House of Representatives

SB 1328

school districts; annual financial reports

Sponsors: Senators Bee, Huppenthal, Solomon

 

w/d

Committee on Education

s/e

dpa

Committee on Government Reform

 

x

Caucus and COW

 

 

As Passed the House

 

The strike-everything amendment to SB 1328 establishes a deferred retirement option plan (DROP) for Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) and Correctional Officers Retirement Plan (CORP) members.  This bill also establishes the guidelines for the plan.

 

History

DROP’s are designed to give members an additional option at normal retirement.  A member is required to designate a period, a beneficiary, agree to cease to accrue benefits during the period and terminate employment at the end of the period.  The benefits credited to the DROP account are paid-out upon termination as a lump sum.

 

Provisions

·                      Requires the board or fund manager to offer DROP to eligible PSPRS or CORP members on a voluntary basis as an alternative method of benefit accrual under the system from July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2006.

·                      Establishes 38-844.02aDROP to provide members who elect to participate access to a lump sum benefit upon termination, in addition to their normal monthly retirement benefit.

·                      States that any member of PSPRS or CORP who is eligible for a normal pension is eligible to participate in DROP.

·                      Requires that a member who elects to participate in DROP must voluntarily and irrevocably:

1)      Designate a period of participation that is not more than sixty consecutive months.

2)      Cease to accrue membership benefits beginning on the first day of the member's participation in DROP.

3)      Have DROP plan benefits credited to a DROP participation account.

4)      Receive benefits from the system on termination of employment at the same time and in the same manner as a normal retirement pension.

5)      Agree to terminate employment on completion of the DROP participation period.  If a member fails to terminate employment on completion of the designated DROP participation period, the member is not entitled to the interest accumulation on the DROP participation account.  However, a member may terminate participation in DROP by voluntarily terminating employment at any time before completing the DROP participation period.

·                      States that participation in DROP terminates upon one of the following:

1)      Completion of the DROP participation period.

2)      Termination of employment.  If termination of employment is reversed, a member's participation in DROP, minus any benefits previously distributed, shall be reinstated for the duration of the original DROP participation period.

3)      Death of a member.

4)      Approval of disability retirement benefits.38-844.04

·                      Establishes a DROP participation account within the system on behalf of each DROP participant.

·                      Requires that all accrued benefits be accounted for in the DROP participation account.

·                      States that a member does not have a claim on the member’s DROP assets during the DROP period, and that assets cannot be held separately from the fund assets for a DROP participant.

·                      States that all amounts credited to a member's DROP participation account are fully vested.

·                      Requires a member's DROP participation account to be credited with the following:

1)      An amount that is computed in the same manner as a normal retirement.  This amount shall be increased annually if applicable.

2)      Interest in an amount equal to the assumed rate of return of the fund.38-844.06

·                      Prohibits members from receiving retirement benefits during the DROP participation period.

·                      States that beginning on the date the member elects to participate in DROP, employee and employer contributions for that member stop.

·                      Allows a DROP member who becomes disabled during the period of DROP participation to apply for disability retirement benefits.

·                      Requires a member who elects to participate in the DROP to designate a beneficiary.

·                      States that if a member dies during the member's DROP participation, the designated beneficiary of the member is entitled to receive all amounts in the member's DROP participation account.38-844.0638-844.07

·                      States that if a beneficiary predeceases a DROP participant who dies before designating a new beneficiary, all distributions are made to the estate of the DROP participant.

·                      Prohibits a member from making a beneficiary designation that results in a repeal of a member's community property obligations.38-844.0738-844.08

·                      States that upon termination of DROP participation and employment, a member is entitled to receive both of the following:

1)      The monthly retirement allowance.

2)      All amounts credited to the member's DROP participation account on the effective date of termination.

·                      Allows the member to choose to transfer a lump sum distribution to an IRA or other eligible retirement plan.

·                      Allows the board or fund manager to adopt rules for the DROP to comply with federal law.

·                      Provides a repeal date of DROP June 30, 2006.

·                      Allows a member who is participating in DROP before July 1, 2006 to continue to participate until the member's effective date of termination, even after the repeal of DROP.

The strike-everything amendment to SB 1328 passed the Government Reform committee with no further changes.

 

 

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44th Legislature                     Analyst Initials _______

Second Regular Session                    March 14, 2000

 

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