S.B. 15 Enrolled

             1     

REEMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS AMENDMENTS

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Todd Weiler

             5     
House Sponsor: Merrill F. Nelson

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies the Utah State Retirement and Insurance Benefit Act by amending
             10      postretirement employment restrictions.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    exempts an active senior justice court judge appointed to hear cases by the Utah
             14      Supreme Court and a part-time appointed board member from postretirement
             15      employment restrictions;
             16          .    exempts a reemployed retiree who serves as a judge from reemployment earnings
             17      limitations; and
             18          .    makes technical changes.
             19      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             20          None
             21      Other Special Clauses:
             22          None
             23      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             24      AMENDS:
             25           49-11-505 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 48
             26     
             27      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             28          Section 1. Section 49-11-505 is amended to read:
             29           49-11-505. Reemployment of a retiree -- Restrictions.


             30          (1) (a) For purposes of this section, "retiree":
             31          (i) means a person who:
             32          (A) retired from a participating employer; and
             33          (B) begins reemployment on or after July 1, 2010, with a participating employer;
             34          (ii) does not include a person:
             35          (A) who was reemployed by a participating employer before July 1, 2010; and
             36          (B) whose participating employer that reemployed the person under Subsection
             37      (1)(a)(ii)(A) was dissolved, consolidated, merged, or structurally changed in accordance with
             38      Section 49-11-621 after July 1, 2010; and
             39          (iii) does not include a person who is reemployed as an active senior judge or an active
             40      senior justice court judge as described by Utah State Court Rules, appointed to hear cases by
             41      the Utah Supreme Court in accordance with Article VIII, Section 4, Utah Constitution.
             42          (b) (i) This section does not apply to employment as an elected official if the elected
             43      official's position is not full time as certified by the participating employer.
             44          (ii) The provisions of this section apply to an elected official whose elected position is
             45      full time as certified by the participating employer.
             46          (c) (i) This section does not apply to employment as a part-time appointed board
             47      member who does not receive any remuneration, stipend, or other benefit for the part-time
             48      appointed board member's service.
             49          (ii) For purposes of this Subsection (1)(c), remuneration, stipend, or other benefit does
             50      not include receipt of per diem and travel expenses up to the amounts established by the
             51      Division of Finance in:
             52          (A) Section 63A-3-106 ;
             53          (B) Section 63A-3-107 ; and
             54          (C) rules made by the Division of Finance according to Sections 63A-3-106 and
             55      63A-3-107 .
             56          (2) A retiree may not for the same period of reemployment:
             57          (a) (i) earn additional service credit; or


             58          (ii) receive any retirement related contribution from a participating employer; and
             59          (b) receive a retirement allowance.
             60          (3) (a) Except as provided under Subsection (3)(b), the office shall cancel the
             61      retirement allowance of a retiree if the reemployment with a participating employer begins
             62      within one year of the retiree's retirement date.
             63          (b) The office may not cancel the retirement allowance of a retiree who is reemployed
             64      with a participating employer within one year of the retiree's retirement date if:
             65          (i) the retiree is not reemployed by a participating employer for a period of at least 60
             66      days from the retiree's retirement date;
             67          (ii) upon reemployment after the break in service under Subsection (3)(b)(i), the retiree
             68      does not receive any employer provided benefits, including:
             69          (A) medical benefits;
             70          (B) dental benefits;
             71          (C) other insurance benefits except for workers' compensation as provided under Title
             72      34A, Chapter 2, Workers' Compensation Act, and withholdings required by federal or state law
             73      for Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance; or
             74          (D) paid time off, including sick, annual, or other type of leave; and
             75          (iii) (A) the retiree does not earn in any calendar year of reemployment an amount in
             76      excess of the lesser of[: (A)] $15,000[;] or [(B)] one-half of the retiree's final average salary
             77      upon which the retiree's retirement allowance is based[.]; or
             78          (B) the retiree is reemployed as a judge as defined under Section 78A-11-102 .
             79          (c) Beginning January 1, 2013, the board shall adjust the amount under Subsection
             80      (3)(b)(iii)(A) by the annual change in the Consumer Price Index during the previous calendar
             81      year as measured by a United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index average
             82      as determined by the board.
             83          (d) The office shall cancel the retirement allowance of a retiree for the remainder of the
             84      calendar year if the reemployment with a participating employer exceeds the [limitations]
             85      limitation under Subsection (3)(b)(iii)(A).


             86          (e) If a retiree is reemployed under the provisions of (3)(b), the termination date of the
             87      reemployment, as confirmed in writing by the participating employer, is considered the retiree's
             88      retirement date for the purpose of calculating the separation requirement under Subsection
             89      (3)(a).
             90          (4) If a reemployed retiree has completed the one-year separation from employment
             91      with a participating employer required under Subsection (3)(a), the retiree may elect to:
             92          (a) earn additional service credit in accordance with this title and cancel the retiree's
             93      retirement allowance; or
             94          (b) continue to receive the retiree's retirement allowance and forfeit any retirement
             95      related contribution from the participating employer who reemployed the retiree.
             96          (5) A participating employer who reemploys a retiree shall contribute to the office the
             97      amortization rate, as defined in Section 49-11-102 , to be applied to the system that would have
             98      covered the retiree, if the reemployed retiree:
             99          (a) has completed the one-year separation from employment with a participating
             100      employer required under Subsection (3)(a); and
             101          (b) makes an election under Subsection (4)(b) to continue to receive a retirement
             102      allowance while reemployed.
             103          (6) (a) A participating employer shall immediately notify the office:
             104          (i) if the participating employer reemploys a retiree;
             105          (ii) whether the reemployment is subject to Subsection (3)(b) or (4) of this section; and
             106          (iii) of any election by the retiree under Subsection (4).
             107          (b) A participating employer shall certify to the office whether the position of an
             108      elected official is or is not full time.
             109          (c) A participating employer is liable to the office for a payment or failure to make a
             110      payment in violation of this section.
             111          (d) If a participating employer fails to notify the office in accordance with this section,
             112      the participating employer is immediately subject to a compliance audit by the office.
             113          (7) (a) The office shall immediately cancel the retirement allowance of a retiree in


             114      accordance with Subsection (7)(b) if the office receives notice or learns of:
             115          (i) the reemployment of a retiree in violation of Subsection (3); or
             116          (ii) the election of a reemployed retiree under Subsection (4)(a).
             117          (b) If the retiree is eligible for retirement coverage in the reemployed position, the
             118      office shall cancel the allowance of a retiree subject to Subsection (7)(a), and reinstate the
             119      retiree to active member status on the first day of the month following the date of:
             120          (i) reemployment if the retiree is subject to Subsection (3); or
             121          (ii) an election by an employee under Subsection (4)(a).
             122          (c) If the retiree is not otherwise eligible for retirement coverage in the reemployed
             123      position:
             124          (i) the office shall cancel the allowance of a retiree subject to Subsection (7)(a)(i); and
             125          (ii) the participating employer shall pay the amortization rate to the office on behalf of
             126      the retiree.
             127          (8) (a) A retiree subject to Subsection (7)(b) who retires within two years from the date
             128      of reemployment:
             129          (i) is not entitled to a recalculated retirement benefit; and
             130          (ii) will resume the allowance that was being paid at the time of cancellation.
             131          (b) Subject to Subsection (2), a retiree who is reinstated to active membership under
             132      Subsection (7) and who retires two or more years after the date of reinstatement to active
             133      membership shall:
             134          (i) resume receiving the allowance that was being paid at the time of cancellation; and
             135          (ii) receive an additional allowance based on the formula in effect at the date of the
             136      subsequent retirement for all service credit accrued between the first and subsequent retirement
             137      dates.
             138          (9) (a) A retiree subject to this section shall report to the office the status of the
             139      reemployment under Subsection (3) or (4).
             140          (b) If the retiree fails to inform the office of an election under Subsection (4), the office
             141      shall withhold one month's benefit for each month the retiree fails to inform the office under


             142      Subsection (9)(a).
             143          (10) The board may make rules to implement this section.


[Bill Documents][Bills Directory]