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H.B. 6 Enrolled

    

SURVIVING SPOUSE PENSION

    
1997 GENERAL SESSION

    
STATE OF UTAH

    
Sponsor: Orville D. Carnahan

    AN ACT RELATING TO PENSIONS; AMENDING ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR A
    PUBLIC EMPLOYEE'S SURVIVING SPOUSE TO RECEIVE A RETIREMENT
    BENEFIT; PROVIDING FOR RETROSPECTIVE OPERATION; PROVIDING AN
    EFFECTIVE DATE; AND PROVIDING A COORDINATION CLAUSE.
    This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
    AMENDS:
         49-3-406, as last amended by Chapter 90, Laws of Utah 1994
    Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
        Section 1. Section 49-3-406 is amended to read:
         49-3-406. Death of married members -- Service retirement benefits to surviving
     spouse.
        (1) As used in this section, "member's full allowance" means the benefit calculated using
    the formula under Subsection 49-3-402(2)(a) without an actuarial reduction.
        [(1) A] (2) Beginning January 1, 1997, a member who has [25] 15 or more years of
    credited service, age 60 with 20 or more years of credited service, age 62 with ten or more years
    of credited service, or age 65 with four or more years of credited service, respectively, and who
    dies leaving a spouse to whom the member has been married at least six months prior to the death
    date, may, upon the request of the spouse, be considered to have retired on the first day of the
    month following the month in which death occurred and retired under Plan Three.
        [(2) The benefit calculation when there are 25 or more years of service shall be calculated
    without an actuarial reduction.]
        (3) The retirement benefit payable to a surviving spouse under Subsection (2) is:
        (a) if the member has 25 or more years of credited service at the time of death, the
    surviving spouse shall receive the member's full allowance;
        (b) if the member has between 20-24 years of credited service and is not age 60 or older


    at the time of death, the surviving spouse shall receive two-thirds of the member's full allowance;
        (c) if the member has between 15-19 years of credited service and is not age 62 or older at
    the time of death, the surviving spouse shall receive one-third of the member's full allowance; or
        (d) if the member is age 60 or older with 20 or more years of credited service, age 62 or
    older with 10 or more years of credited service, or age 65 or older with four or more years of credited
    service at the time of death, the surviving spouse shall receive the benefit calculated using the
    formula and the actuarial reduction under Subsections 49-3-402(2)(a) and (2)(b).
        [(3)] (4) Benefits payable under this section are service retirement benefits and shall be paid
    in addition to any other payments made under Section 49-3-701, except for a return of accumulated
    contributions, and shall constitute a full and final settlement of the claim of the spouse or any other
    beneficiary filing a claim for benefits under Section 49-3-701.
        Section 2. Retrospective operation.
        This act has retrospective operation to January 1, 1997.
        Section 3. Effective date.
        If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this act takes effect upon
    approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah Constitution
    Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto, the date of veto
    override.
        Section 4. Coordination clause.
        If this bill, H.B. 1, Appropriations Act, and H.B. 2, Minimum School Program Act
    Amendments, all pass:
        (1) the additional cost of providing the benefit under this section shall be funded beginning
    July 1, 1997, by means of an increase in the retirement contribution rate established by the
    consulting actuary and approved by the board; and
        (2) the contribution rate increase for public employees and educators under Subsection (1)
    shall be funded in fiscal year 1997-98 for this additional compensation purpose with funds
    appropriated in H.B. 1 and H.B. 2 for public employees and educators.

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