SB 0922

Increases minumum retirement compensation for firemen and firemens' widows

Sponsor:	Scott
LR Number:	4240L.05C	Fiscal Note:	4240.05
Committee:
Last Action:	05/12/00 - In Conference		Journal page:
Title:	HCS SB 922
Effective Date:	August 28, 2000

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HCS/SB 922 - This House Committee Substitute in addition to the original SB 922 contains several other acts as follows:

SB 922 - This act increases minimum retirement compensation for widows of firemen and firemen. The current statutes provide for a maximum dollar amount of $200 for widows, and a minimum dollar amount of $350 for firemen. This act changes the dollar amounts to percentages of federal poverty level, 75% and 100% respectively. The current federal poverty level for a single person is $8,244, or $687 monthly (75% is $515.25).

SB 616 - This act modifies provisions of the Missouri Local Government Employees' Retirement System (LAGERS).

Section 70.605 - Grants board of trustees authority to appoint and conduct its' own administrative hearings. Final determination requires at least 4 board members approval and all may be appealed under Chapter 536, RSMo.

Section 70.655 - Modifies L-6 program extending benefits to Social Security covered employees. L-11 benefit program providing a 2.5% formula for non-Social Security covered employees added. Modifies current benefit programs providing supplemental benefits to Social Security qualification. Supplemental benefit will cease at age 62.

Section 70.661 - Eliminates 2-year marriage requirement regarding duty, non-duty and death for survivor benefit. Deletes the age 40 requirement for survivor benefits. Survivors less than age 40 currently receive the 120 months benefit payment. Eliminates archaic provision requiring member and survivor has physically lived together.

Section 70.675 - Revises survivor provisions above concerning age and marriage requirements for terminated vested members.

Section 70.680 - Technical changes eliminating language amended in Section 70.685, RSMo.

Section 70.685 - Revises calculation of benefit offset for member's on disability receiving compensation from other employment and/or workers' compensation.

SB 642 - This act increases the amount of retirement compensation received by judges who retired prior to August 28, 1995 and are receiving retirement compensation on September 1, 2000. The qualified judges, upon application, shall be special consultants on the problems of retirement, aging and other state matters.

The increase in compensation is derived from recalculating the consultant's benefit as though subsection 1 were in effect when the judge retired. Subsection 1 increases retirement compensation by the total of all COLAs retired judges received from the time the consultant became eligible for retirement and when he or she actually retired. The increase shall not exceed sixty-five percent of the retirement compensation.

Benefit increases begin September 1, 2000. No retroactive compensation is allowed under this section. There are approximately 58 retired judges potentially affected by this provision.

This act is similar to SB 140 (1999).

SB 821 - This act protects deferred compensation programs for employees of all political subdivisions. It provides that a person's right to an annuity, pension benefit, funds, retirement allowance, a return on accumulated contributions, allowance options, property, county retirement benefits, or deferred compensation plans may not be subject to execution, garnishment, attachment, writ of sequestration, bankruptcy, domestic relations orders, or other claims. These benefits may only be assigned as designated in Sections 50.1000 through 50.1300, RSMo. When a person's pension benefit is in pay status, it shall be subject to withholding pursuant to Section 452.350, RSMo.

SB 975 - This act pertains to the Kansas City Public School Retirement System (KCPSRS) and the St. Louis Public School Retirement System. The act expands the law to include charter schools in KCPSRS and makes provisions for KCPSRS to continue if the district lapses.

CHARTER SCHOOLS - Charter schools are considered public schools and charter school employees are public school employees. Independent contractors are not considered employees. Charter school employees shall continue to be public school employees and participate in a public school retirement system if the district lapses due to unaccreditation.

Retired employees may not work for either a charter school or the district, except for part-time work which is increased from 530 to 600 hours.

PROVISIONS FOR LAPSE OF DISTRICT - KCPSRS shall continue to be subject to existing KCPSRS law, even if the district lapses.

KCPSRS shall continue to be governed by a Board of Trustees established under this section, even if the district lapses. If the district lapses, KCPSRS shall not be transferred to or merged with another system without prior approval of such action by the KCPSRS Board of Trustees.

SCS/SB 1013 This act directs the four retirement systems serving teacher and nonteacher employees of public schools in Missouri to promulgate identical rules for the recognition of service toward retirement eligibility. It prohibits transfer of creditable service or assets among the systems. A majority of all of the trustees of each board of the four systems is required to approve or amend such rules.

SCS/SB 1015 - This act make several changes and clarifications in statutes pertaining to the Kansas City Police and Civilian Employee Retirement System. Among the changes are:

(1) Benefit formula increases from 2 to 2.5% for service after August 28, 2000.

(2) The Board may grant cost of living adjustments of up to three percent per year for both police and civilian retirees.

(3) Surviving spouses of police officers will be permitted to remarry without loss of pension benefits.

(4) The minimum base pension for police retirees will be $600.

(5) The Board voting rules for the Civilian Retirement System are changed to correspond to the Police System. Both systems will be required to have five or more voters in favor of a motion before it is passed.

(5) The act increases the maximum benefit from sixty percent to seventy-five percent of a member's final average salary.

Several other clarifications are also made with no substantive changes involved.

HB 1847 - This act raises the multiplier used for calculating the annuity for employees covered by the Transportation Department and Highway Patrol Employees and the Missouri State Employees Retirement existing systems from 1.6 to 1.7.

HB 1955 - This act extensively revises the provisions of the St. Louis City Police Retirement Plan. Most of the changes are technical, making terminology consistent, updating out-of-date references, and eliminating obsolete provisions. Among its more substantive changes are the following:

(1) Clarifying the definition of "earnable compensation" adding specifics about included and excluded elements;

(2) Authorizing the appointment of a fourth physician to the medical board to act as an administrator and, with the retirement board's consent, to appoint the members of the medical board;

(3) Clarifying how the benefit cap is applied;

(4) For the surviving spouse of a deceased member, including one who is receiving special consultant benefits, stipulating that the benefits run until the earlier of the spouse's death or remarriage and specifying that benefits for the surviving spouse of a member who died in service after age 55 or 20 years of service will be increased in the same manner as the service retirement allowance of a retired member;

(5) Prohibiting dependent benefits for a disabled child over 18 who lives in a public-supported institution;

(6) Clarifying the effect of reemployment on the distribution of a member's individual account;

(7) Deleting out-of-date provisions relating to the technical handling of certain funds within the system; and

(8) Requiring the board to honor a member's obligation to pay child support or maintenance when ordered by the court.

HB 1808 - This act repeals an outdated section for the St. Louis Firemen's Retirement System. The repealed section established special consultant status for members who retired before October 1, 1982, and vested former members who ceased membership before October 1, 1982, for which the benefit was repayment of the member's contribution to the system without interest.
TOM MORTON

HA 2 (O'TOOLE) - DELETES A PROPOSED BENEFIT INCREASE FOR MOSERS RETIREES.

HA 3 (KISSELL) - POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS MAY OFFER HEALTH CARE COVERAGE TO RETIREES' DEPENDENTS AND DEPENDENTS OF DECEASED EMPLOYEES.

HA 4 (HAGAN-HARRELL) - CERTAIN RETIREES OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL RETIREMENT SYSTEM MAY EXCEED FEDERAL MAXIMUM RECEIVED BENEFITS IN EXCESS OF THAT ALLOWED UNDER FEDERAL LAW.

HA 5 (HAGAN-HARRELL) - EMERGENCY CLAUSE

HA 6 (HAGAN-HARRELL) - ST. LOUIS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT CANNOT CONTRACT FOR HEALTH BENEFITS WITH AN ENTITY IF THE MEDICARE OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS EXCEEDS 110% OF THAT FOR NON-MEDICARE COVERAGE.

HA 7 (CRUMP) - CONSERVATION AGENTS RETIREMENT INCREASED BY 33 1/3%

HA 8 (BACKER) - TEACHERS MAY RETURN TO TEACH FOR 2 YEARS WITHOUT LOSS OF RETIREMENT.

HSA 1 TO HA 1 - SUBSTITUTES MAY ALSO RETURN.

HA 10 (KELLY) - CLARIFIES THAT THE SURVIVING SPOUSE OF FIREMEN, NOT JUST THE WIDOW, IS ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS.

HA 11 (KELLY) - ST. JOSEPH FIREFIGHTERS MAY OPT INTO LAGERS; ADDS A REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR TO LAGERS BOARD.

HA 12 (LEVIN) - SAME-SEX MARRIAGE WILL NOT QUALIFY FOR SPOUSE BENEFITS.

HA 14 (CAMPBELL) - DELETES PROHIBITION ON PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATING IN KANSAS CITY PSRS.

HA 15 (TROUPE) - TWO YEAR MARRIAGE REQUIREMENT FOR SURVIVOR BENEFITS UNDER LAGERS WILL NOT APPLY IF DEATH IS JOB RELATED.

HA 16 (PATEK) - RETIRED TEACHERS WHO REMARRY MAY COLLECT THE REMAINDER OF THE BENEFIT THEY WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE RECEIVED.