40 ILCS 5/22-103

(40 ILCS 5/22-103)

Sec. 22-103. Regional Transportation Authority and related pension plans.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Affected pension plan" means a defined-benefit pension plan supported in whole or in part by employer contributions and maintained by the Regional Transportation Authority, the Suburban Bus Division, or the Commuter Rail Division, or any combination thereof, under the general authority of the Regional Transportation Authority Act, including but not limited to any such plan that has been established under or is subject to a collective bargaining agreement or is limited to employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement. "Affected pension plan" does not include any pension fund or retirement system subject to Section 22-101 of this Section.

"Authority" means the Regional Transportation Authority created under the Regional Transportation Authority Act.

"Contributing employer" means an employer that is required to make contributions to an affected pension plan under the terms of that plan.

"Funding ratio" means the ratio of an affected pension plan's assets to the present value of its actuarial liabilities, as determined at its latest actuarial valuation in accordance with applicable actuarial assumptions and recommendations.

"Under-funded pension plan" or "under-funded" means an affected pension plan that, at the time of its last actuarial valuation, has a funding ratio of less than 90%.

(b) The contributing employers of each affected pension plan have a general duty to make the required employer contributions to the affected pension plan in a timely manner in accordance with the terms of the plan. A contributing employer must make contributions to the affected pension plan as required under this subsection and, if applicable, subsection (c); a contributing employer may make any additional contributions provided for by the board of the employer or collective bargaining agreement.

(c) In the case of an affected pension plan that is under-funded on January 1, 2009 or becomes under-funded at any time after that date, the contributing employers shall contribute to the affected pension plan, in addition to all amounts otherwise required, amounts sufficient to bring the funding ratio of the affected pension plan up to 90% in accordance with an amortization schedule adopted jointly by the contributing employers and the trustee of the affected pension plan. The amortization schedule may extend for any period up to a maximum of 50 years and shall provide for additional employer contributions in substantially equal annual amounts over the selected period. If the contributing employers and the trustee of the affected pension plan do not agree on an appropriate period for the amortization schedule within 6 months of the date of determination that the plan is under-funded, then the amortization schedule shall be based on a period of 50 years.

In the case of an affected pension plan that has more than one contributing employer, each contributing employer's share of the total additional employer contributions required under this subsection shall be determined: (i) in proportion to the amounts, if any, by which the respective contributing employers have failed to meet their contribution obligations under the terms of the affected pension plan; or (ii) if all of the contributing employers have met their contribution obligations under the terms of the affected pension plan, then in the same proportion as they are required to contribute under the terms of that plan. In the case of an affected pension plan that has only one contributing employer, that contributing employer is responsible for all of the additional employer contributions required under this subsection.

If an under-funded pension plan is determined to have achieved a funding ratio of at least 90% during the period when an amortization schedule is in force under this Section, the contributing employers and the trustee of the affected pension plan, acting jointly, may cancel the amortization schedule and the contributing employers may cease making additional contributions under this subsection for as long as the affected pension plan retains a funding ratio of at least 90%.

(d) Beginning January 1, 2009, if the Authority fails to pay to an affected pension fund within 30 days after it is due (i) any employer contribution that it is required to make as a contributing employer, (ii) any additional employer contribution that it is required to pay under subsection (c), or (iii) any payment that it is required to make under Section 4.02a or 4.02b of the Regional Transportation Authority Act, the trustee of the affected pension fund shall promptly so notify the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, the Mayor of Chicago, the Governor, and the General Assembly.

(e) For purposes of determining employer contributions, assets, and actuarial liabilities under this subsection, contributions, assets, and liabilities relating to health care benefits shall not be included.

(f) This amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly does not affect or impair the right of any contributing employer or its employees to collectively bargain the amount or level of employee contributions to an affected pension plan, to the extent that the plan includes employees subject to collective bargaining.

(g) Any individual who, on or after August 19, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act 97-442), first becomes a participant of an affected pension plan shall not be paid any of the benefits provided under this Code if he or she is convicted of a felony relating to, arising out of, or in connection with his or her service as a participant.

This subsection shall not operate to impair any contract or vested right acquired before August 19, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act 97-442) under any law or laws continued in this Code, and it shall not preclude the right to refund.

(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article or any law to the contrary, a person who, on or after January 1, 2012 (the effective date of Public Act 97-609), first becomes a director on the Suburban Bus Board, the Commuter Rail Board, or the Board of Directors of the Regional Transportation Authority shall not be eligible to participate in an affected pension plan.

(Source: P.A. 97-442, eff. 8-19-11; 97-609, eff. 1-1-12; 97-813, eff. 7-13-12.)