SENATE AMENDED PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1683, 3980 PRINTER'S NO. 4010
No. 1360 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY S. H. SMITH, NICKOL, HENNESSEY, SCHULER, FICHTER, GEORGE, CAPPELLI, MANN, PERZEL, SAINATO, LAUGHLIN, WILT, CREIGHTON, T. STEVENSON, SOLOBAY, DALEY, WOJNAROSKI, GEIST, McCALL, CALTAGIRONE, BROWNE, YOUNGBLOOD, HARHAI, McNAUGHTON, THOMAS, LEWIS, MARSICO, GRUCELA, BUNT, CURRY, J. TAYLOR, JAMES, TRELLO, HUTCHINSON, GABIG, COLAFELLA, DIVEN, COLEMAN, HERMAN, NAILOR, RAYMOND, TANGRETTI, M. BAKER AND BELFANTI, APRIL 25, 2001
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, IN SENATE, JUNE 11, 2002
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of December 14, 1988 (P.L.1192, No.147), 2 entitled "An act requiring municipal retirement systems to 3 pay special ad hoc postretirement adjustments to certain 4 retired police officers and firefighters; providing for the 5 financing of these adjustments; providing for the 6 administration of the Commonwealth's reimbursements for these 7 adjustments; and making repeals," further providing for 8 definitions, for special ad hoc postretirement adjustments 9 and for the administration of the Commonwealth's 10 reimbursements for these adjustments; and making editorial 11 changes. 12 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 13 hereby enacts as follows: 14 Section 1. The definitions of "special ad hoc adjustment" 15 and "special ad hoc municipal police and firefighter 16 postretirement adjustment" in section 102 of the act of December 17 14, 1988 (P.L.1192, No.147), known as the Special Ad Hoc 18 Municipal Police and Firefighter Postretirement Adjustment Act,
1 are amended and the section is amended by adding definitions to 2 read: 3 Section 102. Definitions. 4 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall 5 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the 6 context clearly indicates otherwise: 7 * * * 8 "Retirement benefit." The amount paid on a regular basis to 9 a retired or disabled police officer or firefighter by a 10 municipal retirement system established for police officers or 11 firefighters. 12 * * * 13 ["Special ad hoc adjustment." A special ad hoc municipal 14 police and firefighter postretirement adjustment.] 15 "Special ad hoc municipal police and firefighter 16 postretirement adjustment[."]," "special ad hoc adjustment" or 17 "special ad hoc postretirement adjustment." An increase in [or 18 change in] the amount of a [retirement annuity, retirement 19 benefit, service pension or disability pension benefit granted 20 or effective after active employment ceases,] retirement benefit 21 as provided for [on a one-time basis] under this [statute.] act. 22 "Years of service." The number of whole years of active, 23 full-time employment as a police officer or firefighter credited 24 under the retirement system. 25 "Years on retirement." The number of whole years that a 26 police officer or firefighter has been retired as of January 1, 27 2001. 28 Section 2. Chapter 3 heading of the act is amended to read: 29 CHAPTER 3 30 1989 SPECIAL AD HOC MUNICIPAL POLICE AND 20010H1360B4010 - 2 -
1 FIREFIGHTER POSTRETIREMENT ADJUSTMENT 2 Section 3. Section 301 of the act is amended to read: 3 Section 301. Entitlement to 1989 special ad hoc adjustment. 4 A municipal retirement system shall pay a retired police 5 officer or firefighter a special ad hoc municipal police and 6 firefighter postretirement adjustment under this chapter if all 7 of the following apply: 8 (1) The retiree has terminated active employment with 9 the municipality as a police officer or firefighter. 10 (2) The retiree is receiving a retirement annuity, 11 retirement benefit, service pension or disability pension 12 benefit from a municipal retirement system on the basis of 13 active employment with a municipality as a police officer or 14 firefighter. 15 (3) The retiree began receiving the retirement annuity, 16 retirement benefit, service pension or disability pension 17 benefit before January 1, 1985. 18 Section 4. Section 302 of the act, amended December 18, 1996 19 (P.L.993, No. 152), is amended to read: 20 Section 302. Amount of 1989 special ad hoc adjustment. 21 (a) General rule.--Except as provided in [subsections (b) 22 and (c)] subsection (b), a municipal retirement system shall pay 23 a retired police officer or firefighter a special ad hoc 24 municipal police and firefighter postretirement adjustment under 25 section 301, as follows: 26 (1) The sum of $25 a month, if on January 1, 1989, the 27 retiree has been retired at least five years but less than 28 ten years. 29 (2) The sum of $50 a month, if on January 1, 1989, the 30 retiree is totally disabled and has been retired less than 20010H1360B4010 - 3 -
1 ten years.
2 (3) The sum of $75 a month, if on January 1, 1989, the
3 retiree has been retired at least ten years but less than 20
4 years.
5 (4) The sum of $150 a month, if on January 1, 1989, the
6 retiree has been retired at least 20 years.
7 (b) Limitation.--If, under section 301, a retiree is
8 entitled to be paid a special ad hoc municipal police and
9 firefighter postretirement adjustment by more than one municipal
10 retirement system, the amount of the special ad hoc adjustment
11 under subsection (a) shall be reduced so that the total of all
12 these adjustments paid to the retiree does not exceed the amount
13 specified in subsection (a).
14 [(c) Modification in amount of postretirement adjustment.--
15 In a municipality where, as of the most recent actuarial
16 valuation prepared under the act of December 18, 1984 (P.L.1005,
17 No.205), known as the Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard
18 and Recovery Act, the actuarial value of aggregated assets as a
19 percentage of the aggregated actuarial accrued liabilities of
20 the municipality's retirement systems is less than 50%, if a
21 retiree entitled to receive a special ad hoc municipal police
22 and firefighters postretirement adjustment will receive a
23 postretirement adjustment from the applicable municipal police
24 or paid firefighters retirement system after the effective date
25 of this act, the amount of the special ad hoc postretirement
26 adjustment under subsection (a) shall be reduced by the total
27 amount of any municipal postretirement adjustment.]
28 (d) Construction.--[Subsections (b) and (c)] Subsection (b)
29 shall not be construed to reduce the amount of any retirement
30 [annuity, retirement benefit, service pension or disability
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1 pension] benefit payable to a retiree immediately prior to [the 2 effective date of this act] February 12, 1989. 3 Section 5. Section 303 of the act is amended to read: 4 Section 303. Payment of 1989 special ad hoc adjustment. 5 The special ad hoc adjustment is effective on the date of the 6 first payment of the retiree's retirement annuity, retirement 7 benefit, service pension or disability pension benefit due after 8 December 31, 1988. The municipal retirement system shall pay 9 this as soon as practicable after that and shall include in the 10 first payment any omitted amount payable between the effective 11 date of the adjustment and the date of the first payment. 12 Section 6. The act is amended by adding a chapter to read: 13 CHAPTER 4 14 2001 2002 SPECIAL AD HOC MUNICIPAL POLICE AND <-- 15 FIREFIGHTER POSTRETIREMENT ADJUSTMENT 16 Section 401. Entitlement to 2001 2002 special ad hoc <-- 17 postretirement adjustment. 18 A municipal retirement system shall pay a retired police 19 officer or firefighter a special ad hoc postretirement 20 adjustment under this chapter if all of the following apply: 21 (1) The retiree has terminated active employment with 22 the municipality as a police officer or firefighter. 23 (2) The retiree is receiving a retirement benefit from a 24 municipal retirement system on the basis of active employment 25 with the municipality as a police officer or firefighter. 26 (3) The retiree began receiving the retirement benefit 27 before January 1, 1996. 28 Section 402. Amount of 2001 2002 special ad hoc postretirement <-- 29 adjustment. 30 (a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsections (b) and 20010H1360B4010 - 5 -
1 (c), a municipal retirement system shall pay a retired police 2 officer or firefighter a monthly special ad hoc postretirement 3 adjustment under section 401 that shall be calculated as 4 follows: 5 (1) The base adjustment shall be determined by 6 multiplying 15¢ by the years of service and then multiplying 7 that product by the years on retirement. 8 (2) The longevity factor shall be determined as the sum 9 of the products calculated by multiplying 0.025 by the years 10 on retirement and 0.05 by the years on retirement in excess 11 of 25, if any. 12 (3) The longevity adjustment shall be determined by 13 multiplying the base adjustment calculated under paragraph 14 (1) by the longevity factor calculated under paragraph (2). 15 (4) The special ad hoc postretirement adjustment payable 16 under section 401 shall be the sum of the base adjustment 17 calculated under paragraph (1) and the longevity adjustment 18 calculated under paragraph (3). 19 (b) Limitation.--If, under section 401, a retiree is 20 entitled to be paid a special ad hoc postretirement adjustment 21 by more than one municipal retirement system, the amount of the 22 special ad hoc postretirement adjustment under subsection (a) 23 shall be reduced so that the total of all these adjustments paid 24 to the retiree does not exceed the amount specified in 25 subsection (a). 26 (c) Modification in amount of 2001 2002 special ad hoc <-- 27 postretirement adjustment.--The amount of the special ad hoc 28 postretirement adjustment calculated under subsection (a) shall 29 be reduced annually by 65% of the total amount of any 30 postretirement adjustments provided to the retiree under the 20010H1360B4010 - 6 -
1 municipal retirement plan after December 31, 1988, and before 2 January 1, 2001 2002 and paid in the immediately preceding year. <-- 3 Section 7. Section 502 of the act is amended to read: 4 Section 502. Reimbursement by Commonwealth for special 1989 ad 5 hoc adjustment. 6 (a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), 7 beginning January 1, 1990, the Commonwealth shall reimburse a 8 municipality, from the special account established under section 9 701, for the actual special ad hoc adjustment under Chapter 3 10 paid during the previous calendar year. 11 (b) Limitation of eligibility.-- 12 (1) The Commonwealth shall not reimburse any 13 municipality if the information required under section [901] 14 901(a)(1) either was not certified to the Auditor General or 15 was certified after April 1 of the year the certification was 16 due. 17 (2) Beginning January 1, 2002, the Commonwealth shall 18 not make any payment under subsection (a) to a municipality 19 that in the immediately preceding year received an allocation 20 of general municipal pension system State aid that was 21 limited to the pension cost of the municipality under section 22 402(f)(2) of the act of December 18, 1984 (P.L.1005, No.205), 23 known as the Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and 24 Recovery Act. 25 Section 8. The act is amended by adding a section to read: 26 Section 502.1. Reimbursement by Commonwealth for 2001 2002 <-- 27 special ad hoc adjustment. 28 (a) General rule.-- 29 (1) Except as provided in subsection (b), beginning in 30 the year following the year in which the amortization 20010H1360B4010 - 7 -
1 contribution requirement attributable to a special ad hoc 2 postretirement adjustment under Chapter 4 is first reflected 3 in the financial requirements of the retirement system 4 determined under Chapter 3 of the act of December 18, 1984 5 (P.L.1005, No.205), known as the Municipal Pension Plan 6 Funding Standard and Recovery Act, the Auditor General shall 7 determine the Commonwealth reimbursement payable to the 8 municipality representing the amortization contribution 9 requirement attributable to the special ad hoc postretirement 10 adjustment under Chapter 4 that was paid with revenues of the 11 municipality other than general municipal pension system 12 State aid provided under the Municipal Pension Plan Funding 13 Standard and Recovery Act. 14 (2) The determination of the reimbursable amount of the 15 amortization contribution requirement attributable to the 16 special ad hoc postretirement adjustment under Chapter 4 in 17 any year shall be calculated as the amortization contribution 18 requirement attributable to the special ad hoc postretirement 19 adjustments under Chapter 4 and reflected in the 20 determination of the financial requirements of the pension 21 plan under Chapter 3 of the Municipal Pension Plan Funding 22 Standard and Recovery Act for the immediate prior year less 23 the product of that amortization contribution requirement 24 multiplied by the ratio of the amount of general municipal 25 pension system State aid allocated to the retirement system 26 in the immediate prior year to the total amount of municipal 27 contributions made to the retirement system from all sources 28 other than employee contributions in the immediate prior 29 year. WHERE A MUNICIPALITY HAS ISSUED BONDS OR NOTES TO FUND <-- 30 AN UNFUNDED ACTUARIAL ACCRUED LIABILITY UNDER 53 PA.C.S. PT. 20010H1360B4010 - 8 -
1 V SUBPT. B (RELATING TO INDEBTEDNESS AND BORROWING) OR UNDER 2 OTHER LAWS APPLICABLE TO THE MUNICIPALITY, THE GENERAL 3 MUNICIPAL PENSION SYSTEM STATE AID AND MUNICIPAL 4 CONTRIBUTIONS USED BY THE MUNICIPALITY TO MAKE DEBT SERVICE 5 PAYMENTS ON THE BONDS OR NOTES, OR BOTH, ISSUED TO FUND AN 6 UNFUNDED ACTUARIAL ACCRUED LIABILITY SHALL BE INCLUDED IN THE 7 CALCULATION OF THE RATIO APPLIED TO THE AMORTIZATION 8 CONTRIBUTION REQUIREMENT. 9 (3) The Commonwealth shall reimburse a municipality, 10 from the special account established under section 701, for 11 the reimbursable amount determined for each year under this 12 paragraph. 13 (b) Limitation of eligibility.-- 14 (1) The Commonwealth shall not reimburse any 15 municipality for a special ad hoc adjustment paid under 16 Chapter 4 if the information required under section 901(a)(2) 17 either was not certified to the Auditor General or was 18 certified after April 1 of the year the certification was 19 due. 20 (2) The Commonwealth shall not reimburse a municipality 21 for the reimbursable amount of the amortization contribution 22 requirement attributable to the special ad hoc postretirement 23 adjustment under Chapter 4 if the municipality fails to 24 submit a complete certification of the reimbursable amount of 25 the amortization contribution requirement determined under 26 subsection (a) to the Auditor General before April 1 of the 27 year in which the reimbursement is payable. 28 (c) Variable definition of amortization contribution 29 requirement.--For purposes of this section, the term 30 "amortization contribution requirement" shall have the meaning 20010H1360B4010 - 9 -
1 specified in this subsection as follows: 2 (1) In a municipal pension plan with defined benefits 3 for which the municipality determines the financial 4 requirements of the pension plan under section 302 of the 5 Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and Recovery Act, the 6 term "amortization contribution requirement" shall mean the 7 amortization contribution requirement attributable to the 8 special ad hoc postretirement adjustments under Chapter 4 9 that was reflected in the financial requirements of the 10 pension plan determined for the immediate prior year. 11 (2) In a municipal pension plan without defined benefits 12 for which the municipality determines the financial 13 requirements of the pension plan under section 303 of the 14 Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard and Recovery Act, the 15 term "amortization contribution requirement" shall mean the 16 sum of the payments made to the retirement system in the 17 immediate prior year in order to provide the special ad hoc 18 postretirement adjustments under Chapter 4 in that year. 19 Section 9. Sections 702, 901, 902, 903 and 1101 of the act 20 are amended to read: 21 Section 702. Deposits into special account. 22 Notwithstanding any applicable provision of the act of May 23 12, 1943 (P.L.259, No.120), referred to as the Foreign Casualty 24 Insurance Premium Tax Allocation Law, or any applicable 25 provisions of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as 26 the Tax Reform Code of 1971, or the provisions of sections 27 402(b) and 803(c) of the act of December 18, 1984 (P.L.1005, 28 No.205), known as the Municipal Pension Plan Funding Standard 29 and Recovery Act, beginning on January 1, 1990, prior to the 30 deposit of the proceeds of the insurance premium tax on foreign 20010H1360B4010 - 10 -
1 casualty insurance premiums into the General Municipal Pension 2 System State Aid Program revenue account, an amount sufficient 3 to provide for the Commonwealth's reimbursement payments and 4 reimbursable amounts to municipalities for special ad hoc 5 adjustments under this act shall be deposited in the separate 6 account created under section 701. 7 Section 901. Municipal retirement system certification of 8 adjustments paid and of reimbursable amounts. 9 (a) Certification.-- 10 (1) Beginning January 1, 1989, the chief administrative 11 officer of a municipal retirement system that pays a special 12 ad hoc adjustment under Chapter 3 in that year shall certify 13 the total of all adjustments under Chapter 3 paid during that 14 year to the Auditor General not later than April 1 of the 15 following year. 16 (2) Beginning in the year 2001 2002, a municipality with <-- 17 a retirement system that pays a special ad hoc postretirement 18 adjustment under Chapter 4 in a year shall certify its 19 reimbursable amount under section 502.1(a) to the Auditor 20 General not later than April 1 of the following year. 21 (b) [Form] Certification form.-- 22 (1) Not later than February 1 of the year in which the 23 form is due, the Auditor General shall send the retirement 24 system the proper form on which to make the certification 25 under subsection [(a)] (a)(1). 26 (2) Not later than February 1 of each year, the Auditor 27 General shall send each municipality maintaining a retirement 28 system for police officers or firefighters a notice of the 29 filing requirement for the certification of the reimbursable 30 amount under section 502.1(a), which shall include a detailed 20010H1360B4010 - 11 -
1 description of the formula for determining the reimbursable 2 amount and the proper form on which to make the 3 certifications under subsection (a)(2). 4 Section 902. Commonwealth disbursement of reimbursement 5 payment. 6 (a) Payment to account.--Not later than June 1 of the year 7 in which the form is due, the Auditor General shall certify to 8 the State Treasurer the amount to be deposited into the special 9 account created in section 701 and shall draw a warrant, payable 10 to the treasurer of the municipality, on the State Treasurer 11 from the special account created in section 701 for the amount 12 certified under section 901(a). 13 (b) [Disbursement] Disbursements.-- 14 (1) Not later than September 1 of the year in which the 15 form is due, the State Treasurer shall disburse the 16 reimbursement payment for the special ad hoc postretirement 17 adjustments under Chapter 3 out of the special account 18 created in section 701. 19 (2) Not later than the first business day of October of 20 the year in which the certification form is due, the State 21 Treasurer shall disburse the reimbursement payment for the 22 postretirement adjustments under Chapter 4 out of the special 23 account created in section 701. 24 Section 903. Municipal receipt of reimbursement payment. 25 (a) 1989 postretirement adjustment reimbursement.--Upon 26 receipt of the reimbursement payment from the Commonwealth for 27 the postretirement adjustments under Chapter 3, the treasurer of 28 the municipality shall deposit the reimbursement payment into 29 the municipality's general fund. 30 (b) 2001 2002 postretirement adjustment reimbursement.--Upon <-- 20010H1360B4010 - 12 -
1 receipt of the reimbursement payment from the Commonwealth for 2 the postretirement adjustments under Chapter 4, the treasurer of 3 the municipality shall deposit the reimbursement payment into 4 the municipality's general fund. 5 Section 1101. Limitation of prior act. 6 [The provisions of section 7 of the act of July 9, 1981 7 (P.L.208, No.66), known as the Public Employee Retirement Study 8 Commission Act, shall not be applied to this act.] To the extent 9 that a special ad hoc municipal police postretirement adjustment 10 granted by the Commonwealth causes the calculation of total 11 benefits to be paid to a member of a police force receiving 12 retirement benefit to exceed the limitations contained in the 13 act of May 29, 1956 (1955 P.L.1804, No.600), referred to as the 14 Municipal Police Pension Law, the police pension fund may exceed 15 the limitations therein provided to pay the adjustment to the 16 retired or disabled member. 17 Section 10. The special ad hoc postretirement adjustment 18 under section 401 of the act is effective on the date of the 19 first retirement benefit made after the effective date of this <-- 20 act JULY 1 JUNE 30, 2002. If the special ad hoc postretirement <-- 21 adjustment under section 401 of the act is not included in the 22 initial retirement benefit payment occurring after the effective <-- 23 date of this act JULY 1 JUNE 30, 2002, the special ad hoc <-- 24 postretirement adjustment shall be included as soon as 25 practicable in the retirement benefit payment of the retiree, 26 and the initial retirement benefit payment that includes the 27 special ad hoc postretirement adjustment also shall include the 28 total amount of the special ad hoc postretirement adjustments 29 previously omitted from the retirement benefit payments made 30 after the effective date of this act JULY 1 JUNE 30, 2002. <-- 20010H1360B4010 - 13 -
1 Section 11. This act shall take effect in 60 days <--
2 IMMEDIATELY. <--
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