Bill Text: IL HB2624 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, on January 1, 2010, the monthly pension of an annuitant who retired before January 1, 1980 shall be recalculated and increased to reflect the amount the annuitant would have received in January 2010 had the annuitant been receiving a 3% increase for each year he or she received a monthly annuity under Rule 1, Rule 2, Rule 3, Rule 4, or Rule 5. Provides for an additional increase of 3% of the amount of the retirement annuity then being received each January thereafter. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-03-13 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB2624 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-HB2624-Introduced.html

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96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2009 and 2010 HB2624 Introduced 2/20/2009, by Rep. Naomi D. Jakobsson SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
40 ILCS 5/15-136 from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-136
Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that, on January 1, 2010, the monthly pension of an annuitant who retired before January 1, 1980 shall be recalculated and increased to reflect the amount the annuitant would have received in January 2010 had the annuitant been receiving a 3% increase for each year he or she received a monthly annuity under Rule 1, Rule 2, Rule 3, Rule 4, or Rule 5. Provides for an additional increase of 3% of the amount of the retirement annuity then being received each January thereafter. Effective immediately.
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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY PENSION IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning public employee benefits.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by changing
Section 15-136 as follows:
(40 ILCS 5/15-136) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-136)
Sec. 15-136. Retirement annuities - Amount. The provisions
of this Section 15-136 apply only to those participants who are
participating in the traditional benefit package or the
portable benefit package and do not apply to participants who
are participating in the self-managed plan.
(a) The amount of a participant's retirement annuity,
expressed in the form of a single-life annuity, shall be
determined by whichever of the following rules is applicable
and provides the largest annuity:
Rule 1: The retirement annuity shall be 1.67% of final rate
of earnings for each of the first 10 years of service, 1.90%
for each of the next 10 years of service, 2.10% for each year
of service in excess of 20 but not exceeding 30, and 2.30% for
each year in excess of 30; or for persons who retire on or
after January 1, 1998, 2.2% of the final rate of earnings for
each year of service.
Rule 2: The retirement annuity shall be the sum of the

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following, determined from amounts credited to the participant
in accordance with the actuarial tables and the prescribed rate
of interest in effect at the time the retirement annuity
begins:
(i) the normal annuity which can be provided on an
actuarially equivalent basis, by the accumulated normal
contributions as of the date the annuity begins;
(ii) an annuity from employer contributions of an
amount equal to that which can be provided on an
actuarially equivalent basis from the accumulated normal
contributions made by the participant under Section
15-113.6 and Section 15-113.7 plus 1.4 times all other
accumulated normal contributions made by the participant;
and
(iii) the annuity that can be provided on an
actuarially equivalent basis from the entire contribution
made by the participant under Section 15-113.3.
With respect to a police officer or firefighter who retires
on or after August 14, 1998, the accumulated normal
contributions taken into account under clauses (i) and (ii) of
this Rule 2 shall include the additional normal contributions
made by the police officer or firefighter under Section
15-157(a).
The amount of a retirement annuity calculated under this
Rule 2 shall be computed solely on the basis of the
participant's accumulated normal contributions, as specified

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in this Rule and defined in Section 15-116. Neither an employee
or employer contribution for early retirement under Section
15-136.2 nor any other employer contribution shall be used in
the calculation of the amount of a retirement annuity under
this Rule 2.
This amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly is a
clarification of existing law and applies to every participant
and annuitant without regard to whether status as an employee
terminates before the effective date of this amendatory Act.
This Rule 2 does not apply to a person who first becomes an
employee under this Article on or after July 1, 2005.
Rule 3: The retirement annuity of a participant who is
employed at least one-half time during the period on which his
or her final rate of earnings is based, shall be equal to the
participant's years of service not to exceed 30, multiplied by
(1) $96 if the participant's final rate of earnings is less
than $3,500, (2) $108 if the final rate of earnings is at least
$3,500 but less than $4,500, (3) $120 if the final rate of
earnings is at least $4,500 but less than $5,500, (4) $132 if
the final rate of earnings is at least $5,500 but less than
$6,500, (5) $144 if the final rate of earnings is at least
$6,500 but less than $7,500, (6) $156 if the final rate of
earnings is at least $7,500 but less than $8,500, (7) $168 if
the final rate of earnings is at least $8,500 but less than
$9,500, and (8) $180 if the final rate of earnings is $9,500 or
more, except that the annuity for those persons having made an

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election under Section 15-154(a-1) shall be calculated and
payable under the portable retirement benefit program pursuant
to the provisions of Section 15-136.4.
Rule 4: A participant who is at least age 50 and has 25 or
more years of service as a police officer or firefighter, and a
participant who is age 55 or over and has at least 20 but less
than 25 years of service as a police officer or firefighter,
shall be entitled to a retirement annuity of 2 1/4% of the
final rate of earnings for each of the first 10 years of
service as a police officer or firefighter, 2 1/2% for each of
the next 10 years of service as a police officer or
firefighter, and 2 3/4% for each year of service as a police
officer or firefighter in excess of 20. The retirement annuity
for all other service shall be computed under Rule 1.
For purposes of this Rule 4, a participant's service as a
firefighter shall also include the following:
(i) service that is performed while the person is an
employee under subsection (h) of Section 15-107; and
(ii) in the case of an individual who was a
participating employee employed in the fire department of
the University of Illinois's Champaign-Urbana campus
immediately prior to the elimination of that fire
department and who immediately after the elimination of
that fire department transferred to another job with the
University of Illinois, service performed as an employee of
the University of Illinois in a position other than police

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officer or firefighter, from the date of that transfer
until the employee's next termination of service with the
University of Illinois.
Rule 5: The retirement annuity of a participant who elected
early retirement under the provisions of Section 15-136.2 and
who, on or before February 16, 1995, brought administrative
proceedings pursuant to the administrative rules adopted by the
System to challenge the calculation of his or her retirement
annuity shall be the sum of the following, determined from
amounts credited to the participant in accordance with the
actuarial tables and the prescribed rate of interest in effect
at the time the retirement annuity begins:
(i) the normal annuity which can be provided on an
actuarially equivalent basis, by the accumulated normal
contributions as of the date the annuity begins; and
(ii) an annuity from employer contributions of an
amount equal to that which can be provided on an
actuarially equivalent basis from the accumulated normal
contributions made by the participant under Section
15-113.6 and Section 15-113.7 plus 1.4 times all other
accumulated normal contributions made by the participant;
and
(iii) an annuity which can be provided on an
actuarially equivalent basis from the employee
contribution for early retirement under Section 15-136.2,
and an annuity from employer contributions of an amount

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equal to that which can be provided on an actuarially
equivalent basis from the employee contribution for early
retirement under Section 15-136.2.
In no event shall a retirement annuity under this Rule 5 be
lower than the amount obtained by adding (1) the monthly amount
obtained by dividing the combined employee and employer
contributions made under Section 15-136.2 by the System's
annuity factor for the age of the participant at the beginning
of the annuity payment period and (2) the amount equal to the
participant's annuity if calculated under Rule 1, reduced under
Section 15-136(b) as if no contributions had been made under
Section 15-136.2.
With respect to a participant who is qualified for a
retirement annuity under this Rule 5 whose retirement annuity
began before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
91st General Assembly, and for whom an employee contribution
was made under Section 15-136.2, the System shall recalculate
the retirement annuity under this Rule 5 and shall pay any
additional amounts due in the manner provided in Section
15-186.1 for benefits mistakenly set too low.
The amount of a retirement annuity calculated under this
Rule 5 shall be computed solely on the basis of those
contributions specifically set forth in this Rule 5. Except as
provided in clause (iii) of this Rule 5, neither an employee
nor employer contribution for early retirement under Section
15-136.2, nor any other employer contribution, shall be used in

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the calculation of the amount of a retirement annuity under
this Rule 5.
The General Assembly has adopted the changes set forth in
Section 25 of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly
in recognition that the decision of the Appellate Court for the
Fourth District in Mattis v. State Universities Retirement
System et al. might be deemed to give some right to the
plaintiff in that case. The changes made by Section 25 of this
amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly are a legislative
implementation of the decision of the Appellate Court for the
Fourth District in Mattis v. State Universities Retirement
System et al. with respect to that plaintiff.
The changes made by Section 25 of this amendatory Act of
the 91st General Assembly apply without regard to whether the
person is in service as an employee on or after its effective
date.
(b) The retirement annuity provided under Rules 1 and 3
above shall be reduced by 1/2 of 1% for each month the
participant is under age 60 at the time of retirement. However,
this reduction shall not apply in the following cases:
(1) For a disabled participant whose disability
benefits have been discontinued because he or she has
exhausted eligibility for disability benefits under clause
(6) of Section 15-152;
(2) For a participant who has at least the number of
years of service required to retire at any age under

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subsection (a) of Section 15-135; or
(3) For that portion of a retirement annuity which has
been provided on account of service of the participant
during periods when he or she performed the duties of a
police officer or firefighter, if these duties were
performed for at least 5 years immediately preceding the
date the retirement annuity is to begin.
(c) The maximum retirement annuity provided under Rules 1,
2, 4, and 5 shall be the lesser of (1) the annual limit of
benefits as specified in Section 415 of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as such Section may be amended from time to time
and as such benefit limits shall be adjusted by the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue, and (2) 80% of final rate of
earnings.
(d) An annuitant whose status as an employee terminates
after August 14, 1969 shall receive automatic increases in his
or her retirement annuity as follows:
Effective January 1 immediately following the date the
retirement annuity begins, the annuitant shall receive an
increase in his or her monthly retirement annuity of 0.125% of
the monthly retirement annuity provided under Rule 1, Rule 2,
Rule 3, Rule 4, or Rule 5, contained in this Section,
multiplied by the number of full months which elapsed from the
date the retirement annuity payments began to January 1, 1972,
plus 0.1667% of such annuity, multiplied by the number of full
months which elapsed from January 1, 1972, or the date the

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retirement annuity payments began, whichever is later, to
January 1, 1978, plus 0.25% of such annuity multiplied by the
number of full months which elapsed from January 1, 1978, or
the date the retirement annuity payments began, whichever is
later, to the effective date of the increase.
The annuitant shall receive an increase in his or her
monthly retirement annuity on each January 1 thereafter during
the annuitant's life of 3% of the monthly annuity provided
under Rule 1, Rule 2, Rule 3, Rule 4, or Rule 5 contained in
this Section. The change made under this subsection by P.A.
81-970 is effective January 1, 1980 and applies to each
annuitant whose status as an employee terminates before or
after that date.
Beginning January 1, 1990, all automatic annual increases
payable under this Section shall be calculated as a percentage
of the total annuity payable at the time of the increase,
including all increases previously granted under this Article.
The change made in this subsection by P.A. 85-1008 is
effective January 26, 1988, and is applicable without regard to
whether status as an employee terminated before that date.
On January 1, 2010, the monthly pension of an annuitant who
retired before January 1, 1980 shall be recalculated and
increased to reflect the amount the annuitant would have
received in January 2010 had the annuitant been receiving a 3%
increase for each year he or she received a monthly annuity
under Rule 1, Rule 2, Rule 3, Rule 4, or Rule 5 contained in

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this Section. Each January thereafter, he or she shall receive
an additional increase of 3% of the amount of the retirement
annuity then being received.
(e) If, on January 1, 1987, or the date the retirement
annuity payment period begins, whichever is later, the sum of
the retirement annuity provided under Rule 1 or Rule 2 of this
Section and the automatic annual increases provided under the
preceding subsection or Section 15-136.1, amounts to less than
the retirement annuity which would be provided by Rule 3, the
retirement annuity shall be increased as of January 1, 1987, or
the date the retirement annuity payment period begins,
whichever is later, to the amount which would be provided by
Rule 3 of this Section. Such increased amount shall be
considered as the retirement annuity in determining benefits
provided under other Sections of this Article. This paragraph
applies without regard to whether status as an employee
terminated before the effective date of this amendatory Act of
1987, provided that the annuitant was employed at least
one-half time during the period on which the final rate of
earnings was based.
(f) A participant is entitled to such additional annuity as
may be provided on an actuarially equivalent basis, by any
accumulated additional contributions to his or her credit.
However, the additional contributions made by the participant
toward the automatic increases in annuity provided under this
Section shall not be taken into account in determining the

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amount of such additional annuity.
(g) If, (1) by law, a function of a governmental unit, as
defined by Section 20-107 of this Code, is transferred in whole
or in part to an employer, and (2) a participant transfers
employment from such governmental unit to such employer within
6 months after the transfer of the function, and (3) the sum of
(A) the annuity payable to the participant under Rule 1, 2, or
3 of this Section (B) all proportional annuities payable to the
participant by all other retirement systems covered by Article
20, and (C) the initial primary insurance amount to which the
participant is entitled under the Social Security Act, is less
than the retirement annuity which would have been payable if
all of the participant's pension credits validated under
Section 20-109 had been validated under this system, a
supplemental annuity equal to the difference in such amounts
shall be payable to the participant.
(h) On January 1, 1981, an annuitant who was receiving a
retirement annuity on or before January 1, 1971 shall have his
or her retirement annuity then being paid increased $1 per
month for each year of creditable service. On January 1, 1982,
an annuitant whose retirement annuity began on or before
January 1, 1977, shall have his or her retirement annuity then
being paid increased $1 per month for each year of creditable
service.
(i) On January 1, 1987, any annuitant whose retirement
annuity began on or before January 1, 1977, shall have the

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monthly retirement annuity increased by an amount equal to 8¢
per year of creditable service times the number of years that
have elapsed since the annuity began.
(Source: P.A. 93-347, eff. 7-24-03; 94-4, eff. 6-1-05.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.