40 ILCS 5/15-155

(40 ILCS 5/15-155) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-155)

Sec. 15-155. Employer contributions.

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

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 (a-1).

(a-1) 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 each of State fiscal years 2018, 2019, and 2020, the State shall make an additional contribution to the System equal to 2% of the total payroll of each employee who is deemed to have elected the benefits under Section 1-161 or who has made the election under subsection (c) of Section 1-161.

A change in an actuarial or investment assumption that increases or decreases the required State contribution and first applies in State fiscal year 2018 or thereafter shall be implemented in equal annual amounts over a 5-year period beginning in the State fiscal year in which the actuarial change first applies to the required State contribution.

A change in an actuarial or investment assumption that increases or decreases the required State contribution and first applied to the State contribution in fiscal year 2014, 2015, 2016, or 2017 shall be implemented:

(i) as already applied in State fiscal years before 2018; and

(ii) in the portion of the 5-year period beginning in the State fiscal year in which the actuarial change first applied that occurs in State fiscal year 2018 or thereafter, by calculating the change in equal annual amounts over that 5-year period and then implementing it at the resulting annual rate in each of the remaining fiscal years in that 5-year period.

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.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, the total required State contribution for State fiscal year 2006 is $166,641,900.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, the total required State contribution for State fiscal year 2007 is $252,064,100.

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 $702,514,000 and shall be made from the State Pensions Fund and 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 General Revenue Fund in fiscal year 2010, (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 Section 15-165 and shall be made from the State Pensions Fund and 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 General Revenue Fund in fiscal year 2011, and (iii) any reduction in bond proceeds due to the issuance of discounted bonds, if applicable.

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 Section 15-165, 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.

(a-2) Beginning in fiscal year 2018, each employer under this Article shall pay to the System a required contribution determined as a percentage of projected payroll and sufficient to produce an annual amount equal to:

(i) for each of fiscal years 2018, 2019, and 2020, the defined benefit normal cost of the defined benefit plan, less the employee contribution, for each employee of that employer who has elected or who is deemed to have elected the benefits under Section 1-161 or who has made the election under subsection (c) of Section 1-161; for fiscal year 2021 and each fiscal year thereafter, the defined benefit normal cost of the defined benefit plan, less the employee contribution, plus 2%, for each employee of that employer who has elected or who is deemed to have elected the benefits under Section 1-161 or who has made the election under subsection (c) of Section 1-161; plus

(ii) the amount required for that fiscal year to amortize any unfunded actuarial accrued liability associated with the present value of liabilities attributable to the employer's account under Section 15-155.2, determined as a level percentage of payroll over a 30-year rolling amortization period.

In determining contributions required under item (i) of this subsection, the System shall determine an aggregate rate for all employers, expressed as a percentage of projected payroll.

In determining the contributions required under item (ii) of this subsection, the amount 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.

The contributions required under this subsection (a-2) shall be paid by an employer concurrently with that employer's payroll payment period. The State, as the actual employer of an employee, shall make the required contributions under this subsection.

As used in this subsection, "academic year" means the 12-month period beginning September 1.

(b) If an employee is paid from trust or federal funds, the employer shall pay to the Board contributions from those funds which are sufficient to cover the accruing normal costs on behalf of the employee. However, universities having employees who are compensated out of local auxiliary funds, income funds, or service enterprise funds are not required to pay such contributions on behalf of those employees. The local auxiliary funds, income funds, and service enterprise funds of universities shall not be considered trust funds for the purpose of this Article, but funds of alumni associations, foundations, and athletic associations which are affiliated with the universities included as employers under this Article and other employers which do not receive State appropriations are considered to be trust funds for the purpose of this Article.

(b-1) The City of Urbana and the City of Champaign shall each make employer contributions to this System for their respective firefighter employees who participate in this System pursuant to subsection (h) of Section 15-107. The rate of contributions to be made by those municipalities shall be determined annually by the Board on the basis of the actuarial assumptions adopted by the Board and the recommendations of the actuary, and shall be expressed as a percentage of salary for each such employee. The Board shall certify the rate to the affected municipalities as soon as may be practical. The employer contributions required under this subsection shall be remitted by the municipality to the System at the same time and in the same manner as employee contributions.

(c) Through State fiscal year 1995: The total employer contribution shall be apportioned among the various funds of the State and other employers, whether trust, federal, or other funds, in accordance with actuarial procedures approved by the Board. State of Illinois contributions for employers receiving State appropriations for personal services shall be payable from appropriations made to the employers or to the System. The contributions for Class I community colleges covering earnings other than those paid from trust and federal funds, shall be payable solely from appropriations to the Illinois Community College Board or the System for employer contributions.

(d) Beginning in State fiscal year 1996, the required State contributions to the System shall be appropriated directly to the System and shall be payable through vouchers issued in accordance with subsection (c) of Section 15-165, except as provided in subsection (g).

(e) The State Comptroller shall draw warrants payable to the System upon proper certification by the System or by the employer in accordance with the appropriation laws and this Code.

(f) Normal costs under this Section means liability for pensions and other benefits which accrues to the System because of the credits earned for service rendered by the participants during the fiscal year and expenses of administering the System, but shall not include the principal of or any redemption premium or interest on any bonds issued by the Board or any expenses incurred or deposits required in connection therewith.

(g) If the amount of a participant's earnings for any academic year used to determine the final rate of earnings, determined on a full-time equivalent basis, exceeds the amount of his or her earnings with the same employer for the previous academic year, determined on a full-time equivalent basis, by more than 6%, the participant'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 earnings 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. The System may require the employer to provide any pertinent information or documentation.

Whenever it determines that a payment is or may be required under this subsection (g), 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 (h), (h-5), or (i) 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 (g) 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.

When assessing payment for any amount due under this subsection (g), the System shall include earnings, to the extent not established by a participant under Section 15-113.11 or 15-113.12, that would have been paid to the participant had the participant not taken (i) periods of voluntary or involuntary furlough occurring on or after July 1, 2015 and on or before June 30, 2017 or (ii) periods of voluntary pay reduction in lieu of furlough occurring on or after July 1, 2015 and on or before June 30, 2017. Determining earnings that would have been paid to a participant had the participant not taken periods of voluntary or involuntary furlough or periods of voluntary pay reduction shall be the responsibility of the employer, and shall be reported in a manner prescribed by the System.

This subsection (g) does not apply to (1) Tier 2 hybrid plan members and (2) Tier 2 defined benefit members who first participate under this Article on or after the implementation date of the Optional Hybrid Plan.

(g-1) (Blank).

(h) This subsection (h) 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 (g), the System shall exclude earnings increases paid to participants under contracts or collective bargaining agreements entered into, amended, or renewed before June 1, 2005.

When assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (g), the System shall exclude earnings increases paid to a participant at a time when the participant is 10 or more years from retirement eligibility under Section 15-135.

When assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (g), the System shall exclude earnings increases resulting from overload work, including a contract for summer teaching, or overtime when the employer has certified to the System, and the System has approved the certification, that: (i) in the case of overloads (A) the overload work is for the sole purpose of academic instruction in excess of the standard number of instruction hours for a full-time employee occurring during the academic year that the overload is paid and (B) the earnings increases are equal to or less than the rate of pay for academic instruction computed using the participant's current salary rate and work schedule; and (ii) in the case of overtime, the overtime was necessary for the educational mission.

When assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (g), the System shall exclude any earnings increase resulting from (i) a promotion for which the employee moves from one classification to a higher classification under the State Universities Civil Service System, (ii) a promotion in academic rank for a tenured or tenure-track faculty position, or (iii) a promotion that the Illinois Community College Board has recommended in accordance with subsection (k) of this Section. These earnings increases shall be excluded only if the promotion is to a position that has existed and been filled by a member for no less than one complete academic year and the earnings increase as a result of the promotion is an increase that results in an amount no greater than the average salary paid for other similar positions.

(h-5) When assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (g), the System shall exclude any earnings increase paid in an academic year beginning on or after July 1, 2020 resulting from overload work performed in an academic year subsequent to an academic year in which the employer was unable to offer or allow to be conducted overload work due to an emergency declaration limiting such activities.

(i) When assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (g), the System shall exclude any salary increase described in subsection (h) 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. Except as provided in subsection (h-5), any payments made or salary increases given after June 30, 2014 shall be used in assessing payment for any amount due under subsection (g) of this Section.

(j) 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-5) For State fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2017, if the amount of a participant's earnings for any State fiscal year exceeds the amount of the salary set by law for the Governor that is in effect on July 1 of that fiscal year, the participant'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, an amount determined by the System to be equal to the employer normal cost, as established by the System and expressed as a total percentage of payroll, multiplied by the amount of earnings in excess of the amount of the salary set by law for the Governor. This amount 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. The System may require the employer to provide any pertinent information or documentation.

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 calculation 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 may be paid in the form of a lump sum within 90 days after issuance of the bill. If the employer contributions are not paid within 90 days after issuance 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 issuance of the bill. All payments must be received within 3 years after issuance of the bill. If the employer fails to make complete payment, including applicable interest, within 3 years, then the System may, after giving notice to the employer, certify the delinquent amount to the State Comptroller, and the Comptroller shall thereupon deduct the certified delinquent amount from State funds payable to the employer and pay them instead to the System.

This subsection (j-5) does not apply to a participant's earnings to the extent an employer pays the employer normal cost of such earnings.

The changes made to this subsection (j-5) by Public Act 100-624 are intended to apply retroactively to July 6, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 100-23).

(k) The Illinois Community College Board shall adopt rules for recommending lists of promotional positions submitted to the Board by community colleges and for reviewing the promotional lists on an annual basis. When recommending promotional lists, the Board shall consider the similarity of the positions submitted to those positions recognized for State universities by the State Universities Civil Service System. The Illinois Community College Board shall file a copy of its findings with the System. The System shall consider the findings of the Illinois Community College Board when making determinations under this Section. The System shall not exclude any earnings increases resulting from a promotion when the promotion was not submitted by a community college. Nothing in this subsection (k) shall require any community college to submit any information to the Community College Board.

(l) 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.

(m) 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. 101-10, eff. 6-5-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-764, eff. 5-13-22.)