Regular Session News #13: Senate retirement passes two RTW bills; other bills near final passage
May 7, 2018
Today the Senate retirement committee amended and passed two return-to-work bills:HB 13 (Rep. Miller) was amended to combine it with the proposed provisions of another return-to-work bill, HB 696 by Rep. Kevin Pearson.
In sum, HB 13 would add presenter of professional development and tutor for any student in Pre-K through twelfth grade to the list of “re-employment eligible positions” allowing retirees to return to work and continue to receive a benefit check (after the required waiting period), subject to a 25% of annual benefit earnings limit.
Other HB 13 amendments:
- clarified the definition of critical shortage;
- reaffirmed that retirees can be hired as testing proctors in a temporary capacity (subject to a 25% of annual benefit earnings limit); and
- changed references of “K-12 teachers” to “PreK-12 teachers” in the critical shortage category.
HB 13 will now go to the Senate floor for consideration, but it could be recommitted to the Senate finance committee.
HB 14 (Rep. Smith) was amended to return it to its original proposed purpose, which was to add full-time interpreter, educational transliterator, or educator of the deaf or hard of hearing to the list of “re-employment eligible critical shortage positions” allowing retirees to return to work without a reduction of benefits (after the required waiting period and certification of shortage).
The amendments clarified the definition of critical shortage and removed the additional provisions added in the House retirement committee. HB 14 now goes to the Senate floor for consideration.
In other legislative news:
The House education committee will consider HCR 82 (Rep. Bagley) at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 8. This House concurrent resolution would create a task force to study issues related to the employment of retired teachers to meet teacher shortages in public schools.
The full House passed an amended HB 874 (Rep. Henry) last week. HB 874 would appropriate $8,585,163 in surplus funds to TRSL for application to the initial unfunded accrued liability (IUAL). House floor amendments to this bill did not affect appropriations to the retirement systems. TRSL is monitoring this legislation, which will now be considered by the Senate finance committee.
Bills nearing final passage
Scheduled for House final passage Monday, May 7:
- SB 17 (Sen. Peacock) would create consistency among state and statewide retirement systems in the application of state and federal law related to military service credit purchases.
Scheduled for House final passage on Friday, May 11:
- SB 4 (Sen. Peacock) would restrict the duties of Board-appointed actuaries to actuarial matters and would reaffirm the ability of state and statewide retirement systems to appoint independent actuaries.
- SB 6 (Sen. Peacock) would prohibit a TRSL member with at least five years of TRSL service credit from retaining membership in TRSL if they move to a position covered by the Clerks' of Court Retirement and Relief Fund.
- SB 13 (Sen. Peacock) would remove the Public Retirement Systems' Actuarial Committee (PRSAC) from the state Department of Treasury and would restrict chair and vice-chair duties on PRSAC to the Senate President and House Speaker or their designees.