RETIREMENT
House Bill 4334
Sponsor: Rep. Randy Richardville
Committee: Veterans Affairs
Complete to 3-30-99
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4334 AS INTRODUCED 2-9-99
Under the Michigan Military Act, a person who has completed at least 20 years of active service in the national guard or defense force, or both, can retire and receive annual retirement payments of $600 if he or she reaches age 62 or if, at age 55, he or she meets one of three circumstances: (1) he or she is ineligible, because of federal law or regulation, for further federal recognition of his or her current grade because of age or length of service, and his or her commission or enlistment in the national guard is terminated; (2) his or her federal recognition is withdrawn and his or her commission or enlistment in the national guard is terminated because of physical disqualification from further service; or (3) he or she is separated from the national guard or defense guard under an honorable circumstance. When a retiree dies, his or her surviving spouse receives $300 a year if the deceased retiree also met one of the above three conditions.
The bill would amend the act to increase the annual retirement pay to $900 for retirees, and to $450 for their surviving spouses. However, these increased payments would become effective only on the first day of the month after the bill took effect, and would not be payable for any month before that date.
Analyst: S. Ekstrom