HB0698 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB094 06138 EFG 36203 b

94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB0698

Introduced 02/01/05, by Rep. Joseph M. Lyons

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

40 ILCS 5/6-111	from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 6-111
30 ILCS 805/8.29 new

Amends the Chicago Firefighter Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that a fireman who receives a duty disability or occupational disease disability benefit after December 31, 1994 and fails to receive duty availability pay because of that disability may elect to have an amount equal to that missed duty availability pay included in the calculation of his or her salary for retirement and widow's annuity purposes only. Requires payment of the corresponding employee contributions. Allows the election to be made by the fireman's surviving spouse, child, or parent in certain circumstances. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

PENSION IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning public employee benefits.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by changing Section 6-111 as follows:

(40 ILCS 5/6-111) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 6-111)

Sec. 6-111. Salary. "Salary": Subject to Section 6-211, the annual salary of a fireman, as follows:

(a) For age and service annuity, minimum annuity, and disability benefits, the actual amount of the annual salary, except as otherwise provided in this Article.

(b) For prior service annuity, widow's annuity, widow's prior service annuity and child's annuity to and including August 31, 1957, the amount of the annual salary up to a maximum of $3,000.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in Section 6-141.1, for widow's annuity, beginning September 1, 1957, the amount of annual salary up to a maximum of $6,000.

(d) "Salary" means the actual amount of the annual salary attached to the permanent career service rank held by the fireman, except as provided in subsection (e).

(e) In the case of a fireman who holds an exempt position above career service rank:

(1) For the purpose of computing employee and city contributions, "salary" means the actual salary attached to the exempt rank position held by the fireman.

(2) For the purpose of computing benefits: "salary" means the actual salary attached to the exempt rank position held by the fireman, if (i) the contributions specified in Section 6-211 have been made, (ii) the fireman has held one or more exempt positions for at least 5 consecutive years and has held the rank of battalion chief or field officer for at least 5 years during the exempt period, and (iii) the fireman was born before 1955; otherwise, "salary" means the salary attached to the permanent career service rank held by the fireman, as provided in subsection (d).

(f) Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, and for any prior periods for which contributions have been paid under subsection (g) of this Section, all salary payments made to any active or former fireman who holds or previously held the permanent assigned position or classified career service rank, grade, or position of ambulance commander shall be included as salary for all purposes under this Article.

(g) Any active or former fireman who held the permanent assigned position or classified career service rank, grade, or position of ambulance commander may elect to have the full amount of the salary attached to that permanent assigned position or classified career service rank, grade, or position included in the calculation of his or her salary for any period during which the fireman held the permanent assigned position or classified career service rank, grade, or position of ambulance commander by applying in writing and making all employee and employer contributions, without interest, related to the actual salary payments corresponding to the permanent assigned position or classified career service rank, grade, or position of ambulance commander for all periods beginning on or after January 1, 1995. All applicable contributions must be paid in full to the Fund before January 1, 2006 before the payment of any benefit under this subsection (g) will be made.

Any former fireman or widow of a fireman who (i) held the permanent assigned position or classified career service rank, grade, or position of ambulance commander, (ii) is in receipt of annuity on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, and (iii) pays to the Fund contributions under this subsection (g) for salary payments at the permanent assigned position or classified career service rank, grade, or position of ambulance commander shall have his or her annuity recalculated to reflect the ambulance commander salary and the resulting increase shall become payable on the next annuity payment date following the date the contribution is received by the Fund.

In the case of an active or former fireman who (i) dies before January 1, 2006 without making an election under this subsection and (ii) was eligible to make an election under this subsection at the time of death (or would have been eligible had the death occurred after the effective date of this amendatory Act), any surviving spouse, child, or parent of the fireman who is eligible to receive a benefit under this Article based on the fireman's salary may make that election and pay the required contributions on behalf of the deceased fireman. If the death occurs within the 30 days immediately preceding January 1, 2006, the deadline for application and payment is extended to January 31, 2006.

Any portion of the compensation received for service as an ambulance commander for which the corresponding contributions have not been paid shall not be included in the calculation of salary.

(h) Beginning January 1, 1999, with respect to a fireman who is licensed by the State as an Emergency Medical Technician, references in this Article to the fireman's salary or the salary attached to or appropriated for the permanent assigned position or classified career service rank, grade, or position of the fireman shall be deemed to include any additional compensation payable to the fireman by virtue of being licensed as an Emergency Medical Technician, as provided under a collective bargaining agreement with the city.

(i) Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly (and for any period prior to that date for which contributions have been paid under subsection (j) of this Section), the salary of a fireman, as calculated for any purpose under this Article, shall include any duty availability pay received by the fireman (i) pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement or (ii) pursuant to an appropriation ordinance in an amount equivalent to the amount of duty availability pay received by other firemen pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement, and references in this Article to the salary attached to or appropriated for the permanent assigned position or classified career service rank, grade, or position of the fireman shall be deemed to include that duty availability pay.

(j) An active or former fireman who received duty availability pay at any time after December 31, 1994 and before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and who either (1) retired during that period or (2) had attained age 46 and at least 16 years of service by the effective date of this amendatory Act may elect to have that duty availability pay included in the calculation of his or her salary for any portion of that period for which the pay was received, by applying in writing and paying to the Fund, before January 1, 2006, the corresponding employee contribution, without interest.

In the case of an applicant who is receiving an annuity at the time the application and contribution are received by the Fund, the annuity shall be recalculated and the resulting increase shall become payable on the next annuity payment date following the date the contribution is received by the Fund.

In the case of an active or former fireman who (i) dies before January 1, 2006 without making an election under this subsection and (ii) was eligible to make an election under this subsection at the time of death (or would have been eligible had the death occurred after the effective date of this amendatory Act), any surviving spouse, child, or parent of the fireman who is eligible to receive a benefit under this Article based on the fireman's salary may make that election and pay the required contribution on behalf of the deceased fireman. If the death occurs within the 30 days immediately preceding January 1, 2006, the deadline for application and payment is extended to January 31, 2006.

Any duty availability pay for which the corresponding employee contribution has not been paid shall not be included in the calculation of salary.

(j-5) An active or former fireman who receives a duty disability benefit under Section 6-151 or an occupational disease disability benefit under Section 6-151.1 at any time after December 31, 1994 and who fails to receive duty availability pay because of that disability may elect to have an amount equal to that missed duty availability pay included in the calculation of his or her salary for retirement and widow's annuity purposes only, by applying in writing and paying to the Fund the corresponding employee contribution, without interest. The amount allowed under this subsection (j-5) in lieu of duty availability pay does not affect the amount of the disability benefit payable to the fireman while disabled.

In the case of an applicant who is receiving a retirement annuity at the time the application and contribution are received by the Fund, the annuity shall be recalculated and the resulting increase shall first become payable on the next annuity payment date following the date the contribution is received by the Fund.

In the case of an active or former fireman who (i) dies without making an election under this subsection (j-5) and (ii) was eligible to make an election under this subsection (j-5) at the time of death (or would have been eligible had the death occurred after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly), any surviving spouse, child, or parent of the fireman who is eligible to receive a benefit under this Article based on the fireman's salary may make that election and pay the required contribution on behalf of the deceased fireman.

No amount in lieu of duty availability pay under this subsection shall be included in the calculation of salary for retirement or widow's annuity purposes unless the corresponding employee contribution has been paid.

This subsection (j-5) is not limited to firemen in active service on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly.

(k) The changes to this Section made by Public Act 93-654 this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly are not limited to firemen in service on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act.

(Source: P.A. 93-654, eff. 1-16-04.)

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding Section 8.29 as follows:

(30 ILCS 805/8.29 new)

Sec. 8.29. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.