H.B. 126

             1     

RETIREMENT AMENDMENTS

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Lee B. Perry

             5     
Senate Sponsor: John L. Valentine

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies the Utah State Retirement and Insurance Benefit Act by amending
             10      provisions for postretirement reemployment.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    allows a reemployed retiree to be considered as having completed the one-year
             14      separation requirement from a participating employer, if the retiree:
             15              .    suffered an injury while performing the duties of employment as a public safety
             16      service employee, which resulted in the inability to perform the duties of the
             17      employment; and
             18              .    is reemployed with a different participating employer; and
             19          .    makes technical changes.
             20      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             21          None
             22      Other Special Clauses:
             23          None
             24      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             25      AMENDS:
             26           49-11-505 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 48
             27     


             28      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             29          Section 1. Section 49-11-505 is amended to read:
             30           49-11-505. Reemployment of a retiree -- Restrictions.
             31          (1) (a) For purposes of this section, "retiree":
             32          (i) means a person who:
             33          (A) retired from a participating employer; and
             34          (B) begins reemployment on or after July 1, 2010, with a participating employer;
             35          (ii) does not include a person:
             36          (A) who was reemployed by a participating employer before July 1, 2010; and
             37          (B) whose participating employer that reemployed the person under Subsection
             38      (1)(a)(ii)(A) was dissolved, consolidated, merged, or structurally changed in accordance with
             39      Section 49-11-621 after July 1, 2010; and
             40          (iii) does not include a person who is reemployed as an active senior judge appointed
             41      to hear cases by the Utah Supreme Court in accordance with Article VIII, Section 4, Utah
             42      Constitution.
             43          (b) (i) This section does not apply to employment as an elected official if the elected
             44      official's position is not full time as certified by the participating employer.
             45          (ii) The provisions of this section apply to an elected official whose elected position is
             46      full time as certified by the participating employer.
             47          (2) A retiree may not for the same period of reemployment:
             48          (a) (i) earn additional service credit; or
             49          (ii) receive any retirement related contribution from a participating employer; and
             50          (b) receive a retirement allowance.
             51          (3) (a) Except as provided under Subsection (3)(b) or (10), the office shall cancel the
             52      retirement allowance of a retiree if the reemployment with a participating employer begins
             53      within one year of the retiree's retirement date.
             54          (b) The office may not cancel the retirement allowance of a retiree who is reemployed
             55      with a participating employer within one year of the retiree's retirement date if:
             56          (i) the retiree is not reemployed by a participating employer for a period of at least 60
             57      days from the retiree's retirement date;
             58          (ii) upon reemployment after the break in service under Subsection (3)(b)(i), the retiree


             59      does not receive any employer provided benefits, including:
             60          (A) medical benefits;
             61          (B) dental benefits;
             62          (C) other insurance benefits except for workers' compensation as provided under Title
             63      34A, Chapter 2, Workers' Compensation Act, and withholdings required by federal or state
             64      law for Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance; or
             65          (D) paid time off, including sick, annual, or other type of leave; and
             66          (iii) the retiree does not earn in any calendar year of reemployment an amount in excess
             67      of the lesser of:
             68          (A) $15,000; or
             69          (B) one-half of the retiree's final average salary upon which the retiree's retirement
             70      allowance is based.
             71          (c) Beginning January 1, 2013, the board shall adjust the amount under Subsection
             72      (3)(b)(iii)(A) by the annual change in the Consumer Price Index during the previous calendar
             73      year as measured by a United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index average
             74      as determined by the board.
             75          (d) The office shall cancel the retirement allowance of a retiree for the remainder of the
             76      calendar year if the reemployment with a participating employer exceeds the limitations under
             77      Subsection (3)(b)(iii).
             78          (e) If a retiree is reemployed under the provisions of Subsection (3)(b), the termination
             79      date of the reemployment, as confirmed in writing by the participating employer, is considered
             80      the retiree's retirement date for the purpose of calculating the separation requirement under
             81      Subsection (3)(a).
             82          (4) If a reemployed retiree has completed the one-year separation from employment
             83      with a participating employer required under Subsection (3)(a), the retiree may elect to:
             84          (a) earn additional service credit in accordance with this title and cancel the retiree's
             85      retirement allowance; or
             86          (b) continue to receive the retiree's retirement allowance and forfeit any retirement
             87      related contribution from the participating employer who reemployed the retiree.
             88          (5) A participating employer who reemploys a retiree shall contribute to the office the
             89      amortization rate, as defined in Section 49-11-102 , to be applied to the system that would have


             90      covered the retiree, if the reemployed retiree:
             91          (a) has completed the one-year separation from employment with a participating
             92      employer required under Subsection (3)(a); and
             93          (b) makes an election under Subsection (4)(b) to continue to receive a retirement
             94      allowance while reemployed.
             95          (6) (a) A participating employer shall immediately notify the office:
             96          (i) if the participating employer reemploys a retiree;
             97          (ii) whether the reemployment is subject to Subsection (3)(b) or (4) of this section; and
             98          (iii) of any election by the retiree under Subsection (4).
             99          (b) A participating employer shall certify to the office whether the position of an
             100      elected official is or is not full time.
             101          (c) A participating employer is liable to the office for a payment or failure to make a
             102      payment in violation of this section.
             103          (d) If a participating employer fails to notify the office in accordance with this section,
             104      the participating employer is immediately subject to a compliance audit by the office.
             105          (7) (a) The office shall immediately cancel the retirement allowance of a retiree in
             106      accordance with Subsection (7)(b) if the office receives notice or learns of:
             107          (i) the reemployment of a retiree in violation of Subsection (3); or
             108          (ii) the election of a reemployed retiree under Subsection (4)(a).
             109          (b) If the retiree is eligible for retirement coverage in the reemployed position, the
             110      office shall cancel the allowance of a retiree subject to Subsection (7)(a), and reinstate the
             111      retiree to active member status on the first day of the month following the date of:
             112          (i) reemployment if the retiree is subject to Subsection (3); or
             113          (ii) an election by an employee under Subsection (4)(a).
             114          (c) If the retiree is not otherwise eligible for retirement coverage in the reemployed
             115      position:
             116          (i) the office shall cancel the allowance of a retiree subject to Subsection (7)(a)(i); and
             117          (ii) the participating employer shall pay the amortization rate to the office on behalf of
             118      the retiree.
             119          (8) (a) A retiree subject to Subsection (7)(b) who retires within two years from the date
             120      of reemployment:


             121          (i) is not entitled to a recalculated retirement benefit; and
             122          (ii) will resume the allowance that was being paid at the time of cancellation.
             123          (b) Subject to Subsection (2), a retiree who is reinstated to active membership under
             124      Subsection (7) and who retires two or more years after the date of reinstatement to active
             125      membership shall:
             126          (i) resume receiving the allowance that was being paid at the time of cancellation; and
             127          (ii) receive an additional allowance based on the formula in effect at the date of the
             128      subsequent retirement for all service credit accrued between the first and subsequent retirement
             129      dates.
             130          (9) (a) A retiree subject to this section shall report to the office the status of the
             131      reemployment under Subsection (3) or (4).
             132          (b) If the retiree fails to inform the office of an election under Subsection (4), the office
             133      shall withhold one month's benefit for each month the retiree fails to inform the office under
             134      Subsection (9)(a).
             135          (10) A retiree shall be considered as having completed the one-year separation from
             136      employment with a participating employer required under Subsection (3)(a), if the retiree:
             137          (a) before retiring:
             138          (i) was employed with a participating employer as a public safety service employee as
             139      defined in Section 49-14-102 , 49-15-102 , or 49-23-102 ;
             140          (ii) and during the employment under Subsection (10)(a)(i), suffered a physical injury
             141      resulting from external force or violence while performing the duties of the employment, and
             142      for which injury the retiree would have been approved for total disability in accordance with
             143      the provisions under Title 49, Chapter 21, Public Employees' Long-Term Disability Act, if
             144      years of service are not considered;
             145          (iii) had less than 30 years of service credit but had sufficient service credit to retire,
             146      with an unreduced allowance making the public safety service employee ineligible for
             147      long-term disability payments under Title 49, Chapter 21, Public Employees' Long-Term
             148      Disability Act, or a substantially similar long-term disability program; and
             149          (iv) does not receive any long-term disability benefits from any participating employer;
             150      and
             151          (b) is reemployed by a different participating employer.


             152          [(10)] (11) The board may make rules to implement this section.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-11-14 3:39 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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