HOUSE BILL No. 4422

 

March 1, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Sheen, Mortimer, Taub, Palmer, Garfield, Stahl, Pastor, Hummel, Gosselin, Hoogendyk, Baxter, Gaffney, Hune, Hildenbrand, Shaffer and Schuitmaker and referred to the Committee on Senior Health, Security, and Retirement.

 

     A bill to amend 1943 PA 240, entitled

 

"State employees' retirement act,"

 

(MCL 38.1 to 38.69) by adding section 19k.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 19k. (1) Notwithstanding section 19, a member may retire

 

and receive a retirement allowance computed under this section if

 

the member meets all of the following requirements:

 

     (a) On or before March 31, 2006, or on the effective date of

 

his or her retirement, whichever is earlier, the member meets 1 or

 

more of the following:

 

     (i) The member's combined age and length of credited service is

 

equal to or greater than 75 years.

 

     (ii) The member is 50 years of age or older and has 20 or more

 

years of credited service.

 


     (b) The member is within the classified state civil service,

 

is an employee of the judicial branch, or is an individual not

 

described in subsection (2)(b).

 

     (c) Except as provided in section 13(8), the member was

 

employed by this state for the 6-month period ending on the

 

effective date of his or her retirement or was an employee of the

 

state judicial council on September 30, 1996 as described in

 

section 44a. A member who is on layoff status from state employment

 

is considered to have met the employment requirement of this

 

subdivision.

 

     (d) Except as may be provided otherwise in subsection (5), the

 

member executes and files a written application with the retirement

 

board, on or after November 1, 2005, but not later than December

 

31, 2005, stating a date on or after November 1, 2005, but not

 

later than March 31, 2006, on which he or she desires to retire. A

 

member may withdraw a written application on or before January 15,

 

2006 or 7 days after the rejection of an extension requested under

 

subsection (5), whichever is later. A written application submitted

 

by a member and not withdrawn on or before January 15, 2006 or 7

 

days after the rejection of an extension requested under subsection

 

(5), whichever is later, is irrevocable.

 

     (e) The member is not eligible for a supplemental early

 

retirement under section 46 as a covered employee defined in

 

section 45 on or after November 1, 2005 through the effective date

 

of the member's retirement under this section.

 

     (f) The member is not a conservation officer as described in

 

section 48.

 


     (2) Notwithstanding section 19, a member may retire and

 

receive a retirement allowance computed under this section if the

 

member meets all of the following requirements:

 

     (a) On or before March 31, 2006, or on the effective date of

 

his or her retirement, whichever is earlier, the member's combined

 

age and length of credited service is equal to or greater than 75

 

years or the member is 50 years of age or older and has 20 or more

 

years of credited service.

 

     (b) The member is an employee of the legislature, is an

 

employee of the office of governor, or is an unclassified employee

 

within the executive branch.

 

     (c) Except as provided in section 13(8), the member was

 

employed by this state or the legislature for the 6-month period

 

ending on the effective date of his or her retirement. A member who

 

is on layoff status from state employment is considered to have met

 

the employment requirement of this subdivision.

 

     (d) The member executes and files a written application with

 

the retirement board, on or after November 1, 2005, but not later

 

than December 31, 2005, stating a date on or after November 1,

 

2005, but not later than March 31, 2006, on which he or she desires

 

to retire. A member may withdraw a written application on or before

 

January 15, 2006. A written application submitted by a member and

 

not withdrawn on or before January 15, 2006 is irrevocable. This

 

subdivision is subject to subsection (5).

 

     (e) The member is not eligible for a supplemental early

 

retirement under section 46 as a covered employee defined in

 

section 45 on or after July 1, 2005 through the effective date of

 


the member's retirement under this section.

 

     (f) The member is not a conservation officer as described in

 

section 48.

 

     (3) Any amount that a member retiring under this section would

 

otherwise be entitled to receive in a lump sum at retirement on

 

account of accumulated sick leave shall be paid in 60 consecutive

 

equal monthly installments beginning on or after November 1, 2005.

 

Payments received under this subsection may not be used to purchase

 

service credit under this act. These payments for accumulated sick

 

leave are to be paid from funds appropriated to the appointing

 

authority and not from funds of the retirement system. These

 

payments are not pensions, annuities, retirement allowances,

 

optional benefits, or any other rights described in section 40(1),

 

are not exempt from taxation, are subject to execution,

 

garnishment, attachment, the operation of bankruptcy or insolvency

 

laws, or other process of law, and may be assignable as provided in

 

this act.

 

     (4) Any amount that a member retiring under this section is

 

entitled to receive in a lump sum at retirement on account of

 

accumulated annual leave shall be paid on or after November 1,

 

2006. These payments are not pensions, annuities, retirement

 

allowances, optional benefits, or any other rights described in

 

section 40(1), are not exempt from taxation, are subject to

 

execution, garnishment, attachment, the operation of bankruptcy or

 

insolvency laws, or other process of law, and may be assignable as

 

provided in this act.

 

     (5) The director of a principal department may request that

 


the effective date of retirement under subsection (1) of a member

 

employed by that department be extended to a date not later than

 

March 31, 2007. To make a request under this subsection, the

 

director shall submit a written request and the written concurrence

 

of the member to the office of the state employer and the state

 

budget office on or before March 31, 2006. Upon receipt of the

 

written request and concurrence, the office of the state employer

 

and the state budget office may extend the effective date of

 

retirement of a member otherwise eligible to retire under

 

subsection (1) to a date not later than March 31, 2007. Upon

 

written approval of the senate majority leader for a member who is

 

an employee of the senate, the speaker of the house of

 

representatives for a member who is an employee of the house of

 

representatives, the senate majority leader and the speaker of the

 

house of representatives for a member who is an employee of the

 

office of the auditor general, director or chair of the legislative

 

retirement system for a member who is an employee of the

 

legislative retirement system, or the chair and alternate chair of

 

the legislative council for a member who is an employee of an

 

agency under the jurisdiction of the legislative council, and upon

 

written concurrence of the member, the effective date of retirement

 

for that member under subsection (2) may be extended to a date not

 

later than March 31, 2007. Upon written approval of the chief

 

justice for a member who is an employee of the judicial branch,

 

including, but not limited to, members described in section 44a,

 

and upon written concurrence of the member, the effective date of

 

retirement for that member under subsection (1) may be extended to

 


a date not later than March 31, 2007. The individual or individuals

 

who approve the extension of an effective date of retirement for a

 

member who is an employee of the legislature, supreme court, or

 

court of appeals shall submit written notification to the office of

 

retirement services of all extensions approved on or before March

 

31, 2006.

 

     (6) Upon his or her retirement as provided in this section, a

 

member who did not make an election under section 50 to terminate

 

membership in Tier 1 and become a qualified participant in Tier 2

 

shall receive a retirement allowance equal to the member's number

 

of years and fraction of a year of credited service multiplied by

 

1-3/4% of his or her final average compensation. Except for the

 

calculation provided in this subsection, the member's retirement

 

allowance is subject to section 20. The member's retirement

 

allowance is not subject to reduction pursuant to section 19(2).

 

     (7) Upon his or her retirement as provided in this section, a

 

former member who made an election under section 50 to terminate

 

membership in Tier 1 and become a qualified participant in Tier 2

 

shall receive a retirement allowance equal to the member's number

 

of years and fraction of a year of credited service multiplied by

 

1/4% of his or her final average compensation. Except for the

 

calculation provided in this subsection, the former member's

 

retirement allowance is subject to section 20. The former member's

 

retirement allowance is not subject to reduction pursuant to

 

section 19(2).

 

     (8) For purposes of this section, an individual who elected to

 

terminate membership under section 50 and who, but for that

 


election, would otherwise be eligible for membership in Tier 1

 

under section 13, shall be considered a member of Tier 1 for the

 

limited purpose of receiving a retirement allowance calculated

 

under this section and paid by the retirement system.