2007-PA-0015.htm

Act No. 15

Public Acts of 2007

Approved by the Governor

June 6, 2007

Filed with the Secretary of State

June 6, 2007

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 6, 2007

STATE OF MICHIGAN

94TH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2007

Introduced by Reps. Gonzales and Cushingberry

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 4530

AN ACT to amend 1980 PA 300, entitled "An act to provide a retirement system for the public school employees of this state; to create certain funds for this retirement system; to provide for the creation of a retirement board within the department of management and budget; to prescribe the powers and duties of the retirement board; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments, agencies, officials, and employees; to prescribe penalties and provide remedies; and to repeal acts and parts of acts," 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, 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.

(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 section91.

(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 section34(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. 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, chapter531, 49 Stat. 620, 42 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 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.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved

Governor