Bill Text: IL HB3256 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the State Universities Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a Tier 2 member is entitled to a retirement annuity upon written application if he or she has at least 10 years of service credit as a police officer, has attained age 55, and is otherwise eligible under the requirements of the Article. Provides that a Tier 2 member who has attained age 50, has at least 10 years of service credit as a police officer, and is otherwise eligible under the requirements of the Article may elect to receive a retirement annuity that is reduced by 6% for each year that member is under the age of 55. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-29 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB3256 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HB3256-Introduced.html

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101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2019 and 2020 HB3256 Introduced , by Rep. Dan Brady SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
40 ILCS 5/15-135 from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-135
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 a Tier 2 member is entitled to a retirement annuity upon written application if he or she has at least 10 years of service credit as a police officer, has attained age 55, and is otherwise eligible under the requirements of the Article. Provides that a Tier 2 member who has attained age 50, has at least 10 years of service credit as a police officer, and is otherwise eligible under the requirements of the Article may elect to receive a retirement annuity that is reduced by 6% for each year that member is under the age of 55. Effective immediately.
LRB101 05193 RPS 50205 b
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
Sections 15-135 and 15-136 as follows:
(40 ILCS 5/15-135) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-135)
Sec. 15-135. Retirement annuities - Conditions.
(a) This subsection (a) applies only to a Tier 1 member. A
participant who retires in one of the following specified years
with the specified amount of service is entitled to a
retirement annuity at any age under the retirement program
applicable to the participant:
35 years if retirement is in 1997 or before;
34 years if retirement is in 1998;
33 years if retirement is in 1999;
32 years if retirement is in 2000;
31 years if retirement is in 2001;
30 years if retirement is in 2002 or later.
A participant with 8 or more years of service after
September 1, 1941, is entitled to a retirement annuity on or
after attainment of age 55.
A participant with at least 5 but less than 8 years of
service after September 1, 1941, is entitled to a retirement

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annuity on or after attainment of age 62.
A participant who has at least 25 years of service in this
system as a police officer or firefighter is entitled to a
retirement annuity on or after the attainment of age 50, if
Rule 4 of Section 15-136 is applicable to the participant.
(a-5) A Tier 2 member is entitled to a retirement annuity
upon written application if he or she has attained age 67 and
has at least 10 years of service credit and is otherwise
eligible under the requirements of this Article. A Tier 2
member who has attained age 62 and has at least 10 years of
service credit and is otherwise eligible under the requirements
of this Article may elect to receive the lower retirement
annuity provided in subsection (b-5) of Section 15-136 of this
Article.
(a-10) A Tier 2 member is entitled to a retirement annuity
upon written application if he or she has at least 10 years of
service credit as a police officer, has attained age 55, and is
otherwise eligible under the requirements of this Article. A
Tier 2 member who has attained age 50, has at least 10 years of
service credit as a police officer, and is otherwise eligible
under the requirements of this Article may elect to receive the
lower retirement annuity provided in subsection (b-10) of
Section 15-136.
(b) The annuity payment period shall begin on the date
specified by the participant or the recipient of a disability
retirement annuity submitting a written application. For a

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participant, the date on which the annuity payment period
begins shall not be prior to termination of employment or more
than one year before the application is received by the board;
however, if the participant is not an employee of an employer
participating in this System or in a participating system as
defined in Article 20 of this Code on April 1 of the calendar
year next following the calendar year in which the participant
attains age 70 1/2, the annuity payment period shall begin on
that date regardless of whether an application has been filed.
For a recipient of a disability retirement annuity, the date on
which the annuity payment period begins shall not be prior to
the discontinuation of the disability retirement annuity under
Section 15-153.2.
(c) An annuity is not payable if the amount provided under
Section 15-136 is less than $10 per month.
(Source: P.A. 100-556, eff. 12-8-17.)
(40 ILCS 5/15-136) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-136)
(Text of Section WITHOUT the changes made by P.A. 98-599,
which has been held unconstitutional)
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,

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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
following, determined from amounts credited to the participant
in accordance with the actuarial tables and the effective 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

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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
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

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(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
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. A Tier 2
member is eligible for a retirement annuity calculated under

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Rule 4 only if that Tier 2 member meets the service
requirements for that benefit calculation as prescribed under
this Rule 4 in addition to the applicable age requirement under
subsection (a-5) of Section 15-135.
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
officer or firefighter, from the date of that transfer
until the employee's next termination of service with the
University of Illinois.
(b) For a Tier 1 member, 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

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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
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.
(b-5) The retirement annuity of a Tier 2 member who is
retiring after attaining age 62 with at least 10 years of
service credit shall be reduced by 1/2 of 1% for each full
month that the member's age is under age 67.
(b-10) The retirement annuity of a Tier 2 member who is
retiring after attaining age 50 with at least 10 years of
service credit as a police officer shall be reduced by 6% for
each year that the member's age is under age 55.
(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.

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(d) A Tier 1 member 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, or Rule 4 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
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, or Rule 4 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

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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.
(d-5) A retirement annuity of a Tier 2 member shall receive
annual increases on the January 1 occurring either on or after
the attainment of age 67 or the first anniversary of the
annuity start date, whichever is later. Each annual increase
shall be calculated at 3% or one half the annual unadjusted
percentage increase (but not less than zero) in the consumer
price index-u for the 12 months ending with the September
preceding each November 1, whichever is less, of the originally
granted retirement annuity. If the annual unadjusted
percentage change in the consumer price index-u for the 12
months ending with the September preceding each November 1 is
zero or there is a decrease, then the annuity shall not be
increased.
(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

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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
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

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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
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. 97-933, eff. 8-10-12; 97-968, eff. 8-16-12;
98-92, eff. 7-16-13.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.