of this Act in lieu of a strike under Section 13 of this Act. Neither the Board nor any mediator or fact-finder appointed pursuant to subsection (a-10) of Section 12 of this Act shall have jurisdiction over such a dispute or impasse.

(c) A provision in a collective bargaining agreement that was rendered null and void because it involved a prohibited subject of collective bargaining under this subsection (c) as this subsection (c) existed before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly remains null and void and shall not otherwise be reinstated in any successor agreement unless the educational employer and exclusive representative otherwise agree to include an agreement reached on a subject or matter described in subsection (a) of this Section as subsection (a) existed before this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 97-7, eff. 6-13-11; 97-8, eff. 6-13-11.)

(115 ILCS 5/17) (from Ch. 48, par. 1717)

Sec. 17. Effect on other laws. In case of any conflict between the provisions of this Act and any other law (other than the changes made by this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly), executive order or administrative regulation, the provisions of this Act shall prevail and control. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to replace or diminish the rights of employees established by Section 36d of "An Act to create the State Universities Civil Service System", approved May 11, 1905, as amended or modified.

(Source: P.A. 83-1014.)

Section 25. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Sections 1-103 and 6-103 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/1-103) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 1-103)

Sec. 1-103. Approved driver education course. (a) Any course of driver education approved by the State Board of Education, offered by public or private schools maintaining grades 9 through 12, and meeting at least the minimum requirements of the "Driver Education Act", as now or hereafter amended, (b) any course of driver education offered by a school licensed to give driver education instructions under this Code that Act which meets at least the minimum educational requirements of the "Driver Education Act", as now or hereafter amended, and is approved by the State Board of Education, (c) any course of driver education given in another state State to an Illinois resident attending school in such state State and approved by the state State administrator of the Driver Education Program of such other state State, or (d) any course of driver education given at a Department of Defense Education Activity school that is approved by the Department of Defense Education Activity and taught by an adult driver education instructor or traffic safety officer.

(Source: P.A. 96-740, eff. 1-1-10.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-103) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-103)

Sec. 6-103. What persons shall not be licensed as drivers or granted permits. The Secretary of State shall not issue, renew, or allow the retention of any driver's license nor issue any permit under this Code:

1. To any person, as a driver, who is under the age of 18 years except as provided in Section 6-107, and except that an instruction permit may be issued under Section 6-107.1 to a child who is not less than 15 years of age if the child is enrolled in an approved driver education course as defined in Section 1-103 of this Code and requires an instruction permit to participate therein, except that an instruction permit may be issued under the provisions of Section 6-107.1 to a child who is 17 years and 3 months of age without the child having enrolled in an approved driver education course and except that an instruction permit may be issued to a child who is at least 15 years and 3 months of age, is enrolled in school, meets the educational requirements of the Driver Education Act, and has passed examinations the Secretary of State in his or her discretion may prescribe;

2. To any person who is under the age of 18 as an operator of a motorcycle other than a motor driven cycle unless the person has, in addition to meeting the provisions of Section 6-107 of this Code, successfully completed a motorcycle training course approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation and successfully completes the required Secretary of State's motorcycle driver's examination;

3. To any person, as a driver, whose driver's license or permit has been suspended, during the suspension, nor to any person whose driver's license or permit has been revoked, except as provided in Sections 6-205, 6-206, and 6-208;

4. To any person, as a driver, who is a user of alcohol or any other drug to a degree that renders the person incapable of safely driving a motor vehicle;

5. To any person, as a driver, who has previously been adjudged to be afflicted with or suffering from any mental or physical disability or disease and who has not at the time of application been restored to competency by the methods provided by law;

6. To any person, as a driver, who is required by the Secretary of State to submit an alcohol and drug evaluation or take an examination provided for in this Code unless the person has successfully passed the examination and submitted any required evaluation;

7. To any person who is required under the provisions of the laws of this State to deposit security or proof of financial responsibility and who has not deposited the security or proof;

8. To any person when the Secretary of State has good cause to believe that the person by reason of physical or mental disability would not be able to safely operate a motor vehicle upon the highways, unless the person shall furnish to the Secretary of State a verified written statement, acceptable to the Secretary of State, from a competent medical specialist, a licensed physician assistant who has been delegated the performance of medical examinations by his or her supervising physician, or a licensed advanced practice nurse who has a written collaborative agreement with a collaborating physician which authorizes him or her to perform medical examinations, to the effect that the operation of a motor vehicle by the person would not be inimical to the public safety;

9. To any person, as a driver, who is 69 years of age or older, unless the person has successfully complied with the provisions of Section 6-109;

10. To any person convicted, within 12 months of application for a license, of any of the sexual offenses enumerated in paragraph 2 of subsection (b) of Section 6-205;

11. To any person who is under the age of 21 years with a classification prohibited in paragraph (b) of Section 6-104 and to any person who is under the age of 18 years with a classification prohibited in paragraph (c) of Section 6-104;

12. To any person who has been either convicted of or adjudicated under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 based upon a violation of the Cannabis Control Act, the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, or the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act while that person was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle. For purposes of this Section, any person placed on probation under Section 10 of the Cannabis Control Act, Section 410 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, or Section 70 of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act shall not be considered convicted. Any person found guilty of this offense, while in actual physical control of a motor vehicle, shall have an entry made in the court record by the judge that this offense did occur while the person was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle and order the clerk of the court to report the violation to the Secretary of State as such. The Secretary of State shall not issue a new license or permit for a period of one year;

13. To any person who is under the age of 18 years and who has committed the offense of operating a motor vehicle without a valid license or permit in violation of Section 6-101 or a similar out of state offense;

14. To any person who is 90 days or more delinquent in court ordered child support payments or has been adjudicated in arrears in an amount equal to 90 days' obligation or more and who has been found in contempt of court for failure to pay the support, subject to the requirements and procedures of Article VII of Chapter 7 of the Illinois Vehicle Code;

14.5. To any person certified by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services as being 90 days or more delinquent in payment of support under an order of support entered by a court or administrative body of this or any other State, subject to the requirements and procedures of Article VII of Chapter 7 of this Code regarding those certifications;

15. To any person released from a term of imprisonment for violating Section 9-3 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, or a similar provision of a law of another state relating to reckless homicide or for violating subparagraph (F) of paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of Section 11-501 of this Code relating to aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, other drug or drugs, intoxicating compound or compounds, or any combination thereof, if the violation was the proximate cause of a death, within 24 months of release from a term of imprisonment;

16. To any person who, with intent to influence any act related to the issuance of any driver's license or permit, by an employee of the Secretary of State's Office, or the owner or employee of any commercial driver training school licensed by the Secretary of State, or any other individual authorized by the laws of this State to give driving instructions or administer all or part of a driver's license examination, promises or tenders to that person any property or personal advantage which that person is not authorized by law to accept. Any persons promising or tendering such property or personal advantage shall be disqualified from holding any class of driver's license or permit for 120 consecutive days. The Secretary of State shall establish by rule the procedures for implementing this period of disqualification and the procedures by which persons so disqualified may obtain administrative review of the decision to disqualify;

17. To any person for whom the Secretary of State cannot verify the accuracy of any information or documentation submitted in application for a driver's license; or

18. To any person who has been adjudicated under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 based upon an offense that is determined by the court to have been committed in furtherance of the criminal activities of an organized gang, as provided in Section 5-710 of that Act, and that involved the operation or use of a motor vehicle or the use of a driver's license or permit. The person shall be denied a license or permit for the period determined by the court.

The Secretary of State shall retain all conviction information, if the information is required to be held confidential under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(Source: P.A. 96-607, eff. 8-24-09; 96-740, eff. 1-1-10; 96-962, eff. 7-2-10; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10; 97-185, eff. 7-22-11; 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)

Section 30. The Prevailing Wage Act is amended by changing Section 2 and by adding Section 11c as follows:

(820 ILCS 130/2) (from Ch. 48, par. 39s-2)

Sec. 2. This Act applies to the wages of laborers, mechanics and other workers employed in any public works, as hereinafter defined, by any public body and to anyone under contracts for public works. This includes any maintenance, repair, assembly, or disassembly work performed on equipment whether owned, leased, or rented.

As used in this Act, unless the context indicates otherwise:

"Public works" means all fixed works constructed or demolished by any public body, or paid for wholly or in part out of public funds. "Public works" as defined herein includes all projects financed in whole or in part with bonds, grants, loans, or other funds made available by or through the State or any of its political subdivisions, including but not limited to: bonds issued under the Industrial Project Revenue Bond Act (Article 11, Division 74 of the Illinois Municipal Code), the Industrial Building Revenue Bond Act, the Illinois Finance Authority Act, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority Act, or the Build Illinois Bond Act; loans or other funds made available pursuant to the Build Illinois Act; or funds from the Fund for Illinois' Future under Section 6z-47 of the State Finance Act, funds for school construction under Section 5 of the General Obligation Bond Act, funds authorized under Section 3 of the School Construction Bond Act, funds for school infrastructure under Section 6z-45 of the State Finance Act, and funds for transportation purposes under Section 4 of the General Obligation Bond Act. "Public works" also includes (i) all projects financed in whole or in part with funds from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity under the Illinois Renewable Fuels Development Program Act for which there is no project labor agreement; (ii) all work performed pursuant to a public private agreement under the Public Private Agreements for the Illiana Expressway Act; and (iii) all projects undertaken under a public-private agreement under the Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation Act. "Public works" also includes all projects at leased facility property used for airport purposes under Section 35 of the Local Government Facility Lease Act. "Public works" also includes the construction of a new wind power facility by a business designated as a High Impact Business under Section 5.5(a)(3)(E) of the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act. "Public works" does not include work done directly by any public utility company, whether or not done under public supervision or direction, or paid for wholly or in part out of public funds. "Public works" does not include projects undertaken by the owner at an owner-occupied single-family residence or at an owner-occupied unit of a multi-family residence.

"School construction project" means the acquisition, development, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, architectural planning, and installation of capital facilities consisting of buildings, structures, durable equipment, and land for educational purposes.

"Construction" means all work on public works involving laborers, workers or mechanics. This includes any maintenance, repair, assembly, or disassembly work performed on equipment whether owned, leased, or rented.

"Locality" means the county where the physical work upon public works is performed, except (1) that if there is not available in the county a sufficient number of competent skilled laborers, workers and mechanics to construct the public works efficiently and properly, "locality" includes any other county nearest the one in which the work or construction is to be performed and from which such persons may be obtained in sufficient numbers to perform the work and (2) that, with respect to contracts for highway work with the Department of Transportation of this State, "locality" may at the discretion of the Secretary of the Department of Transportation be construed to include two or more adjacent counties from which workers may be accessible for work on such construction.

"Public body" means the State or any officer, board or commission of the State or any political subdivision or department thereof, or any institution supported in whole or in part by public funds, and includes every county, city, town, village, township, school district, irrigation, utility, reclamation improvement or other district and every other political subdivision, district or municipality of the state whether such political subdivision, municipality or district operates under a special charter or not.

The terms "general prevailing rate of hourly wages", "general prevailing rate of wages" or "prevailing rate of wages" when used in this Act mean the hourly cash wages plus fringe benefits for training and apprenticeship programs approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, health and welfare, insurance, vacations and pensions paid generally, in the locality in which the work is being performed, to employees engaged in work of a similar character on public works.

(Source: P.A. 96-28, eff. 7-1-09; 96-58, eff. 1-1-10; 96-186, eff. 1-1-10; 96-913, eff. 6-9-10; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10; 97-502, eff. 8-23-11.)

(820 ILCS 130/11c new)

Sec. 11c. School district exemption.

By passage of a resolution, the board of education of any school district may exempt all school construction projects undertaken in the district from the requirements of this Act.

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding Section 8.37 as follows:

(30 ILCS 805/8.37 new)

Sec. 8.37. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.

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