HB-4530, As Passed House, April 17, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL No. 4530

 

March 22, 2007, Introduced by Reps. Gonzales and Cushingberry and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

     A bill to amend 1980 PA 300, entitled

 

"The public school employees retirement act of 1979,"

 

by amending sections 4, 41, and 41a (MCL 38.1304, 38.1341, and

 

38.1341a), section 4 as amended by 2003 PA 17, section 41 as

 

amended by 2002 PA 94, and section 41a as amended by 1996 PA 488.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 4. (1) "Compound interest" means interest compounded

 

annually on July 1 on the contributions on account as of the

 

previous July 1 and computed at the rate of investment return

 

determined under section 104a(1) for the last completed state

 

fiscal year.

 

     (2) "Contributory service" means credited service other than

 

noncontributory service.

 


     (3) "Deferred member" means a member who has ceased to be a

 

public school employee and has satisfied the requirements of

 

section 82 for a deferred vested service retirement allowance.

 

     (4) "Department" means the department of management and

 

budget.

 

     (5) "Designated date" means September 30, 1997 2006.

 

     (6) "Direct rollover" means a payment by the retirement system

 

to the eligible retirement plan specified by the distributee.

 

     (7) "Distributee" includes a member or deferred member.

 

Distributee also includes the member's or deferred member's

 

surviving spouse or the member's or deferred member's spouse or

 

former spouse under an eligible domestic relations order, with

 

regard to the interest of the spouse or former spouse.

 

     (8) Beginning January 1, 2002, except as otherwise provided in

 

this subsection, "eligible retirement plan" means an individual

 

retirement account described in section 408(a) of the internal

 

revenue code, an individual retirement annuity described in section

 

408(b) of the internal revenue code, an annuity plan described in

 

section 403(a) of the internal revenue code, or a qualified trust

 

described in section 401(a) of the internal revenue code, an

 

annuity contract described in section 403(b) of the internal

 

revenue code, or an eligible plan under section 457(b) of the

 

internal revenue code which is maintained by a state, political

 

subdivision of a state, or an agency or instrumentality of a state

 

or political subdivision of a state and which agrees to separately

 

account for amounts transferred into such eligible plan under

 

section 457(b) of the internal revenue code from this retirement

 


system, that accepts the distributee's eligible rollover

 

distribution. However, in the case of an eligible rollover

 

distribution to a surviving spouse, an eligible retirement plan

 

means an individual retirement account or an individual retirement

 

annuity described above.

 

     (9) Beginning January 1, 2002, "eligible rollover

 

distribution" means a distribution of all or any portion of the

 

balance to the credit of the distributee. Eligible rollover

 

distribution does not include any of the following:

 

     (a) A distribution made for the life or life expectancy of the

 

distributee or the joint lives or joint life expectancies of the

 

distributee and the distributee's designated beneficiary.

 

     (b) A distribution for a specified period of 10 years or more.

 

     (c) A distribution to the extent that the distribution is

 

required under section 401(a)(9) of the internal revenue code.

 

     (d) The portion of any distribution that is not includable in

 

federal gross income, determined without regard to the exclusion

 

for net unrealized appreciation with respect to employer

 

securities, except to the extent that the portion of a distribution

 

that is not includable in federal gross income is paid to either of

 

the following:

 

     (i) An individual retirement account or annuity described in

 

section 408(a) or (b) of the internal revenue code.

 

     (ii) A qualified defined contribution plan as described in

 

section 401(a) or 403(a) of the internal revenue code that agrees

 

to separately account for amounts transferred, including separately

 

accounting for the portion of the distribution that is includable

 


in gross income and the portion of the distribution which is not

 

includable in gross income.

 

     (10) "Employee organization professional services leave" or

 

"professional services leave" means a leave of absence that is

 

renewed annually by the reporting unit so that a member may accept

 

a position with a public school employee organization to which he

 

or she belongs and which represents employees of a reporting unit

 

in employment matters. The member shall be included in membership

 

of the retirement system during a professional services leave if

 

all of the conditions of section 71(5) and (6) are satisfied.

 

     (11) "Employee organization professional services released

 

time" or "professional services released time" means a portion of

 

the school fiscal year during which a member is released by the

 

reporting unit from his or her regularly assigned duties to engage

 

in employment matters for a public school employee organization to

 

which he or she belongs. The member's compensation received or

 

service rendered, or both, as applicable, by a member while on

 

professional services released time shall be reportable to the

 

retirement system if all of the conditions of section 71(5) and (6)

 

are satisfied.

 

     (12) "Final average compensation" means the aggregate amount

 

of a member's compensation earned within the averaging period in

 

which the aggregate amount of compensation was highest divided by

 

the member's number of years, including any fraction of a year, of

 

credited service during the averaging period. The averaging period

 

shall be 36 consecutive calendar months if the member contributes

 

to the member investment plan; otherwise, the averaging period

 


shall be 60 consecutive calendar months. If the member has less

 

than 1 year of credited service in the averaging period, the number

 

of consecutive calendar months in the averaging period shall be

 

increased to the lowest number of consecutive calendar months that

 

contains 1 year of credited service.

 

     (13) "Health benefits" means hospital, medical-surgical, and

 

sick care benefits and dental, vision, and hearing benefits for

 

retirants, retirement allowance beneficiaries, and health insurance

 

dependents provided pursuant to section 91.

 

     (14) "Internal revenue code" means the United States internal

 

revenue code of 1986.

 

     (15) "Long-term care insurance" means group insurance that is

 

authorized by the retirement system for retirants, retirement

 

allowance beneficiaries, and health insurance dependents, as that

 

term is defined in section 91, to cover the costs of services

 

provided to retirants, retirement allowance beneficiaries, and

 

health insurance dependents, from nursing homes, assisted living

 

facilities, home health care providers, adult day care providers,

 

and other similar service providers.

 

     (16) "Member investment plan" means the program of member

 

contributions described in section 43a.

 

     Sec. 41. (1) The annual level percentage of payroll

 

contribution rate to finance benefits being provided and to be

 

provided by the retirement system shall be determined by actuarial

 

valuation pursuant to subsection (2) upon the basis of the risk

 

assumptions that the retirement board and the department adopt

 

after consultation with the state treasurer and an actuary. An

 


annual actuarial valuation shall be made of the retirement system

 

in order to determine the actuarial condition of the retirement

 

system and the required contribution to the retirement system. An

 

annual actuarial gain-loss experience study of the retirement

 

system shall be made in order to determine the financial effect of

 

variations of actual retirement system experience from projected

 

experience.

 

     (2) The contribution rate for benefits payable in the event of

 

the death of a member before retirement or the disability of a

 

member shall be computed using a terminal funding method of

 

valuation. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the

 

contribution rate for other benefits shall be computed using an

 

individual projected benefit entry age normal cost method of

 

valuation. Except as otherwise provided in this section, for the

 

1995-96 state fiscal year and for each subsequent fiscal year, the

 

contribution rate for health benefits provided under section 91

 

shall be computed using a cash disbursement method. For each fiscal

 

year after the fiscal year in which the actuarial accrued liability

 

for health benefits under section 91 is at least 100% funded by the

 

health advance funding subaccount created under section 34(2), the

 

contribution rate for health benefits provided under section 91

 

shall be computed using an individual projected benefit entry age

 

normal cost method of valuation. The contribution rate for service

 

likely to be rendered in the current year, the normal cost

 

contribution rate, shall be equal to the aggregate amount of

 

individual projected benefit entry age normal costs divided by 1%

 

of the aggregate amount of active members' valuation compensation.

 


The Except as otherwise provided under this subsection, the

 

contribution rate for unfunded service rendered before the

 

valuation date, the unfunded actuarial accrued liability

 

contribution rate, shall be the aggregate amount of unfunded

 

actuarial accrued liabilities divided by 1% of the actuarial

 

present value over a period not to exceed 50 years of projected

 

valuation compensation, where unfunded actuarial accrued

 

liabilities are equal to the actuarial present value of benefits,

 

reduced by the actuarial present value of future normal cost

 

contributions and the actuarial value of assets on the valuation

 

date. For the 2006-2007 state fiscal year, the contribution rate

 

for unfunded service rendered before the valuation date shall be

 

equal to 4.5% of the aggregate amount of unfunded actuarial accrued

 

liabilities divided by 1% of the actuarial valuation annual

 

compensation.

 

     (3) Before November 1 of each year, the executive secretary of

 

the retirement board shall certify to the director of the

 

department the aggregate compensation estimated to be paid public

 

school employees for the current state fiscal year.

 

     (4) On the basis of the estimate under subsection (3), the

 

annual actuarial valuation, and any adjustment required under

 

subsection (6), the director of the department shall compute the

 

sum due and payable to the retirement system and shall certify this

 

amount to the reporting units.

 

     (5) The reporting units shall make payment of the amount

 

certified under subsection (4) to the director of the department in

 

12 equal monthly installments.

 


     (6) Not later than 90 days after termination of each state

 

fiscal year, the executive secretary of the retirement board shall

 

certify to the director of the department and each reporting unit

 

the actual aggregate compensation paid to public school employees

 

during the preceding state fiscal year. Upon receipt of that

 

certification, the director of the department shall compute any

 

adjustment required to the amount due to a difference between the

 

estimated and the actual aggregate compensation and the estimated

 

and the actual actuarial employer contribution rate. The

 

difference, if any, shall be paid as provided in subsection (9).

 

This subsection does not apply in a fiscal year in which a deposit

 

occurs pursuant to subsection (14).

 

     (7) The director of the department may require evidence of

 

correctness and may conduct an audit of the aggregate compensation

 

that the director of the department considers necessary to

 

establish its correctness.

 

     (8) A reporting unit shall forward employee and employer

 

social security contributions and reports as required by the

 

federal old-age, survivors, disability, and hospital insurance

 

provisions of title II of the social security act, chapter 531, 49

 

Stat. 620, 42 U.S.C. USC 401 to 405, 406 to 418, 420 to 423, 424a

 

to 426-1, and 427 to 433.

 

     (9) For an employer of an employee of a local public school

 

district or an intermediate school district, for differences

 

occurring in fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 1993, a

 

minimum of 20% of the difference between the estimated and the

 

actual aggregate compensation and the estimated and the actual

 


actuarial employer contribution rate described in subsection (6),

 

if any, shall be paid by that employer in the next succeeding state

 

fiscal year and a minimum of 25% of the remaining difference shall

 

be paid by that employer in each of the following 4 state fiscal

 

years, or until 100% of the remaining difference is submitted,

 

whichever first occurs. For an employer of other public school

 

employees, for differences occurring in fiscal years beginning on

 

or after October 1, 1991, a minimum of 20% of the difference

 

between the estimated and the actual aggregate compensation and the

 

estimated and the actual actuarial employer contribution rate

 

described in subsection (6), if any, shall be paid by that employer

 

in the next succeeding state fiscal year and a minimum of 25% of

 

the remaining difference shall be paid by that employer in each of

 

the following 4 state fiscal years, or until 100% of the remaining

 

difference is submitted, whichever first occurs. In addition,

 

interest shall be included for each year that a portion of the

 

remaining difference is carried forward. The interest rate shall

 

equal the actuarially assumed rate of investment return for the

 

state fiscal year in which payment is made. This subsection does

 

not apply in a fiscal year in which a deposit occurs pursuant to

 

subsection (14).

 

     (10) Beginning on the designated date, all assets held by the

 

retirement system shall be reassigned their fair market value, as

 

determined by the state treasurer, as of the designated date, and

 

in calculating any unfunded actuarial accrued liabilities, any

 

market gains or losses incurred before the designated date shall

 

not be considered by the retirement system's actuaries.

 


     (11) Beginning on the designated date, the actuary used by the

 

retirement board shall assume a rate of return on investments of

 

8.00% per annum, as of the designated date, which rate may only be

 

changed with the approval of the retirement board and the director

 

of the department.

 

     (12) Beginning on the designated date, the value of assets

 

used shall be based on a method that spreads over a 5-year period

 

the difference between actual and expected return occurring in each

 

year after the designated date and such methodology may only be

 

changed with the approval of the retirement board and the director

 

of the department.

 

     (13) Beginning on the designated date, the actuary used by the

 

retirement board shall use a salary increase assumption that

 

projects annual salary increases of 4%. In addition to the 4%, the

 

retirement board shall use an additional percentage based upon an

 

age-related scale to reflect merit, longevity, and promotional

 

salary increase. The actuary shall use this assumption until a

 

change in the assumption is approved in writing by the retirement

 

board and the director of the department.

 

     (14) For fiscal years that begin on or after October 1, 2001,

 

if the actuarial valuation prepared pursuant to this section

 

demonstrates that as of the beginning of a fiscal year, and after

 

all credits and transfers required by this act for the previous

 

fiscal year have been made, the sum of the actuarial value of

 

assets and the actuarial present value of future normal cost

 

contributions exceeds the actuarial present value of benefits, the

 

amount based on the annual level percent of payroll contribution

 


rate pursuant to subsections (1) and (2) may be deposited into the

 

health advance funding subaccount created by section 34.

 

     (15) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, if the

 

retirement board establishes an arrangement and fund as described

 

in section 6 of the public employee retirement benefit protection

 

act, the benefits that are required to be paid from that fund shall

 

be paid from a portion of the employer contributions described in

 

this section or other eligible funds. The retirement board shall

 

determine the amount of the employer contributions or other

 

eligible funds that shall be allocated to that fund and deposit

 

that amount in that fund before it deposits any remaining employer

 

contributions or other eligible funds in the pension fund.

 

     Sec. 41a. For fiscal years that begin on or after March 28,

 

1996, the retirement system shall determine a separate contribution

 

rate for a reporting unit that is a university listed in section

 

6(5). The retirement system shall determine the separate

 

contribution rate in the manner prescribed in section 41, except

 

that the unfunded actuarial accrued liability shall be amortized

 

over 40 years beginning October 1, 1996 and ending on September 30,

 

2036, with the payment schedule for universities being based on and

 

applied to the combined payrolls of the universities' employees who

 

are members and who were hired before January 1, 1996 and the

 

universities' employees who would have been members on or after

 

January 1, 1996, but for the enactment of Act No. 272 of the Public

 

Acts of 1995 1995 PA 272. The amount of the unfunded accrued

 

liability on which the separate contribution rate is determined

 

shall be that amount which a reporting unit that is a university

 


listed in section 6(5) is legally responsible for and is calculated

 

by actuarial analysis. Any reduction in the unfunded liability of

 

the system pursuant to governmental action affecting the entire

 

system will be allocated to all reporting units including

 

universities as determined by the system's actuary. For the 2006-

 

2007 state fiscal year, the contribution for unfunded actuarial

 

accrued liability shall be equal to 4.5% of the unfunded actuarial

 

accrued liability.