HOUSE BILL No. 5693

 

December 10, 2009, Introduced by Rep. Dillon and referred to the Committee on Public Employee Health Care Reform.

 

     A bill to amend 1937 PA 345, entitled

 

"Fire fighters and police officers retirement act,"

 

by amending section 9 (MCL 38.559), as amended by 2002 PA 98.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 9. (1) The contributions of a member to the retirement

 

system shall be 5% of the salary paid to the member by the

 

municipality. The officer responsible for making up the payroll

 

shall cause the contributions provided for in this subsection to be

 

deducted from the salary of each member on each payroll for each

 

payroll period so long as he or she remains an active member in the

 

employ of the municipality. The amounts deducted shall be paid into

 

the funds of the retirement system. The members' contributions

 

provided for in this act shall be made notwithstanding that the

 

minimum salary provided for by law is changed by the members'

 


contributions. Every member shall be considered to consent and to

 

agree to the deductions made and provided for in this act and shall

 

receipt for his or her full salary and payment of his or her salary

 

less the deduction, which is a full and complete discharge and

 

acquittance of all claims and demands for the services rendered by

 

the member during the period covered by the payment, except as to

 

benefits provided by this retirement system.

 

     (2) For the purpose of creating and maintaining a fund for the

 

payment of the pensions and other benefits payable as provided in

 

this act, the municipality, subject to the provisions of this act,

 

shall appropriate, at the end of such the regular intervals as may

 

be that are adopted, quarterly, semiannually, or annually, an

 

amount sufficient to maintain actuarially determined reserves

 

covering pensions payable or that might be payable on account of

 

service performed and to be performed by active members, and

 

pensions being paid to retired members and beneficiaries. The

 

appropriations to be made by the municipality in any fiscal year

 

shall be sufficient to pay all pensions due and payable in that

 

fiscal year to all retired members and beneficiaries. The amount of

 

the appropriation in a fiscal year shall not be less than 10% of

 

the aggregate pay received during that fiscal year by members of

 

the retirement system unless, by actuarial determination, it is

 

satisfactorily established that a lesser percentage is needed. All

 

deductions and appropriations shall be payable to the treasurer of

 

the municipality and he or she shall pay the deductions and

 

appropriations into the retirement system. Except in municipalities

 

that are subject to the 15 mill tax limitation as provided by in

 


section 6 of article IX of the state constitution of 1963, the

 

amount required by taxation to meet the appropriations to be made

 

by municipalities under this act shall be in addition to any tax

 

limitation imposed upon tax rates in those municipalities by

 

charter provisions or by state law subject to section 25 of article

 

IX of the state constitution of 1963.

 

     (3) If, at the beginning or during any fiscal year, it has

 

been satisfactorily determined by the retirement board that the

 

accumulated funds of the retirement system plus the municipality's

 

contribution of 10% of the aggregate pay received during that

 

fiscal year by members of the retirement system plus members'

 

contributions of 5% of payroll, are insufficient to pay all

 

pensions and other benefits due and payable in that year out of

 

funds of the retirement system, then all pensions and other

 

benefits payable shall be prorated for the remainder of the fiscal

 

year by the retirement board.

 

     (4) Any clerical, legal, actuarial, or medical expenses

 

required by the retirement board, or any other necessary expense

 

for the operation of the retirement system, shall be provided for

 

by the municipality or shall be paid from the investment income of

 

the retirement system, as determined by the governing body of the

 

municipality. The retirement board shall submit expenses

 

periodically to the governing body of the municipality. If use of

 

investment income to pay these expenses causes an actuarial

 

insufficiency in the assets of the retirement system used to pay

 

pensions, the insufficiency shall be made up by the municipality.

 

     (5) All pensions allowed and payable to retired members and

 


beneficiaries under this act shall become obligations of and be

 

payable from the funds of the retirement system.

 

     (6) The right of a person to a pension, to the return of

 

member contributions, to any optional benefits, or any other right

 

accrued or accruing to a member or beneficiary under this act and

 

the money belonging to the retirement system is subject to the

 

public employee retirement benefit protection act, 2002 PA 100, MCL

 

38.1681 to 38.1689.

 

     (7) If any municipality under this act provides retirement

 

health care coverage, coverage provided and plans authorized shall

 

be provided and authorized in accordance with the Michigan health

 

benefits program act. Coverage provided and plans authorized in

 

accordance with the Michigan health benefits program act shall be

 

provided and authorized subject to section 21 of the Michigan

 

health benefits program act.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless House Bill No. 5345 of the 95th Legislature is enacted into

 

law.