HCS SCS SB 194 -- COUNTY EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM

CO-SPONSORS: Caskey (Clayton)

COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "do pass by consent" by the Committee on Local Government and Related Matters by a vote of 17 to 0.

This substitute requires the County Employees' Retirement System to pay death benefits to either the designated beneficiary, the member's estate, the members's surviving spouse, or, if there is no surviving spouse, in equal shares to the member's surviving children. Counties or cities adopting a charter or constitutional form of government are also required to continue to accrue employee retirement benefits and to assess and collect all fees and penalties that are deposited in the county employees' retirement fund.

The substitute also requires the county assessor to maintain a written or electronic log reflecting the number of penalty assessment notices sent, the number of personal property lists that were not returned by the established deadline, the number of penalties waived, and the reason for the waiver.

FISCAL NOTE: No impact on state funds.

PROPONENTS: Supporters say that this bill clarifies the laws on beneficiaries. It also expands the law to cover counties and cities that are going to adopt a charter or constitutional form of government. The bill also provides an audit trail for waived penalties.

Testifying for the bill were Senator Caskey; and the County Employees Retirement Fund.

OPPONENTS: There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Steve Bauer, Research Analyst

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