5 ILCS 375/6.6

(5 ILCS 375/6.6)

Sec. 6.6. Contributions to the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund.

(a) Beginning July 1, 1995, all active contributors of the Teachers' Retirement System (established under Article 16 of the Illinois Pension Code) who are not employees of a department as defined in Section 3 of this Act shall make contributions toward the cost of annuitant and survivor health benefits. These contributions shall be at the following rates: until January 1, 2002, 0.5% of salary; beginning January 1, 2002, 0.65% of salary; beginning July 1, 2003, 0.75% of salary; beginning July 1, 2005, 0.80% of salary; beginning July 1, 2007, a percentage of salary to be determined by the Department of Central Management Services by rule, which in each fiscal year shall not exceed 105% of the percentage of salary actually required to be paid in the previous fiscal year.

These contributions shall be deducted by the employer and paid to the System as service agent for the Department of Central Management Services. The System may use the same processes for collecting the contributions required by this subsection that it uses to collect contributions received from school districts and other covered employers under Sections 16-154 and 16-155 of the Illinois Pension Code.

An employer may agree to pick up or pay the contributions required under this subsection on behalf of the teacher; such contributions shall be deemed to have to have been paid by the teacher. Beginning January 1, 2002, if the employer does not directly pay the required member contribution, then the employer shall reduce the member's salary by an amount equal to the required contribution and shall then pay the contribution on behalf of the member. This reduction shall not change the amounts reported as creditable earnings to the Teachers' Retirement System.

A person who purchases optional service credit under Article 16 of the Illinois Pension Code for a period after June 30, 1995 must also make a contribution under this subsection for that optional credit, at the rate provided in subsection (a), based on the salary used in computing the optional service credit, plus interest on this employee contribution. This contribution shall be collected by the System as service agent for the Department of Central Management Services. The contribution required under this subsection for the optional service credit must be paid in full before any annuity based on that credit begins.

(a-5) Beginning January 1, 2002, every employer of a teacher (other than an employer that is a department as defined in Section 3 of this Act) shall pay an employer contribution toward the cost of annuitant and survivor health benefits. These contributions shall be computed as follows:

(1) Beginning January 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003, the employer contribution shall be equal to 0.4% of each teacher's salary.

(2) Beginning July 1, 2003, the employer contribution shall be equal to 0.5% of each teacher's salary.

(3) Beginning July 1, 2005, the employer contribution shall be equal to 0.6% of each teacher's salary.

(4) Beginning July 1, 2007, the employer contribution shall be a percentage of each teacher's salary to be determined by the Department of Central Management Services by rule, which in each fiscal year shall not exceed 105% of the percentage of each teacher's salary actually required to be paid in the previous fiscal year.

These contributions shall be paid by the employer to the System as service agent for the Department of Central Management Services. The System may use the same processes for collecting the contributions required by this subsection that it uses to collect contributions received from school districts and other covered employers under the Illinois Pension Code.

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.

(b) The Teachers' Retirement System shall promptly deposit all moneys collected under subsections (a) and (a-5) of this Section into the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund created in Section 6.5 of this Act. The moneys collected under this Section shall be used only for the purposes authorized in Section 6.5 of this Act and shall not be considered to be assets of the Teachers' Retirement System. Contributions made under this Section are not transferable to other pension funds or retirement systems and are not refundable upon termination of service.

(c) On or before November 15 of each year, the Board of Trustees of the Teachers' Retirement System shall certify to the Governor, the Director of Central Management Services, and the State Comptroller its estimate of the total amount of contributions to be paid under subsection (a) of this Section 6.6 for the next fiscal year. The amount certified shall be decreased or increased each year by the amount that the actual active teacher contributions either fell short of or exceeded the estimate used by the Board in making the certification for the previous fiscal year. The certification shall include a detailed explanation of the methods and information that the Board relied upon in preparing its estimate. As soon as possible after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, the Board shall recalculate and recertify its certifications for fiscal years 2002 and 2003.

(d) Beginning in fiscal year 1996, on the first day of each month, or as soon thereafter as may be practical, the State Treasurer and the State Comptroller shall transfer from the General Revenue Fund to the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund 1/12 of the annual amount appropriated for that fiscal year to the State Comptroller for deposit into the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund under Section 1.3 of the State Pension Funds Continuing Appropriation Act.

(e) Except where otherwise specified in this Section, the definitions that apply to Article 16 of the Illinois Pension Code apply to this Section.

(f) (Blank).

(Source: P.A. 92-505, eff. 12-20-01; 93-679, eff. 6-30-04.)