PRINTER'S NO. 358
No. 349 Session of 1981
INTRODUCED BY LEVI, FRYER, A. C. FOSTER, JR., GAMBLE AND MERRY, FEBRUARY 2, 1981
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 2, 1981
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of February 1, 1974 (P.L.34, No.15), entitled 2 "An act creating a Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System 3 for the payment of retirement allowances to officers, 4 employes, firemen and police of political subdivisions and 5 municipal authorities and of institutions supported and 6 maintained by political subdivisions and municipal government 7 associations and providing for the administration of the same 8 by a board composed of the State Treasurer and others 9 appointed by the Governor; imposing certain duties on the 10 Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement Board and the actuary 11 thereof; providing the procedure whereby political 12 subdivisions and municipal authorities may join such system, 13 and imposing certain liabilities and obligations on such 14 political subdivisions and municipal authorities in 15 connection therewith, and as to certain existing retirement 16 and pension systems, and upon officers, employes, firemen and 17 police of such political subdivisions, institutions supported 18 and maintained by political subdivisions, and upon municipal 19 authorities; providing for the continuation of certain 20 municipal retirement systems now administered by the 21 Commonwealth; providing certain exemptions from taxation, 22 execution, attachment, levy and sale and providing for the 23 repeal of certain related acts," providing for the custody of 24 and payments from the fund; for the payment of administration 25 funds from excess interest earnings; authorizing increased 26 earnings on a temporary or seasonal basis and eliminating 27 certain offset payments. 28 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 29 hereby enacts as follows: 30 Section 1. Section 109, act of February 1, 1974 (P.L.34,
1 No.15), known as the "Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement Law," is 2 amended to read: 3 Section 109. Custody of and Payments from Fund.--All moneys 4 and securities in the fund shall be placed in the custody [of 5 the State Treasurer for safekeeping] of the money manager, and 6 all payments on account of retirement allowances shall be made 7 on requisition signed by the [chairman and] secretary of the 8 board to the financial institution or money manager approved and 9 appointed by the board for complete management and custody of 10 securities for the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System. 11 Section 2. Section 112, subsection (c) of section 207, 12 clause (3) of subsection (b) of section 212, subsection (c) of 13 section 308, clause (3) of subsection (b) of section 313 and 14 subsection (c) of section 406 of the act, amended May 17, 1980 15 (No.50), are amended to read: 16 Section 112. Annual Estimates to Municipalities; 17 Administrative Expenses.--The board shall prepare and submit to 18 each municipality, on or before the first day of the third month 19 preceding the commencing of each municipality's fiscal year, an 20 itemized estimate of the amounts necessary to be appropriated by 21 the municipality to complete the payments of the obligations of 22 the municipality to the fund during its next fiscal year. 23 The board shall annually prepare and approve a budget 24 covering the administrative expenses of this act. Such expenses 25 as approved by the board shall be paid from receipts from 26 assessments made against each municipality for administrative 27 expenses. This assessment shall be based on the number of 28 members in each municipality and shall not exceed the sum of 29 twenty dollars ($20) per member per year. If, in the calendar 30 years [1980 and 1981] 1982, 1983 and 1984 the amount received 19810H0349B0358 - 2 -
1 from such assessments, when imposed at the maximum rate, is not
2 sufficient to cover the administrative expenses, then the
3 balance of such expenses shall be paid from interest earnings on
4 the fund in excess of the regular interest credited to the
5 municipal and member's accounts and shall not, in any year,
6 exceed three-quarters of one per cent of the total asset value
7 of the fund as of the beginning of the calendar year. The
8 administration of the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System
9 shall be audited annually and a report of this audit shall be
10 made annually to the General Assembly.
11 Section 207. Withdrawal; Return to Service; Death in
12 Service.--* * *
13 (c) Should a person who has been retired on a retirement
14 allowance under this act, return to employment on a regular
15 full-time basis in the same municipality, his retirement
16 allowance shall cease, and in the case of an annuity, other than
17 a disability annuity, the present value of such annuity shall be
18 frozen as of the date such annuity ceases. Upon subsequent
19 discontinuance of service, such member, other than a former
20 disability annuitant, shall be entitled to an annuity which is
21 actuarially equivalent to the sum of the present value of the
22 annuity previously being paid and the present value of the
23 annuity earned by further service and further deductions added
24 upon reemployment. For the purposes of this section if a person
25 is reemployed on a temporary or seasonal basis and his gross
26 post-retirement earnings from such reemployment during the
27 calendar year are less than [two thousand five hundred twenty
28 dollars ($2,520)] five thousand dollars ($5,000) or such other
29 maximum as the board may establish, he shall not be deemed
30 reemployed, but if and when his gross post-retirement earnings
19810H0349B0358 - 3 -
1 exceed [two thousand five hundred twenty dollars ($2,520)] five 2 thousand dollars ($5,000) or such other maximum as the board may 3 establish in any calendar year he shall not be entitled to 4 receive his retirement allowance for that month or any 5 subsequent month in the calendar year in which he continues in 6 service. The municipality is required to notify the board 7 immediately of the reemployment status of any retired former 8 employe and file separate monthly reports of his gross earnings 9 as prescribed by the board. 10 * * * 11 Section 212. Disability Retirement.--* * * 12 (b) On retirement for disability a member shall receive a 13 retirement allowance which shall consist of: 14 * * * 15 (3) A disability annuity payable from the total disability 16 reserve account which, together with the member's annuity and 17 the municipal annuity, shall be sufficient to produce a 18 retirement allowance of thirty per cent of the final salary. 19 Where the disability of the member is determined to be service- 20 connected, as defined in this act, the retirement allowance 21 shall equal fifty per cent of his final salary. [The disability 22 annuity shall be reduced by the amount of any payments for which 23 the member shall be eligible under the act of June 2, 1915 24 (P.L.736, No.338), known as "The Pennsylvania Workmen's 25 Compensation Act," or the act of June 21, 1939 (P.L.566, 26 No.284), known as "The Pennsylvania Occupational Disease Act."] 27 * * * 28 Section 308. Withdrawal; Return to Service; Death in 29 Service.--* * * 30 (c) Should a person who has been retired on a retirement 19810H0349B0358 - 4 -
1 allowance under this act, return to employment on a regular 2 full-time basis in the same municipality, his retirement 3 allowance shall cease, and in the case of an annuity, other than 4 a disability annuity, the present value of such annuity shall be 5 frozen as of the date such annuity ceases. Upon subsequent 6 discontinuance of service, such member, other than a former 7 disability annuitant, shall be entitled to an annuity which is 8 actuarially equivalent to the sum of the present value of the 9 annuity previously being paid and the present value of the 10 annuity earned by further service and further deductions added 11 upon reemployment. For the purposes of this section if a person 12 is reemployed on a temporary or seasonal basis and his gross 13 post-retirement earnings from such reemployment during the 14 calendar year are less than [two thousand five hundred twenty 15 dollars ($2,520)] five thousand dollars ($5,000) or such other 16 maximum as the board may establish, he shall not be deemed 17 reemployed, but if and when his gross post-retirement earnings 18 exceed [two thousand five hundred twenty dollars ($2,520)] five 19 thousand dollars ($5,000) or such other maximum as the board may 20 establish in any calendar year he shall not be entitled to 21 receive his retirement allowance for that month or any 22 subsequent month in the calendar year in which he continues in 23 service. The municipality is required to notify the board 24 immediately of the reemployment status of any retired former 25 employe and file separate monthly reports of his gross earnings 26 as prescribed by the board. 27 * * * 28 Section 313. Disability Retirement.--* * * 29 (b) On retirement for disability, a member shall receive a 30 retirement allowance which shall consist of: 19810H0349B0358 - 5 -
1 (3) A disability annuity payable from the total disability 2 reserve account which, together with the member's annuity and 3 the municipal annuity, shall be sufficient to produce a 4 retirement allowance of thirty per cent of the contributor's 5 final salary. Where the disability of the member is determined 6 to be service-connected, as defined in this act, the retirement 7 allowance shall equal fifty per cent of his final salary. [The 8 disability annuity shall be reduced by the amount of any 9 payments for which the member shall be eligible under the act of 10 June 2, 1915 (P.L.736, No.338), known as "The Pennsylvania 11 Workmen's Compensation Act," or the act of June 21, 1939 12 (P.L.566, No.284), known as "The Pennsylvania Occupational 13 Disease Act."] 14 * * * 15 Section 406. Withdrawal; Return to Service; Death in 16 Service.--* * * 17 (c) Should a person who has been retired on a retirement 18 allowance under this act, return to employment on a regular 19 full-time basis in the same municipality, his retirement 20 allowance shall cease, and in the case of an annuity, other than 21 a disability annuity, the present value of such annuity shall be 22 frozen as of the date such annuity ceases. Upon subsequent 23 discontinuance of service, such member, other than a former 24 disability annuitant, shall be entitled to an annuity which is 25 actuarially equivalent to the sum of the present value of the 26 annuity previously being paid and the present value of the 27 annuity earned by further service and further deductions added 28 upon reemployment. For the purposes of this section if a person 29 is reemployed on a temporary or seasonal basis and his gross 30 post-retirement earnings from such reemployment during the 19810H0349B0358 - 6 -
1 calendar year are less than [two thousand five hundred twenty 2 dollars ($2,520)] five thousand dollars ($5,000) or such other 3 maximum as the board may establish, he shall not be deemed 4 reemployed, but if and when his gross post-retirement earnings 5 exceed [two thousand five hundred twenty dollars ($2,520)] five 6 thousand dollars ($5,000) or such other maximum as the board may 7 establish in any calendar year he shall not be entitled to 8 receive his retirement allowance for that month or any 9 subsequent month in the calendar year in which he continues in 10 service. The municipality is required to notify the board 11 immediately of the reemployment status of any retired former 12 employe and file separate monthly reports of his gross earnings 13 as prescribed by the board. 14 * * * 15 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately. A9L53RW/19810H0349B0358 - 7 -