99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SB3359

 

Introduced 2/19/2016, by Sen. Chapin Rose

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
40 ILCS 5/7-137  from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 7-137

    Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning participating and covered employees. Effective immediately.


SRS099 00022 NIM 20023 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3359SRS099 00022 NIM 20023 b

1    AN ACT concerning pensions.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by changing
5Section 7-137 as follows:
 
6    (40 ILCS 5/7-137)  (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 7-137)
7    Sec. 7-137. Participating and covered employees.
8    (a) The persons described in this paragraph (a) shall be
9included within and be subject to this Article and eligible to
10benefits from this fund, beginning upon the dates hereinafter
11specified:
12        1. Except as to the employees specifically excluded
13    under the provisions of this Article, all persons who are
14    employees of any municipality (or instrumentality thereof)
15    or participating instrumentality on the effective date of
16    participation of the municipality or participating
17    instrumentality beginning upon such effective date.
18        2. Except as to the employees specifically excluded
19    under the provisions of this Article, all persons, who
20    became employees of any participating municipality (or
21    instrumentality thereof) or participating instrumentality
22    after the effective date of participation of such
23    municipality or participating instrumentality, beginning

 

 

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1    upon the date such person becomes an employee.
2        3. All persons who file notice with the board as
3    provided in paragraph (b) 2 and 3 of this Section,
4    beginning upon the date of filing such notice.
5    (b) The following described persons shall not be considered
6participating employees eligible for benefits from this fund,
7but shall be included within and be subject to this Article
8(each of the descriptions is not exclusive but is cumulative):
9        1. Any person who occupies an office or is employed in
10    a position normally requiring performance of duty during
11    less than 600 600 hours a year for a municipality
12    (including all instrumentalities thereof) or a
13    participating instrumentality. If a school treasurer
14    performs services for more than one school district, the
15    total number of hours of service normally required for the
16    several school districts shall be considered to determine
17    whether he qualifies under this paragraph;
18        2. Any person who holds elective office unless he has
19    elected while in that office in a written notice on file
20    with the board to become a participating employee;
21        3. Any person working for a city hospital unless any
22    such person, while in active employment, has elected in a
23    written notice on file with the board to become a
24    participating employee and notification thereof is
25    received by the board;
26        4. Any person who becomes an employee after June 30,

 

 

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1    1979 as a public service employment program participant
2    under the federal Comprehensive Employment and Training
3    Act and whose wages or fringe benefits are paid in whole or
4    in part by funds provided under such Act;
5        5. Any person who is actively employed by a
6    municipality on its effective date of participation in the
7    Fund if that municipality (i) has at least 35 employees on
8    its effective date of participation; (ii) is located in a
9    county with at least 2,000,000 inhabitants; and (iii)
10    maintains an independent defined benefit pension plan for
11    the benefit of its eligible employees, unless the person
12    files with the board within 90 days after the
13    municipality's effective date of participation an
14    irrevocable election to participate.
15    (c) Any person electing to be a participating employee,
16pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section may not change such
17election, except as provided in Section 7-137.1.
18    (d) Any employee who occupied the position of school nurse
19in any participating municipality on August 8, 1961 and
20continuously thereafter until the effective date of the
21exercise of the option authorized by this subparagraph, who on
22August 7, 1961 was a member of the Teachers' Retirement System
23of Illinois, by virtue of certification by the Department of
24Registration and Education as a public health nurse, may elect
25to terminate participation in this Fund in order to
26re-establish membership in such System. The election may be

 

 

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1exercised by filing written notice thereof with the Board or
2with the Board of Trustees of said Teachers' Retirement System,
3not later than September 30, 1963, and shall be effective on
4the first day of the calendar month next following the month in
5which the notice was filed. If the written notice is filed with
6such Teachers' Retirement System, that System shall
7immediately notify this Fund, but neither failure nor delay in
8notification shall affect the validity of the employee's
9election. If the option is exercised, the Fund shall notify
10such Teachers' Retirement System of such fact and transfer to
11that system the amounts contributed by the employee to this
12Fund, including interest at 3% per annum, but excluding
13contributions applicable to social security coverage during
14the period beginning August 8, 1961 to the effective date of
15the employee's election. Participation in this Fund as to any
16credits on or after August 8, 1961 and up to the effective date
17of the employee's election shall terminate on such effective
18date.
19    (e) Any participating municipality or participating
20instrumentality, other than a school district or special
21education joint agreement created under Section 10-22.31 of the
22School Code, may, by a resolution or ordinance duly adopted by
23its governing body, elect to exclude from participation and
24eligibility for benefits all persons who are employed after the
25effective date of such resolution or ordinance and who occupy
26an office or are employed in a position normally requiring

 

 

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1performance of duty for less than 1000 hours per year for the
2participating municipality (including all instrumentalities
3thereof) or participating instrumentality except for persons
4employed in a position normally requiring performance of duty
5for 600 hours or more per year (i) by such participating
6municipality or participating instrumentality prior to the
7effective date of the resolution or ordinance and (ii) by a
8participating municipality or participating instrumentality,
9which had not adopted such a resolution when the person was
10employed, and the function served by the employee's position is
11assumed by another participating municipality or participating
12instrumentality. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a
13participating municipality or participating instrumentality
14which is formed solely to succeed to the functions of a
15participating municipality or participating instrumentality
16shall be considered to have adopted any such resolution or
17ordinance which may have been applicable to the employees
18performing such functions. The election made by the resolution
19or ordinance shall take effect at the time specified in the
20resolution or ordinance, and once effective shall be
21irrevocable.
22(Source: P.A. 96-1140, eff. 7-21-10; 97-328, eff. 8-12-11;
2397-609, eff. 1-1-12.)
 
24    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
25becoming law.