SENATE BILL No. 724

 

 

December 12, 2013, Introduced by Senator HUNE 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 69, 69c, 69f, 70, 71, 75, and 76 (MCL 38.1369,

 

38.1369c, 38.1369f, 38.1370, 38.1371, 38.1375, and 38.1376),

 

sections 69, 69c, and 70 as amended and section 69f as added by

 

1989 PA 194, section 71 as amended by 1996 PA 268, section 75 as

 

amended by 2006 PA 617, and section 76 as added by 1985 PA 91.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 69. (1) As Until June 30, 2014, as a condition for

 

granting membership or prior service credit under this act for out

 

of system public education service, a member shall pay meet both of

 

the following requirements:

 

     (a) Pay to the retirement system an amount equal to the amount

 

the member would have contributed pursuant to the schedule

 

governing member contributions in effect at the time of that

 


service had the service been performed under this act or former Act

 

No. 136 of the Public Acts of 1945 PA 136, together with regular

 

interest from the end of the school fiscal year in which service

 

was performed to the semiannual anniversary of the date following

 

the payment. , and shall have

 

     (b) Have 5 years of reporting unit service credit under this

 

act or former Act No. 136 of the Public Acts of 1945 PA 136,

 

following the out of system public education service.

 

     (2) A Until June 30, 2014, a member shall not be is entitled

 

to a retirement allowance based on out of system public education

 

service that was performed after July 1, 1974, until if the member

 

pays meets both of the following requirements:

 

     (a) Pays into the retirement system for that service an amount

 

equal to 5% of the member's full-time or equated full-time

 

compensation earned in the school fiscal year before the school

 

fiscal year in which the application to purchase and payment for

 

the service credit is made, multiplied by the years of that service

 

the member elects to purchase. and unless that

 

     (b) That service is followed by 5 years of reporting unit

 

service credit under this act.

 

     (3) For the purposes of computing payment under this section,

 

the compensation amount used shall not be less than the highest

 

school fiscal year compensation previously earned by the member. If

 

the compensation amount used for computing payment under this

 

section exceeds the member's final average compensation determined

 

at the time of retirement, the payment required under this section

 

shall be recomputed using the member's final average compensation

 


and a refund shall be made based upon the recomputation. Credit

 

provided by this section shall not be used in satisfying the

 

minimum of 10 years of service credit required under this act for a

 

retirement allowance. A person who had employment with a community

 

mental health service program as described in section 6(2) shall is

 

not be subject to the minimum of 10 years of service credit, if the

 

other requirements of this section are met.

 

     (4) A member shall not receive more than 15 years of out of

 

system public education service. A member shall not receive more

 

out of system public education service than service performed under

 

this act or former Act No. 136 of the Public Acts of 1945 PA 136,

 

unless, before July 1, 1974, the member applied for out of system

 

public education service credit based upon payment of contributions

 

for that service credit as required under former Act No. 136 of the

 

Public Acts of 1945 PA 136. The total out of system public

 

education service credited shall be used to compute the member's

 

retirement allowance if the minimum service requirements performed

 

under this act or former Act No. 136 of the Public Acts of 1945 PA

 

136 are met.

 

     (5) If a member who made payment for out of system public

 

education service dies and a retirement allowance beneficiary has

 

not been designated, or if the member withdraws from service before

 

his or her retirement becomes effective, the payment made by the

 

member under this section shall be refunded to the member or to the

 

member's refund beneficiary upon request.

 

     (6) Out of system public education service shall not be

 

creditable toward retirement under this act if the member is or

 


will be receiving a retirement allowance for the same service from

 

another retirement system.

 

     (7) Out of system public education service shall not be

 

creditable under this act unless similar service performed in a

 

reporting unit would be creditable.

 

     (8) Before January 31, 1991, a member may elect to purchase

 

service credit as an elementary or secondary teacher at a United

 

States armed forces military base in the United States or a foreign

 

country upon payment to the retirement board of the actuarial cost.

 

     (8) Beginning July 1, 2014, a member is not eligible to

 

purchase service under this section.

 

     Sec. 69c. (1) A Until June 30, 2014, a member may elect to

 

purchase service credit for service performed as an employee in a

 

nonpublic elementary or secondary educational institution or a

 

nonpublic 2- or 4-year institution of higher education in this

 

state, in other states of the United States, or in the territorial

 

possessions of the United States upon request and presentation of

 

documentation of the employment rendered that is verifiable from

 

official employment or payroll records or other acceptable

 

documentation as determined by the retirement board, and upon

 

payment to the retirement system of the actuarial cost.

 

     (2) Before January 31, 1991, a member may elect to purchase

 

service credit for service performed as an employee in a foreign

 

country at a school for United States personnel or dependents of

 

the United States military or United States department of state

 

personnel; service performed as a full-time teacher with the job

 

corps created pursuant to section 422 of part B of title IV of the

 


job training partnership act, Public Law 97-300, 29 U.S.C. 1692;

 

service performed as a teacher in a trust territory or former trust

 

territory of the United States; or service performed as a teacher

 

on an Indian reservation in this country; upon request and

 

presentation of documentation of the employment rendered that is

 

verifiable from official employment or payroll records or other

 

acceptable documentation as determined by the retirement board, and

 

upon payment to the retirement system of the actuarial cost.

 

     (3) Service shall not be credited under this section unless

 

the service being purchased is followed by at least 5 years of

 

reporting unit service credit under this act or former Act No. 136

 

of the Public Acts of 1945 PA 136. Service purchased under this

 

section shall not be used to satisfy the minimum of 10 years of

 

service credit required to receive a retirement allowance under

 

this act. The total service credited under subsections (1) and (2)

 

shall not exceed 5 years.

 

     (4) If a member who made payment for service under this

 

section dies and a retirement allowance beneficiary has not been

 

designated, or if the member withdraws from service before his or

 

her retirement becomes effective, the payment made by the member

 

shall be refunded to the member or to the member's refund

 

beneficiary upon request.

 

     (5) Service shall not be credited under this section if the

 

member is or will be receiving a pension or annuity for the same

 

service from another retirement system.

 

     (6) A person who became a retirant with a retirement allowance

 

effective date on or after January 1, 1988 and on or before

 


December 21, 1988 shall be entitled to purchase service credit for

 

service performed as an employee in a nonpublic elementary or

 

secondary educational institution or a nonpublic 2- or 4-year

 

institution of higher education as provided by this section.

 

Service credit purchased pursuant to this subsection shall be

 

purchased before July 1, 1989, or the expiration of 6 months after

 

December 21, 1988, whichever is later. The monthly retirement

 

allowance of a retirant entitled to purchase service credit under

 

this subsection shall be recomputed based upon the additional

 

service credit. The recomputed monthly amount shall be payable

 

beginning on the first day of the month following the month in

 

which payment is received by the retirement system.

 

     (6) Beginning July 1, 2014, a member is not eligible to

 

purchase service under this section.

 

     (7) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Nonpublic elementary or secondary educational

 

institution" means an institution that offers or provides an

 

organized course of academic study primarily oriented toward the

 

awarding of high school diplomas. Nonpublic elementary or secondary

 

educational institution does not include a proprietary school.

 

     (b) "Nonpublic 2- or 4-year institution of higher education"

 

means an institution that offers an organized course of academic

 

study primarily oriented toward the awarding of associate,

 

baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, or other academic degrees.

 

Nonpublic 2- or 4-year institution of higher education does not

 

include a proprietary school.

 

     (c) "Proprietary school" means a school that uses a certain

 


plan or method to teach a trade, occupation, or vocation for a

 

consideration, reward, or promise. Proprietary school includes, but

 

is not limited to, a private business, trade, or home study school.

 

     Sec. 69f. (1) A Until June 30, 2014, a member may elect to

 

purchase not more than 5 years of service credit less the number of

 

years of service credit purchased under sections 6(2)(c), (d), (e),

 

and (f), 64(3), (4), and (5), 69a, 69b, and 69c(2), 69d, 69e, 74a,

 

74b, 77, and 78, or former sections 69a, 69b, 69d, 69e, 74a, 74b,

 

77, and 78, upon request and payment to the retirement system of

 

the actuarial cost.

 

     (2) Service credit purchased under this section may shall not

 

be used to satisfy the minimum of 10 years of service credit

 

required to receive a retirement allowance under this act.

 

     (3) Service credit purchased under this section shall not be

 

used to satisfy the service credit requirement set forth described

 

in section 81(1)(a) for a retirement allowance paid prior to before

 

age 46 as provided by section 43b(a).

 

     (4) If a member who made payment for service under this

 

section dies and a retirement allowance is not payable, or if the

 

member withdraws from service and a retirement allowance is not

 

payable, the payment made by the member shall be refunded to the

 

member or to the member's refund beneficiary upon request.

 

     (5) Beginning July 1, 2014, a member is not eligible to

 

purchase service under this section.

 

     Sec. 70. (1) As Until June 30, 2014, as a condition for

 

granting membership or prior service credit under this act for

 

state of Michigan service, a member shall pay meet both of the

 


following requirements:

 

     (a) Pay to the retirement system an amount equal to the amount

 

the member would have contributed under the contributory plan for

 

service performed before July 1, 1977 pursuant to the schedule

 

governing member contributions in effect at the time of that

 

service had the service been performed under this act or former Act

 

No. 136 of the Public Acts of 1945 PA 136, together with regular

 

interest from the end of the school fiscal year in which the

 

service was performed to the semiannual anniversary of the date

 

following payment. , and shall relinquish

 

     (b) Relinquish all rights to retirement under the state

 

employees' retirement act, Act No. 240 of the Public Acts of 1943,

 

as amended, being sections 38.1 to 38.47 of the Michigan Compiled

 

Laws. A 1943 PA 240, MCL 38.1 to 38.69. Until June 30, 2014, a

 

member shall not is entitled to receive benefits pursuant to under

 

sections 43b and 43c for service performed on or after January 1,

 

1987 until if the member pays the difference between the actuarial

 

equivalent of the benefits provided by sections 43b and 43c and by

 

the state employees' retirement act, Act No. 240 of the Public Acts

 

of 1943.1943 PA 240, MCL 38.1 to 38.69.

 

     (2) Credit for service performed as a state employee under the

 

state employees' retirement act, Act No. 240 of the Public Acts of

 

1943, as amended, 1943 PA 240, MCL 38.1 to 38.69, shall be on the

 

same basis for eligibility in all respects, for any form of

 

retirement provided in this act as if the service were performed in

 

a reporting unit under this act.

 

     (3) A Until June 30, 2014, a former member who on or before

 


July 1, 1974, was employed in the state classified or unclassified

 

service, whose membership was transferred to the state employees'

 

retirement system under the state employees' retirement act, Act

 

No. 240 of the Public Acts of 1943, as amended, 1943 PA 240, MCL

 

38.1 to 38.69, and who again became a member of the retirement

 

system created under former Act No. 136 of the Public Acts of 1945

 

PA 136 or becomes a member of the retirement system created under

 

this act, shall be is entitled to petition the retirement system in

 

writing for a transfer of the member's accumulated contributions,

 

including interest, and service standing to the member's credit

 

with the state employees' retirement system to this retirement

 

system. Upon receipt of the member's petition, service standing to

 

the member's credit, accumulated contributions, and interest shall

 

be transferred from the employee's savings fund created under the

 

state employees' retirement act, Act No. 240 of the Public Acts of

 

1943, as amended, 1943 PA 240, MCL 38.1 to 38.69, to the reserve

 

for employee contributions of this retirement system. A person

 

whose membership service and accumulated contributions are

 

transferred back to this retirement system immediately shall have

 

the transferred service credit recognized by the retirement system

 

on the same basis as if the person continuously had been a member

 

of the retirement system.

 

     (4) If Until June 30, 2014, if a member who made payment for

 

state of Michigan service dies and a retirement allowance

 

beneficiary has not been designated, or withdraws from service

 

before his or her retirement becomes effective, the payment made by

 

the member shall be refunded to the member or to the member's

 


refund beneficiary upon request.

 

     (5) Beginning July 1, 2014, a member is not eligible to

 

purchase service under this section.

 

     Sec. 71. (1) The Until June 30, 2014, the retirement board

 

shall grant service credit for the time a member is on a sabbatical

 

leave authorized by a reporting unit, if the member returns to

 

regular employment with the same reporting unit and acquires 1 year

 

or more of subsequent service credit with that same reporting unit

 

and if the member acquired 5 or more years of credited service with

 

the reporting unit immediately before the sabbatical leave.

 

     (2) If the sabbatical leave described in subsection (1) is

 

granted before July 1, 1981, the reporting unit, if the reporting

 

unit had a noncontributory plan at the time the sabbatical leave is

 

granted, or the member, if the reporting unit has a contributory

 

plan at the time the sabbatical leave is granted, shall pay to the

 

system for each year of sabbatical leave credit an amount equal to

 

5% of the member's compensation earned in the school fiscal year

 

immediately before the school fiscal year in which the sabbatical

 

leave is granted, together with regular interest from the end of

 

the school fiscal year in which the sabbatical leave was or is

 

granted to the earlier of the following dates following the date of

 

payment, the first day of the school fiscal year beginning after

 

the date of payment or the first day of the seventh month of the

 

school fiscal year in which the payment is made. If the reporting

 

unit makes the payment required by this subsection, the reporting

 

unit also shall pay the required interest. If the member makes the

 

payment required by this subsection, the member also shall pay the

 


required interest.

 

     (2) (3) If the sabbatical leave described in subsection (1) is

 

granted after June 30, 1981, the member shall pay an amount equal

 

to 5% of the member's full-time or equated full-time compensation

 

earned in the school fiscal year immediately before the school

 

fiscal year in which payment is made for each year of service

 

credit the member elects to purchase. In computing payment under

 

this subsection, the compensation amount used, except as otherwise

 

provided in this subsection, shall not be less than the highest

 

school fiscal year compensation the member earned from the

 

reporting unit that granted the sabbatical leave. If the

 

compensation amount used for computing payment under this

 

subsection exceeds the member's final average compensation

 

determined at the time of retirement, the payment required under

 

this subsection shall be recomputed using the member's final

 

average compensation and a refund shall be made based upon the

 

recomputation.

 

     (4) If, before October 31, 1980, either the reporting unit or

 

the member has contributed 5% of the member's compensation for the

 

school fiscal year in which the sabbatical leave was granted in

 

order to purchase service credit for that sabbatical leave, a

 

further payment for the purchase of service credit for that

 

sabbatical leave shall not be required. If a member has paid the

 

amount required under subsection (2) for the purchase of service

 

credit for sabbatical leave, but later receives a refund of that

 

amount, the member, not the reporting unit, shall repay the amount

 

with regular interest as required by subsection (2) if the member

 


elects to purchase service credit for the sabbatical leave.

 

     (3) (5) Effective October 1, 1981, Until June 30, 2014, the

 

retirement board shall grant service credit for the time a member

 

is on either an employee organization professional services leave

 

or employee organization professional services released time

 

authorized by a reporting unit if all of the following conditions

 

are satisfied, as applicable:

 

     (a) For a member who is on either a professional services

 

leave or professional services released time that first began

 

before October 1, 1996, which leave or released time is renewed

 

annually by the reporting unit, the member is included on the

 

reporting unit's reports required by section 42(6) and

 

compensation, service, contribution, and other requirements are

 

reported on the same basis as for those members of the reporting

 

unit who were not granted an employee organization professional

 

services leave or employee organization professional services

 

released time.

 

     (b) For a member who is on either a professional services

 

leave or professional services released time, which leave or

 

released time does not meet the requirements of subdivision (a),

 

the member is included on the reporting unit's reports in the

 

manner required by subdivision (a), except that compensation is

 

reported at the rate of compensation paid to the member by the

 

reporting unit immediately preceding the date the member commenced

 

the professional services leave or professional services released

 

time along with the normal and customary compensation increases

 

that would have been paid to the member by the reporting unit had

 


the member remained in the same position held at the reporting unit

 

immediately preceding the date the member commenced the leave or

 

released time. However, if the member was not working a full 12-

 

month period for the reporting unit immediately preceding the date

 

the member commenced the professional services leave or

 

professional services released time and is working a full 12-month

 

period for the public school employee organization, the rate of

 

compensation paid to the member by the reporting unit immediately

 

preceding the date the member commenced the leave or released time

 

may be increased proportionately to reflect the additional time

 

worked for the public school employee organization. That adjusted

 

compensation, along with the normal and customary compensation

 

increases otherwise allowed in this subdivision, shall then be

 

reported as required in this subdivision.

 

     (c) For a member who is on either a professional services

 

leave or professional services released time that first began

 

before October 1, 1996, which leave or released time is renewed

 

annually by the reporting unit, the reporting unit remits the

 

amount required by section 42 and the percentage of aggregate

 

annual compensation provided from the state school aid fund for

 

current service, if any, the percentage determined for unfunded

 

accrued service as required by section 41, and the employer's share

 

of social security contributions if the reporting unit is

 

responsible for remitting the employee's share of social security

 

contributions.

 

     (d) For a member who is on either a professional services

 

leave or professional services released time, which professional

 


services leave or professional services released time does not meet

 

the requirements of subdivision (c), the reporting unit remits the

 

amounts required by subdivision (c) based upon the rate of

 

compensation paid to the member by the reporting unit immediately

 

preceding the date the member commenced the professional services

 

leave or professional services released time along with the normal

 

and customary compensation increases that would have been paid to

 

the member by the reporting unit had the member remained in the

 

same position held at the reporting unit immediately preceding the

 

date the member commenced the leave or released time. However, if

 

the member was not working a full 12-month period for the reporting

 

unit immediately preceding the date the member commenced the

 

professional services leave or professional services released time

 

and is working a full 12-month period for the public school

 

employee organization, the rate of compensation paid to the member

 

by the reporting unit immediately preceding the date the member

 

commenced the leave or released time may be increased

 

proportionately to reflect the additional time worked for the

 

public school employee organization. That adjusted compensation,

 

along with the normal and customary compensation increases

 

otherwise allowed in this subdivision, shall then be reported as

 

required in this subdivision.

 

     (4) (6) The reporting unit shall be reimbursed those sums paid

 

to the retirement board pursuant to under subsection (5) (3) by the

 

member or the public school employee organization on a current

 

basis. A member who has credited service as an employee of a school

 

district of the first class, as described in part 6 of the revised

 


school code, Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1976, being sections

 

380.401 to 380.485 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, 1976 PA 451, MCL

 

380.401 to 380.485, for a leave of absence effective before October

 

1, 1981, shall continue to receive credit based upon the provisions

 

of the law of this state in effect at the time the leave of absence

 

was initially effective.

 

     (5) Beginning July 1, 2014, a member is not eligible to

 

purchase service under this section.

 

     Sec. 75. (1) A Until June 30, 2014, a member who left or

 

leaves service as a public school employee; who left or leaves out-

 

of-system public education service; or a member of the state

 

employees' retirement system under section 13 of the state

 

employees' retirement act, 1943 PA 240, MCL 38.13, who left or

 

leaves service as a state employee for purposes of parental leave

 

who subsequently becomes a member of this retirement system without

 

other intervening employment of more than 20 hours per week for

 

each week for which service credit was claimed may purchase service

 

credit for the time period or periods during which the person was

 

separated from service because of parental leave if the member

 

satisfies the requirements of this section. The member shall submit

 

an application as described in subsection (5) and shall pay the

 

actuarial cost to the retirement system. The total service credited

 

under this section shall not exceed 5 years. A member requesting

 

purchase of service credit under this section shall certify to the

 

retirement system the purpose for which the member took leave or

 

was separated from service as a public school employee; a person

 

performing out-of-system public education service; or a member of

 


the state employees' retirement system under section 13 of the

 

state employees' retirement act, 1943 PA 240, MCL 38.13.

 

     (2) Service credit purchased under this section may not be

 

used to satisfy the minimum of 10 years of service credit required

 

to receive a retirement allowance under this act.

 

     (3) If a member who made payment under this section dies and a

 

retirement allowance beneficiary has not been designated, or if the

 

member leaves reporting unit service before his or her retirement

 

becomes effective, the payment made by the member shall be refunded

 

upon request to the member or to the member's refund beneficiary.

 

     (4) A member who reduces hours of employment with a reporting

 

unit for purposes of parental leave or a person who reduces hours

 

of out of system public education service for purposes of parental

 

leave and who subsequently becomes a member of this retirement

 

system may purchase service credit for those hours by which

 

employment was reduced if all other requirements of this section

 

are met.

 

     (5) A member requesting purchase of service credit under this

 

section shall submit an application as prescribed by the retirement

 

system in which the member shall certify the time period claimed

 

for parental leave and the purpose of the parental leave. If the

 

request for purchase of service credit under this section is a

 

result of leave taken to care for the member's child by birth or

 

adoption, then the member also shall submit a certified copy of a

 

birth certificate or adoption document from the appropriate court

 

of jurisdiction.

 

     (6) Parental leave is creditable under this act until the

 


child, by birth or adoption, attains age 18 or is married,

 

whichever occurs first.

 

     (7) Beginning July 1, 2014, a member is not eligible to

 

purchase service under this section.

 

     (8) (7) As used in this section, "parental leave" means either

 

of the following:

 

     (a) The presence of the member in the active participation or

 

supervision in the day-to-day, ongoing care or maintenance of his

 

or her child by birth or adoption, for which the member reduced or

 

eliminated the number of hours worked for the state, in out-of-

 

system public education service, or for the reporting unit in a

 

normal work time period.

 

     (b) A member's pregnancy that occurred while a member, whether

 

brought to full term or not, childbirth, and recuperation, for

 

which the member reduced or eliminated the number of hours worked

 

for the state, in out-of-system public education service, or for

 

the reporting unit in a normal work time period.

 

     Sec. 76. (1) On and after the effective date of this section,

 

Until June 30, 2014, a member who is otherwise entitled to purchase

 

service credit for active duty in the armed forces under section 73

 

or 74, or for maternity or paternity or child rearing under section

 

75 , may purchase such the service credit in separate increments

 

equal to 1 or more full years, or a remaining fraction of a year,

 

if any, or both. Partial purchase of service credit under this

 

section shall subsection does not bar future such purchases

 

otherwise in compliance with this section subsection and sections

 

73, 74, and section 75, but computation of the amount of payment

 


due shall be made separately for each purchase. Beginning July 1,

 

2014, a member is not eligible to purchase service under this

 

subsection.

 

     (2) A member who is otherwise entitled to purchase service

 

credit for active duty in the armed forces under section 73 or 74

 

may purchase the service credit in separate increments equal to 1

 

or more full years, or a remaining fraction of a year, if any, or

 

both. Partial purchase of service credit under this subsection does

 

not bar future purchases otherwise in compliance with this

 

subsection and sections 73 and 74, but computation of the amount of

 

payment due shall be made separately for each purchase.