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92_SB0676 LRB9205302EGfg 1 AN ACT in relation to public employee benefits. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by 5 changing Sections 15-136, 15-136.3, and 15-145 as follows: 6 (40 ILCS 5/15-136) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-136) 7 Sec. 15-136. Retirement annuities - Amount. The 8 provisions of this Section 15-136 apply only to those 9 participants who are participating in the traditional benefit 10 package or the portable benefit package and do not apply to 11 participants who are participating in the self-managed plan. 12 (a) The amount of a participant's retirement annuity, 13 expressed in the form of a single-life annuity, shall be 14 determined by whichever of the following rules is applicable 15 and provides the largest annuity: 16 Rule 1: The retirement annuity shall be 1.67% of final 17 rate of earnings for each of the first 10 years of service, 18 1.90% for each of the next 10 years of service, 2.10% for 19 each year of service in excess of 20 but not exceeding 30, 20 and 2.30% for each year in excess of 30; or for persons who 21 retire on or after January 1, 1998, 2.2% of the final rate of 22 earnings for each year of service. 23 Rule 2: The retirement annuity shall be the sum of the 24 following, determined from amounts credited to the 25 participant in accordance with the actuarial tables and the 26 prescribed rate of interest in effect at the time the 27 retirement annuity begins: 28 (i) the normal annuity which can be provided on an 29 actuarially equivalent basis, by the accumulated normal 30 contributions as of the date the annuity begins; and 31 (ii) an annuity from employer contributions of an -2- LRB9205302EGfg 1 amount equal to that which can be provided on an 2 actuarially equivalent basis from the accumulated normal 3 contributions made by the participant under Section 4 15-113.6 and Section 15-113.7 plus 1.4 times all other 5 accumulated normal contributions made by the participant. 6 With respect to a police officer or firefighter who 7 retires on or after August 14, 1998, the accumulated normal 8 contributions taken into account under clauses (i) and (ii) 9 of this Rule 2 shall include the additional normal 10 contributions made by the police officer or firefighter under 11 Section 15-157(a). 12 The amount of a retirement annuity calculated under this 13 Rule 2 shall be computed solely on the basis of the 14 participant's accumulated normal contributions, as specified 15 in this Rule and defined in Section 15-116. Neither an 16 employee or employer contribution for early retirement under 17 Section 15-136.2 nor any other employer contribution shall be 18 used in the calculation of the amount of a retirement annuity 19 under this Rule 2. 20 This amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly is a 21 clarification of existing law and applies to every 22 participant and annuitant without regard to whether status as 23 an employee terminates before the effective date of this 24 amendatory Act. 25 Rule 3: The retirement annuity of a participant who is 26 employed at least one-half time during the period on which 27 his or her final rate of earnings is based, shall be equal to 28 the participant's years of service not to exceed 30, 29 multiplied by (1) $96 if the participant's final rate of 30 earnings is less than $3,500, (2) $108 if the final rate of 31 earnings is at least $3,500 but less than $4,500, (3) $120 if 32 the final rate of earnings is at least $4,500 but less than 33 $5,500, (4) $132 if the final rate of earnings is at least 34 $5,500 but less than $6,500, (5) $144 if the final rate of -3- LRB9205302EGfg 1 earnings is at least $6,500 but less than $7,500, (6) $156 if 2 the final rate of earnings is at least $7,500 but less than 3 $8,500, (7) $168 if the final rate of earnings is at least 4 $8,500 but less than $9,500, and (8) $180 if the final rate 5 of earnings is $9,500 or more, except that the annuity for 6 those persons having made an election under Section 7 15-154(a-1) shall be calculated and payable under the 8 portable retirement benefit program pursuant to the 9 provisions of Section 15-136.4. 10 Rule 4: A participant who is at least age 50 and has 25 11 or more years of service as a police officer or firefighter, 12 and a participant who is age 55 or over and has at least 20 13 but less than 25 years of service as a police officer or 14 firefighter, shall be entitled to a retirement annuity of 15 2 1/4% of the final rate of earnings for each of the first 10 16 years of service as a police officer or firefighter, 2 1/2% 17 for each of the next 10 years of service as a police officer 18 or firefighter, and 2 3/4% for each year of service as a 19 police officer or firefighter in excess of 20. The 20 retirement annuity for all other service shall be computed 21 under Rule 1. 22 For purposes of this Rule 4, a participant's service as a 23 firefighter shall also include the following: 24 (i) service that is performed while the person is 25 an employee under subsection (h) of Section 15-107; and 26 (ii) in the case of an individual who was a 27 participating employee employed in the fire department of 28 the University of Illinois's Champaign-Urbana campus 29 immediately prior to the elimination of that fire 30 department and who immediately after the elimination of 31 that fire department transferred to another job with the 32 University of Illinois, service performed as an employee 33 of the University of Illinois in a position other than 34 police officer or firefighter, from the date of that -4- LRB9205302EGfg 1 transfer until the employee's next termination of service 2 with the University of Illinois. 3 Rule 5: The retirement annuity of a participant who 4 elected early retirement under the provisions of Section 5 15-136.2 and who, on or before February 16, 1995, brought 6 administrative proceedings pursuant to the administrative 7 rules adopted by the System to challenge the calculation of 8 his or her retirement annuity shall be the sum of the 9 following, determined from amounts credited to the 10 participant in accordance with the actuarial tables and the 11 prescribed rate of interest in effect at the time the 12 retirement annuity begins: 13 (i) the normal annuity which can be provided on an 14 actuarially equivalent basis, by the accumulated normal 15 contributions as of the date the annuity begins; and 16 (ii) an annuity from employer contributions of an 17 amount equal to that which can be provided on an 18 actuarially equivalent basis from the accumulated normal 19 contributions made by the participant under Section 20 15-113.6 and Section 15-113.7 plus 1.4 times all other 21 accumulated normal contributions made by the participant; 22 and 23 (iii) an annuity which can be provided on an 24 actuarially equivalent basis from the employee 25 contribution for early retirement under Section 15-136.2, 26 and an annuity from employer contributions of an amount 27 equal to that which can be provided on an actuarially 28 equivalent basis from the employee contribution for early 29 retirement under Section 15-136.2. 30 In no event shall a retirement annuity under this Rule 5 31 be lower than the amount obtained by adding (1) the monthly 32 amount obtained by dividing the combined employee and 33 employer contributions made under Section 15-136.2 by the 34 System's annuity factor for the age of the participant at the -5- LRB9205302EGfg 1 beginning of the annuity payment period and (2) the amount 2 equal to the participant's annuity if calculated under Rule 3 1, reduced under Section 15-136(b) as if no contributions had 4 been made under Section 15-136.2. 5 With respect to a participant who is qualified for a 6 retirement annuity under this Rule 5 whose retirement annuity 7 began before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 8 91st General Assembly, and for whom an employee contribution 9 was made under Section 15-136.2, the System shall recalculate 10 the retirement annuity under this Rule 5 and shall pay any 11 additional amounts due in the manner provided in Section 12 15-186.1 for benefits mistakenly set too low. 13 The amount of a retirement annuity calculated under this 14 Rule 5 shall be computed solely on the basis of those 15 contributions specifically set forth in this Rule 5. Except 16 as provided in clause (iii) of this Rule 5, neither an 17 employee nor employer contribution for early retirement under 18 Section 15-136.2, nor any other employer contribution, shall 19 be used in the calculation of the amount of a retirement 20 annuity under this Rule 5. 21 The General Assembly has adopted the changes set forth in 22 Section 25 of this amendatory Act of the 91st General 23 Assembly in recognition that the decision of the Appellate 24 Court for the Fourth District in Mattis v. State Universities 25 Retirement System et al. might be deemed to give some right 26 to the plaintiff in that case. The changes made by Section 27 25 of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly are a 28 legislative implementation of the decision of the Appellate 29 Court for the Fourth District in Mattis v. State Universities 30 Retirement System et al. with respect to that plaintiff. 31 The changes made by Section 25 of this amendatory Act of 32 the 91st General Assembly apply without regard to whether the 33 person is in service as an employee on or after its effective 34 date. -6- LRB9205302EGfg 1 (b) The retirement annuity provided under Rules 1 and 3 2 above shall be reduced by 1/2 of 1% for each month the 3 participant is under age 60 at the time of retirement. 4 However, this reduction shall not apply in the following 5 cases: 6 (1) For a disabled participant whose disability 7 benefits have been discontinued because he or she has 8 exhausted eligibility for disability benefits under 9 clause (6) of Section 15-152; 10 (2) For a participant who has at least the number 11 of years of service required to retire at any age under 12 subsection (a) of Section 15-135; or 13 (3) For that portion of a retirement annuity which 14 has been provided on account of service of the 15 participant during periods when he or she performed the 16 duties of a police officer or firefighter, if these 17 duties were performed for at least 5 years immediately 18 preceding the date the retirement annuity is to begin. 19 (c) The maximum retirement annuity provided under Rules 20 1, 2, 4, and 5 shall be the lesser of (1) the annual limit of 21 benefits as specified in Section 415 of the Internal Revenue 22 Code of 1986, as such Section may be amended from time to 23 time and as such benefit limits shall be adjusted by the 24 Commissioner of Internal Revenue, and (2) 80% of final rate 25 of earnings. 26 (d) An annuitant whose status as an employee terminates 27 after August 14, 1969 shall receive automatic increases in 28 his or her retirement annuity as follows: 29 Effective January 1 immediately following the date the 30 retirement annuity begins, the annuitant shall receive an 31 increase in his or her monthly retirement annuity of 0.125% 32 of the monthly retirement annuity provided under Rule 1, Rule 33 2, Rule 3, Rule 4, or Rule 5, contained in this Section, 34 multiplied by the number of full months which elapsed from -7- LRB9205302EGfg 1 the date the retirement annuity payments began to January 1, 2 1972, plus 0.1667% of such annuity, multiplied by the number 3 of full months which elapsed from January 1, 1972, or the 4 date the retirement annuity payments began, whichever is 5 later, to January 1, 1978, plus 0.25% of such annuity 6 multiplied by the number of full months which elapsed from 7 January 1, 1978, or the date the retirement annuity payments 8 began, whichever is later, to the effective date of the 9 increase. 10 The annuitant shall receive an increase in his or her 11 monthly retirement annuity on each January 1 thereafter 12 during the annuitant's life of 3% of the monthly annuity 13 provided under Rule 1, Rule 2, Rule 3, Rule 4, or Rule 5 14 contained in this Section. The change made under this 15 subsection by P.A. 81-970 is effective January 1, 1980 and 16 applies to each annuitant whose status as an employee 17 terminates before or after that date. 18 Beginning January 1, 1990, all automatic annual increases 19 payable under this Section shall be calculated as a 20 percentage of the total annuity payable at the time of the 21 increase, including all increases previously granted under 22 this Article. 23 The change made in this subsection by P.A. 85-1008 is 24 effective January 26, 1988, and is applicable without regard 25 to whether status as an employee terminated before that date. 26 (e) If, on January 1, 1987, or the date the retirement 27 annuity payment period begins, whichever is later, the sum of 28 the retirement annuity provided under Rule 1 or Rule 2 of 29 this Section and the automatic annual increases provided 30 under the preceding subsection or Section 15-136.1, amounts 31 to less than the retirement annuity which would be provided 32 by Rule 3, the retirement annuity shall be increased as of 33 January 1, 1987, or the date the retirement annuity payment 34 period begins, whichever is later, to the amount which would -8- LRB9205302EGfg 1 be provided by Rule 3 of this Section. Such increased amount 2 shall be considered as the retirement annuity in determining 3 benefits provided under other Sections of this Article. This 4 paragraph applies without regard to whether status as an 5 employee terminated before the effective date of this 6 amendatory Act of 1987, provided that the annuitant was 7 employed at least one-half time during the period on which 8 the final rate of earnings was based. 9 (f) A participant is entitled to such additional annuity 10 as may be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis, by any 11 accumulated additional contributions to his or her credit. 12 However, the additional contributions made by the participant 13 toward the automatic increases in annuity provided under this 14 Section shall not be taken into account in determining the 15 amount of such additional annuity. 16 (g) If, (1) by law, a function of a governmental unit, 17 as defined by Section 20-107 of this Code, is transferred in 18 whole or in part to an employer, and (2) a participant 19 transfers employment from such governmental unit to such 20 employer within 6 months after the transfer of the function, 21 and (3) the sum of (A) the annuity payable to the participant 22 under Rule 1, 2, or 3 of this Section (B) all proportional 23 annuities payable to the participant by all other retirement 24 systems covered by Article 20, and (C) the initial primary 25 insurance amount to which the participant is entitled under 26 the Social Security Act, is less than the retirement annuity 27 which would have been payable if all of the participant's 28 pension credits validated under Section 20-109 had been 29 validated under this system, a supplemental annuity equal to 30 the difference in such amounts shall be payable to the 31 participant. 32 (h) On January 1, 1981, an annuitant who was receiving a 33 retirement annuity on or before January 1, 1971 shall have 34 his or her retirement annuity then being paid increased $1 -9- LRB9205302EGfg 1 per month for each year of creditable service. On January 1, 2 1982, an annuitant whose retirement annuity began on or 3 before January 1, 1977, shall have his or her retirement 4 annuity then being paid increased $1 per month for each year 5 of creditable service. 6 (i) On January 1, 1987, any annuitant whose retirement 7 annuity began on or before January 1, 1977, shall have the 8 monthly retirement annuity increased by an amount equal to 8¢ 9 per year of creditable service times the number of years that 10 have elapsed since the annuity began. 11 (j) On January 1, 2002, every annuitant who began 12 receiving a retirement annuity before January 1, 1998 shall 13 have the monthly retirement annuity increased by an amount 14 equal to the number of years of the deceased person's 15 creditable service, times the number of years that have 16 elapsed since the annuity began, times whichever of the 17 following amounts is applicable: $0.25 if the annuity began 18 before 1986; $0.20 if the annuity began in 1986, 1987, 1988, 19 or 1989; $0.15 if the annuity began in 1990, 1991, 1992, or 20 1993; and $0.10 if the annuity began in 1994, 1995, 1996, or 21 1997. 22 The increase under this subsection shall be added to the 23 amount of the retirement annuity otherwise payable on January 24 1, 2002 and shall be included in the calculation of increases 25 granted after that date under subsection (d). 26 (Source: P.A. 90-14, eff. 7-1-97; 90-65, eff. 7-7-97; 90-448, 27 eff. 8-16-97; 90-576, eff. 3-31-98; 90-655, eff. 7-30-98; 28 90-766, eff. 8-14-98; 91-887 (Sections 20 and 25), eff. 29 7-6-00; revised 8-31-00.) 30 (40 ILCS 5/15-136.3) 31 Sec. 15-136.3. Minimum retirement annuity. 32 (a) Beginning January 1, 1997, any person who is 33 receiving a monthly retirement annuity under this Article -10- LRB9205302EGfg 1 which, after inclusion of (1) all one-time and automatic 2 annual increases to which the person is entitled, (2) any 3 supplemental annuity payable under Section 15-136.1, and (3) 4 any amount deducted under Section 15-138 or 15-140 to provide 5 a reversionary annuity, is less than the minimum monthly 6 retirement benefit amount specified in subsection (b) of this 7 Section, shall be entitled to a monthly supplemental payment 8 equal to the difference. 9 (b) For purposes of the calculation in subsection (a), 10 the minimum monthly retirement benefit amount is the sum of 11 $25 for each year of service credit, up to a maximum of 30 12 years of service, plus the amount of the increase received by 13 the annuitant under subsection (j) of Section 15-136, if any. 14 (c) This Section applies to all persons receiving a 15 retirement annuity under this Article, without regard to 16 whether or not employment terminated prior to the effective 17 date of this Section. 18 (Source: P.A. 89-616, eff. 8-9-96.) 19 (40 ILCS 5/15-145) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-145) 20 Sec. 15-145. Survivors insurance benefits; conditions 21 and amounts. 22 (a) The survivors insurance benefits provided under this 23 Section shall be payable to the eligible survivors of a 24 participant covered under the traditional benefit package 25 upon the death of (1) a participating employee with at least 26 1 1/2 years of service, (2) a participant who terminated 27 employment with at least 10 years of service, and (3) an 28 annuitant in receipt of a retirement annuity or disability 29 retirement annuity under this Article. 30 Service under the State Employees' Retirement System of 31 Illinois, the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of 32 Illinois and the Public School Teachers' Pension and 33 Retirement Fund of Chicago shall be considered in determining -11- LRB9205302EGfg 1 eligibility for survivors benefits under this Section. 2 If by law, a function of a governmental unit, as defined 3 by Section 20-107, is transferred in whole or in part to an 4 employer, and an employee transfers employment from this 5 governmental unit to such employer within 6 months after the 6 transfer of this function, the service credits in the 7 governmental unit's retirement system which have been 8 validated under Section 20-109 shall be considered in 9 determining eligibility for survivors benefits under this 10 Section. 11 (b) A surviving spouse of a deceased participant, or of 12 a deceased annuitant who did not take a refund or additional 13 annuity consisting of accumulated survivors insurance 14 contributions, shall receive a survivors annuity of 30% of 15 the final rate of earnings. Payments shall begin on the day 16 following the participant's or annuitant's death or the date 17 the surviving spouse attains age 50, whichever is later, and 18 continue until the death of the surviving spouse. The 19 annuity shall be payable to the surviving spouse prior to 20 attainment of age 50 if the surviving spouse has in his or 21 her care a deceased participant's or annuitant's dependent 22 unmarried child under age 18 (under age 22 if a full-time 23 student) who is eligible for a survivors annuity. Remarriage 24 of a surviving spouse prior to attainment of age 55 that 25 occurs before the effective date of this amendatory Act of 26 the 91st General Assembly shall disqualify him or her for the 27 receipt of a survivors annuity. 28 (c) Each dependent unmarried child under age 18 (under 29 age 22 if a full-time student) of a deceased participant, or 30 of a deceased annuitant who did not take a refund or 31 additional annuity consisting of accumulated survivors 32 insurance contributions, shall receive a survivors annuity 33 equal to the sum of (1) 20% of the final rate of earnings, 34 and (2) 10% of the final rate of earnings divided by the -12- LRB9205302EGfg 1 number of children entitled to this benefit. Payments shall 2 begin on the day following the participant's or annuitant's 3 death and continue until the child marries, dies, or attains 4 age 18 (age 22 if a full-time student). If the child is in 5 the care of a surviving spouse who is eligible for survivors 6 insurance benefits, the child's benefit shall be paid to the 7 surviving spouse. 8 Each unmarried child over age 18 of a deceased 9 participant or of a deceased annuitant who had a survivor's 10 insurance beneficiary at the time of his or her retirement, 11 and who was dependent upon the participant or annuitant by 12 reason of a physical or mental disability which began prior 13 to the date the child attained age 18 (age 22 if a full-time 14 student), shall receive a survivor's annuity equal to the sum 15 of (1) 20% of the final rate of earnings, and (2) 10% of the 16 final rate of earnings divided by the number of children 17 entitled to survivors benefits. Payments shall begin on the 18 day following the participant's or annuitant's death and 19 continue until the child marries, dies, or is no longer 20 disabled. If the child is in the care of a surviving spouse 21 who is eligible for survivors insurance benefits, the child's 22 benefit may be paid to the surviving spouse. For the 23 purposes of this Section, disability means inability to 24 engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any 25 medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can 26 be expected to result in death or that has lasted or can be 27 expected to last for a continuous period of at least one 28 year. 29 (d) Each dependent parent of a deceased participant, or 30 of a deceased annuitant who did not take a refund or 31 additional annuity consisting of accumulated survivors 32 insurance contributions, shall receive a survivors annuity 33 equal to the sum of (1) 20% of final rate of earnings, and 34 (2) 10% of final rate of earnings divided by the number of -13- LRB9205302EGfg 1 parents who qualify for the benefit. Payments shall begin 2 when the parent reaches age 55 or the day following the 3 participant's or annuitant's death, whichever is later, and 4 continue until the parent dies. Remarriage of a parent prior 5 to attainment of age 55 shall disqualify the parent for the 6 receipt of a survivors annuity. 7 (e) In addition to the survivors annuity provided above, 8 each survivors insurance beneficiary shall, upon death of the 9 participant or annuitant, receive a lump sum payment of 10 $1,000 divided by the number of such beneficiaries. 11 (f) The changes made in this Section by Public Act 12 81-712 pertaining to survivors annuities in cases of 13 remarriage prior to age 55 shall apply to each survivors 14 insurance beneficiary who remarries after June 30, 1979, 15 regardless of the date that the participant or annuitant 16 terminated his employment or died. 17 The change made to this Section by this amendatory Act of 18 the 91st General Assembly, pertaining to remarriage prior to 19 age 55, applies without regard to whether the deceased 20 participant or annuitant was in service on or after the 21 effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General 22 Assembly. 23 (g) On January 1, 1981, any person who was receiving a 24 survivors annuity on or before January 1, 1971 shall have the 25 survivors annuity then being paid increased by 1% for each 26 full year which has elapsed from the date the annuity began. 27 On January 1, 1982, any survivor whose annuity began after 28 January 1, 1971, but before January 1, 1981, shall have the 29 survivor's annuity then being paid increased by 1% for each 30 year which has elapsed from the date the survivor's annuity 31 began. On January 1, 1987, any survivor who began receiving a 32 survivor's annuity on or before January 1, 1977, shall have 33 the monthly survivor's annuity increased by $1 for each full 34 year which has elapsed since the date the survivor's annuity -14- LRB9205302EGfg 1 began. 2 (g-1) On January 1, 2002, every recipient of a 3 survivor's annuity whose original annuity began before 4 January 1, 1998 shall have the monthly survivor's annuity 5 increased by an amount equal to the number of years of the 6 deceased person's creditable service, times the number of 7 years that have elapsed since the original annuity began, 8 times whichever of the following amounts is applicable: 9 $0.25 if the original annuity began before 1986; $0.20 if the 10 original annuity began in 1986, 1987, 1988, or 1989; $0.15 if 11 the original annuity began in 1990, 1991, 1992, or 1993; and 12 $0.10 if the original annuity began in 1994, 1995, 1996, or 13 1997. 14 In the case of the survivor of a deceased annuitant who 15 died while receiving a retirement annuity, "original annuity" 16 means the deceased annuitant's retirement annuity; in all 17 other cases, "original annuity" means the survivor's annuity. 18 The increase under this subsection shall be added to the 19 amount of the survivor's annuity otherwise payable on January 20 1, 2002 and shall be included in the calculation of increases 21 granted after that date under subsection (j). 22 (h) If the sum of the lump sum and total monthly 23 survivor benefits payable under this Section upon the death 24 of a participant amounts to less than the sum of the death 25 benefits payable under items (2) and (3) of Section 15-141, 26 the difference shall be paid in a lump sum to the beneficiary 27 of the participant who is living on the date that this 28 additional amount becomes payable. 29 (i) If the sum of the lump sum and total monthly 30 survivor benefits payable under this Section upon the death 31 of an annuitant receiving a retirement annuity or disability 32 retirement annuity amounts to less than the death benefit 33 payable under Section 15-142, the difference shall be paid to 34 the beneficiary of the annuitant who is living on the date -15- LRB9205302EGfg 1 that this additional amount becomes payable. 2 (j) Effective on the later of (1) January 1, 1990, or 3 (2) the January 1 on or next after the date on which the 4 survivor annuity begins, if the deceased member died while 5 receiving a retirement annuity, or in all other cases the 6 January 1 nearest the first anniversary of the date the 7 survivor annuity payments begin, every survivors insurance 8 beneficiary shall receive an increase in his or her monthly 9 survivors annuity of 3%. On each January 1 after the initial 10 increase, the monthly survivors annuity shall be increased by 11 3% of the total survivors annuity provided under this 12 Article, including previous increases provided by this 13 subsection. Such increases shall apply to the survivors 14 insurance beneficiaries of each participant and annuitant, 15 whether or not the employment status of the participant or 16 annuitant terminates before the effective date of this 17 amendatory Act of 1990. This subsection (j) also applies to 18 persons receiving a survivor annuity under the portable 19 benefit package. 20 (k) If the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, 21 requires that the survivors benefits be payable at an age 22 earlier than that specified in this Section the benefits 23 shall begin at the earlier age, in which event, the 24 survivor's beneficiary shall be entitled only to that amount 25 which is equal to the actuarial equivalent of the benefits 26 provided by this Section. 27 (l) The changes made to this Section and Section 15-131 28 by this amendatory Act of 1997, relating to benefits for 29 certain unmarried children who are full-time students under 30 age 22, apply without regard to whether the deceased member 31 was in service on or after the effective date of this 32 amendatory Act of 1997. These changes do not authorize the 33 repayment of a refund or a re-election of benefits, and any 34 benefit or increase in benefits resulting from these changes -16- LRB9205302EGfg 1 is not payable retroactively for any period before the 2 effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997. 3 (Source: P.A. 90-448, eff. 8-16-97; 90-766, eff. 8-14-98; 4 91-887, eff. 7-6-00.) 5 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 6 becoming law.