96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
SB0303

 

Introduced 2/6/2009, by Sen. Bill Brady

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
See Index

    Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Requires the General Assembly Retirement System, the State Employees' Retirement System of Illinois, the State Universities Retirement System, the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois, and the Judges Retirement System of Illinois to allow employees to elect to participate in a self-managed program of retirement benefits instead of the program of retirement benefits currently offered. Provides that a self-managed plan shall authorize a participating employee to accumulate assets for retirement through a combination of employer and employee contributions that may be invested at the employee's direction in mutual funds, collective investment funds, or other investment products and used to purchase annuity contracts. Provides that, to the extent that the changes made by the amendatory Act are determined to be a new benefit increase, the changes are exempt from the 5-year expiration provision. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
PENSION IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning public employee benefits.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by adding
5 Sections 2-103.1, 2-103.2, 2-117.4, 2-126.2, 2-162.1,
6 14-103.40, 14-103.41, 14-105.8, 14-133.2, 15-198.1, 16-104.1,
7 16-104.2, 16-131.7, 16-158.2, 16-203.1, 18-105.1, 18-105.2,
8 18-123.3, 18-133.2, and 18-169.1 and changing Sections 2-126,
9 14-133, 14-152.2, 15-103.3, 15-134.5, 15-158.2, 16-152, and
10 18-133 as follows:
 
11     (40 ILCS 5/2-103.1 new)
12     Sec. 2-103.1. Traditional benefit package. "Traditional
13 benefit package" means the defined benefit retirement program
14 maintained by the System, which includes retirement annuities
15 payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections
16 2-119, 2-119.01, 2-119.1, and 2-120; survivor's annuities
17 payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections
18 2-121, 2-121.1, 2-121.2, and 2-121.3; and contribution
19 refunds, as provided in Section 2-123.
 
20     (40 ILCS 5/2-103.2 new)
21     Sec. 2-103.2. Self-managed plan. "Self-managed plan" means
22 the defined contribution retirement program maintained by the

 

 

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1 System, as described in Section 2-126.2. The self-managed plan
2 does not include retirement annuities or survivor's benefits
3 payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections
4 2-119, 2-119.01, 2-119.1, 2-120, 2-121, 2-121.1, 2-121.2, and
5 2-121.3 or refunds determined under Section 2-123.
 
6     (40 ILCS 5/2-117.4 new)
7     Sec. 2-117.4. Retirement program elections.
8     (a) For the purposes of this Section:
9     "Eligible participant" means either a currently eligible
10 participant or a newly eligible participant of the System.
11     "Currently eligible participant" means a person who is a
12 participant under this Article on the date on which the System
13 first offers the self-managed plan as an alternative to the
14 traditional benefit package.
15     "Newly eligible participant" means a person who first
16 becomes a participant after the date on which the System first
17 offers the self-managed plan as an alternative to the
18 traditional benefit package.
19     (b) When the System offers to participants under this
20 Article a self-managed plan as an alternative to the
21 traditional benefit package, each currently eligible
22 participant shall be given the choice to elect which retirement
23 program he or she wishes to participate in with respect to all
24 periods of covered employment occurring on, before, and after
25 the effective date of the participant's election.

 

 

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1     The retirement program election made by an eligible
2 participant must be made in writing, in the manner prescribed
3 by the System, and within the time period described in this
4 Section.
5     If an eligible participant elects the self-managed plan,
6 then that election is irrevocable. If an eligible participant
7 who elected to participate or participated by default in the
8 traditional benefit plan terminates employment under this
9 Article, then the participant, upon his or her subsequent
10 re-employment under this Article, may make an election under
11 this Section.
12     An eligible participant who fails to make an election under
13 this Section shall, by default, participate in the traditional
14 benefit package.
15     (c) An eligible participant may elect to participate in the
16 traditional benefit package or the self-managed plan.
17     A currently eligible participant must make this election
18 within 5 years after the effective date of the adoption of the
19 self-managed plan under Section 2-126.2 or, in the case of a
20 currently eligible participant who terminates employment under
21 this Article, within 6 months after his or her re-employment
22 under this Article.
23     A newly eligible participant must make this election within
24 6 months after he or she begins employment under this Article.
25     (d) If the eligible participant elects to participate in
26 the self-managed plan, the system shall fund their account as

 

 

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1 stated in subsection (f) of Section 2-126.2.
2     (e) An eligible participant shall be provided with written
3 information prepared or prescribed by the System that describes
4 the participant's retirement program choices. The eligible
5 participant shall be offered an opportunity to receive
6 counseling from the System prior to making his or her election.
7 This counseling may consist of videotaped materials, group
8 presentations, individual consultation with an employee or
9 authorized representative of the System in person or by
10 telephone or other electronic means, or any combination of
11 these methods.
 
12     (40 ILCS 5/2-126)  (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 2-126)
13     Sec. 2-126. Contributions by participants.
14     (a) Each participant shall contribute toward the cost of
15 his or her retirement annuity a percentage of each payment of
16 salary received by him or her for service as a member as
17 follows: for service between October 31, 1947 and January 1,
18 1959, 5%; for service between January 1, 1959 and June 30,
19 1969, 6%; for service between July 1, 1969 and January 10,
20 1973, 6 1/2%; for service after January 10, 1973, 7%; for
21 service after December 31, 1981, 8 1/2%.
22     (b) Beginning August 2, 1949, each male participant, and
23 from July 1, 1971, each female participant shall contribute
24 towards the cost of the survivor's annuity 2% of salary.
25     A participant who has no eligible survivor's annuity

 

 

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1 beneficiary may elect to cease making contributions for
2 survivor's annuity under this subsection. A survivor's annuity
3 shall not be payable upon the death of a person who has made
4 this election, unless prior to that death the election has been
5 revoked and the amount of the contributions that would have
6 been paid under this subsection in the absence of the election
7 is paid to the System, together with interest at the rate of 4%
8 per year from the date the contributions would have been made
9 to the date of payment.
10     Notwithstanding any provision in this subsection (b) to the
11 contrary, in the case of an employee who participates in the
12 self-managed plan under Section 2-126.2, contributions for a
13 survivor's annuity shall instead be used to finance the
14 benefits available under Section 2-126.2.
15     (c) Beginning July 1, 1967, each participant shall
16 contribute 1% of salary towards the cost of automatic increase
17 in annuity provided in Section 2-119.1. These contributions
18 shall be made concurrently with contributions for retirement
19 annuity purposes.
20     (d) In addition, each participant serving as an officer of
21 the General Assembly shall contribute, for the same purposes
22 and at the same rates as are required of a regular participant,
23 on each additional payment received as an officer. If the
24 participant serves as an officer for at least 2 but less than 4
25 years, he or she shall contribute an amount equal to the amount
26 that would have been contributed had the participant served as

 

 

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1 an officer for 4 years. Persons who serve as officers in the
2 87th General Assembly but cannot receive the additional payment
3 to officers because of the ban on increases in salary during
4 their terms may nonetheless make contributions based on those
5 additional payments for the purpose of having the additional
6 payments included in their highest salary for annuity purposes;
7 however, persons electing to make these additional
8 contributions must also pay an amount representing the
9 corresponding employer contributions, as calculated by the
10 System.
11 (Source: P.A. 90-766, eff. 8-14-98.)
 
12     (40 ILCS 5/2-126.2 new)
13     Sec. 2-126.2. Self-managed plan.
14     (a) The General Assembly finds that the State should have
15 the flexibility to provide a defined contribution
16 (self-managed) plan for eligible participants. Accordingly,
17 the General Assembly Retirement System is hereby authorized to
18 establish and administer a self-managed plan, which shall offer
19 participants the opportunity to accumulate assets for
20 retirement through a combination of participant and State
21 contributions that may be invested in mutual funds, collective
22 investment funds, or other investment products and used to
23 purchase annuity contracts, either fixed or variable or a
24 combination of fixed and variable. The plan must be qualified
25 under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

 

 

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1     (b) The Board shall adopt the self-managed plan established
2 under this Section for participants under this Article. The
3 adoption of the self-managed plan makes available to the
4 eligible participants under this Article the elections
5 described in Section 2-117.4.
6     The General Assembly Retirement System shall be the plan
7 sponsor for the self-managed plan and shall prepare a plan
8 document and adopt any rules and procedures as are considered
9 necessary or desirable for the administration of the
10 self-managed plan. Consistent with its fiduciary duty to the
11 participants and beneficiaries of the self-managed plan, the
12 Board of Trustees of the System may delegate aspects of plan
13 administration as it sees fit to companies authorized to do
14 business in this State.
15     (c) The System shall solicit proposals to provide
16 administrative services and funding vehicles for the
17 self-managed plan from insurance and annuity companies and
18 mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, or other
19 financial institutions authorized to do business in this State.
20 In reviewing the proposals received and approving and
21 contracting with no fewer than 2 and no more than 7 companies,
22 the Board of Trustees of the System shall consider, among other
23 things, the following criteria:
24         (1) the nature and extent of the benefits that would be
25     provided to the participants;
26         (2) the reasonableness of the benefits in relation to

 

 

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1     the premium charged;
2         (3) the suitability of the benefits to the needs and
3     interests of the participants and the State; and
4         (4) the ability of the company to provide benefits
5     under the contract and the financial stability of the
6     company.
7     The System shall periodically review each approved
8 company. A company may continue to provide administrative
9 services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan only so
10 long as it continues to be an approved company under contract
11 with the Board.
12     In addition to the companies approved by the System under
13 this subsection (c), the System may offer its participants an
14 investment fund managed by the System.
15     (d) Participants in the program must be allowed to direct
16 the transfer of their account balances among the various
17 investment options offered, subject to applicable contractual
18 provisions. The participant shall not be deemed a fiduciary by
19 reason of providing such investment direction. A person who is
20 a fiduciary shall not be liable for any loss resulting from
21 that investment direction and shall not be deemed to have
22 breached any fiduciary duty by acting in accordance with that
23 direction. Neither the System nor the State shall guarantee any
24 of the investments in the participant's account balances.
25     (e) An eligible participant, as defined in Section 2-117.4,
26 must make a written election to participate in the self-managed

 

 

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1 plan in accordance with the provisions of Section 2-117.4 and
2 the procedures established by the System. Participation in the
3 self-managed plan shall begin on the first day of the month
4 immediately following the month in which the eligible
5 participant's election is filed with the System, but not sooner
6 than the effective date of the self-managed plan. The System
7 shall make the self-managed plan available under this Article
8 by January 1, 2010. A member's participation in the traditional
9 retirement package under this Article shall terminate on the
10 date that participation in the self-managed plan begins.
11     A member who has elected to participate in the self-managed
12 plan under this Section must continue participation while he or
13 she remains a participant under this Article, and may not
14 participate in the traditional benefit package.
15     Participation in the self-managed plan under this Section
16 shall constitute participation in the General Assembly
17 Retirement System.
18     A participant under this Section shall be entitled to the
19 benefits of Article 20 of this Code.
20     (f) If, at the time a participant elects to participate in
21 the self-managed plan, the participant has rights and credits
22 in the System due to previous participation in the traditional
23 benefit package, the System shall establish for the participant
24 an opening account balance in the self-managed plan, equal to
25 (1) the amount of the contribution refund that the participant
26 would be eligible to receive under Section 2-123 if the

 

 

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1 participant terminated employment on that date and elected a
2 refund of contributions and (2) an amount equal to the regular
3 employer contribution that would be required to fund the actual
4 regular cost incurred for each year of service credit earned,
5 provided that the total opening account balance does not exceed
6 7.6% of the participant's salary for that year, plus interest.
7 The interest used in this subsection (f) is calculated as the
8 average annual rate of return that the System has earned over
9 the past 20 fiscal years and is compounded. The System shall
10 transfer assets from the defined benefit retirement program to
11 the self-managed plan, as a tax-free transfer in accordance
12 with Internal Revenue Service guidelines, for purposes of
13 funding the participant's opening account balance.
14     (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, a
15 participant may not purchase or receive service or service
16 credit applicable to the traditional benefit package under this
17 Article for any period during which the employee was a
18 participant in the self-managed plan established under this
19 Section.
20     (h) The self-managed plan shall be funded by contributions
21 from participants in the self-managed plan and State
22 contributions as provided in this Section.
23     The contribution rate for participants in the self-managed
24 plan under this Section shall be equal to the member
25 contribution rate for other participants in the System, as
26 provided in Section 2-126. This required contribution shall be

 

 

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1 made as an employer pick-up under Section 414(h) of the
2 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any successor Section thereof.
3 Any participant in the System's traditional benefit package
4 prior to his or her election to participate in the self-managed
5 plan shall continue to have the employer pick up the
6 contributions required under Section 2-126. However, the
7 amounts picked up after the election of the self-managed plan
8 shall be remitted to and treated as assets of the self-managed
9 plan. In no event shall a participant have the option of
10 receiving these amounts in cash. Participants may make
11 additional contributions to the self-managed plan in
12 accordance with procedures prescribed by the System, to the
13 extent permitted under rules adopted by the System.
14     The program shall provide for State contributions to be
15 credited to each self-managed plan participant in an amount
16 equal to the regular employer contribution that would be
17 required to fund the actual regular cost incurred for each year
18 of service credit earned had the participant chosen to enroll
19 in the traditional benefit plan. The amounts so credited shall
20 be paid into the participant's self-managed plan accounts in a
21 manner to be prescribed by the System.
22     The State of Illinois shall make contributions by
23 appropriations to the System for participants in the
24 self-managed plan under this Section. The amount required shall
25 be certified by the Board of Trustees of the System and paid by
26 the State in accordance with Section 2-134. The System shall

 

 

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1 not be obligated to remit the required State contributions to
2 any of the insurance and annuity companies, mutual fund
3 companies, banks, trust companies, financial institutions, or
4 other sponsors of any of the funding vehicles offered under the
5 self-managed plan until it has received the required State
6 contributions from the State.
7     (i) A participant in the self-managed plan becomes vested
8 in the State contributions credited to his or her accounts in
9 the self-managed plan on the earliest to occur of the
10 following: (1) attainment of 5 years of service credit; (2) the
11 death of the participating member while employed under this
12 Article, if the member has completed at least 1.5 years of
13 service; or (3) the member's election to retire and apply the
14 reciprocal provisions of Article 20 of this Code.
15     A participant in the self-managed plan who receives a
16 distribution of his or her vested amounts from the self-managed
17 plan while not yet eligible for retirement under this Article
18 (and Article 20, if applicable) shall forfeit all service
19 credit and accrued rights in the System; if he or she
20 subsequently becomes a participant under this Article again, he
21 or she shall be considered a new participant. If a former
22 participant again becomes a participating member (or becomes
23 employed by a participating system under Article 20 of this
24 Code) and continues as such for at least 2 years, all rights,
25 service credits, and previous status as a participant shall be
26 restored upon repayment of the amount of the distribution,

 

 

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1 without interest.
2     (j) If a participant in the self-managed plan who is vested
3 in State contributions terminates employment, the participant
4 shall be entitled to a benefit that is based on the account
5 values attributable to both State and member contributions and
6 any investment return thereon.
7     If a participant in the self-managed plan who is not vested
8 in State contributions terminates employment, the participant
9 shall be entitled to a benefit based solely on the account
10 values attributable to the participant's contributions and any
11 investment return thereon, and the State contributions and any
12 investment return thereon shall be forfeited. Any State
13 contributions that are forfeited shall be held in escrow by the
14 company investing those contributions and shall be used, as
15 directed by the System, for future allocations of State
16 contributions or for the restoration of amounts previously
17 forfeited by former participants who again become
18 participating members.
 
19     (40 ILCS 5/2-162.1 new)
20     Sec. 2-162.1. New benefit increases. To the extent that the
21 changes made to this Article by this amendatory Act of the 96th
22 General Assembly authorizing the System to offer a self-managed
23 plan are determined to be a new benefit increase within the
24 meaning of Section 2-162, the changes made by this amendatory
25 Act are exempt from the provisions of subsection (d) of Section

 

 

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1 2-162.
 
2     (40 ILCS 5/14-103.40 new)
3     Sec. 14-103.40. Traditional benefit package. "Traditional
4 benefit package" means the defined benefit retirement program
5 maintained by the System, which includes retirement annuities
6 payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections
7 14-107, 14-108, 14-108.3, 14-108.4, 14-109, 14-110, 14-112,
8 14-113, 14-114, and 14-115; disability benefits payable under
9 Sections 14-123, 14-123.1, 14-124, 14-125, 14-125.1, and
10 14-126; death benefits payable directly from the System, as
11 provided in Sections 14-116, 14-117, and 14-128; widow or
12 survivors annuities payable directly from the System, as
13 provided in Sections 14-118, 14-119, 14-120, 14-121, 14-121.1,
14 and 14-122; and contribution refunds, as provided in Section
15 14-130.
 
16     (40 ILCS 5/14-103.41 new)
17     Sec. 14-103.41. Self-managed plan. "Self-managed plan"
18 means the defined contribution retirement program maintained
19 under the System, as described in Section 14-133.2. The
20 self-managed plan also includes disability benefits, as
21 provided in Sections 14-123, 14-123.1, 14-124, 14-125,
22 14-125.1, and 14-126. The self-managed plan does not include
23 retirement annuities, death benefits, widow or survivors
24 annuities payable directly from the System, as provided in

 

 

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1 Sections 14-107, 14-108, 14-108.3, 14-108.4, 14-109, 14-110,
2 14-112, 14-113, 14-114, 14-115, 14-116, 14-117, 14-118,
3 14-119, 14-120, 14-121, 14-121.1, 14-122, and 14-128 or refunds
4 determined under Section 14-130.
 
5     (40 ILCS 5/14-105.8 new)
6     Sec. 14-105.8. Retirement program elections.
7     (a) For the purposes of this Section:
8     "Eligible employee" means either a currently eligible
9 employee or a newly eligible employee.
10     "Currently eligible employee" means an employee who is
11 employed by the State on the date on which the System first
12 offers the self-managed plan as an alternative to the
13 traditional benefit package.
14     "Newly eligible employee" means an employee who first
15 becomes employed under this Article after the date on which the
16 System first offers the self-managed plan as an alternative to
17 the traditional benefit package.
18     (b) When the System offers to employees under this Article
19 the self-managed plan as an alternative to the traditional
20 benefit package, each currently eligible employee shall be
21 given the choice to elect which retirement program he or she
22 wishes to participate in with respect to all periods of covered
23 employment occurring on, before, and after the effective date
24 of the employee's election.
25     The retirement program election made by an eligible

 

 

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1 employee must be made in writing, in the manner prescribed by
2 the System, and within the time period described in this
3 Section.
4     If an eligible employee elects the self-managed plan, then
5 that election is irrevocable. If an eligible employee who
6 elected to participate or participated by default in the
7 traditional benefit plan terminates employment under this
8 Article, then the employee, upon his or her subsequent
9 re-employment under this Article, may make an election under
10 this Section.
11     An eligible employee who fails to make an election under
12 this Section shall, by default, participate in the traditional
13 benefit package.
14     (c) An eligible employee may elect to participate in the
15 traditional benefit package or the self-managed plan.
16     A currently eligible employee must make this election
17 within 5 years after the effective date of the adoption of the
18 self-managed plan under Section 14-133.2 or, in the case of a
19 currently eligible employee who terminates employment under
20 this Article, within 6 months after his or her re-employment
21 under this Article.
22     A newly eligible employee must make this election within 6
23 months after he or she begins employment under this Article.
24     (d) If the eligible participant elects to participate in
25 the self-managed plan, the System shall fund their account as
26 stated in subsection (f) of Section 14-133.2.

 

 

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1     (e) An eligible employee shall be provided with written
2 information prepared or prescribed by the System that describes
3 the employee's retirement program choices. Each eligible
4 employee shall be offered an opportunity to receive counseling
5 from the System prior to making his or her election. This
6 counseling may consist of videotaped materials, group
7 presentations, individual consultation with an employee or
8 authorized representative of the System in person or by
9 telephone or other electronic means, or any combination of
10 these methods.
 
11     (40 ILCS 5/14-133)  (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 14-133)
12     Sec. 14-133. Contributions on behalf of members.
13     (a) Each participating employee shall make contributions
14 to the System, based on the employee's compensation, as
15 follows:
16         (1) Covered employees, except as indicated below, 3.5%
17     for retirement annuity, and 0.5% for a widow or survivors
18     annuity;
19         (2) Noncovered employees, except as indicated below,
20     7% for retirement annuity and 1% for a widow or survivors
21     annuity;
22         (3) Noncovered employees serving in a position in which
23     "eligible creditable service" as defined in Section 14-110
24     may be earned, 1% for a widow or survivors annuity plus the
25     following amount for retirement annuity: 8.5% through

 

 

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1     December 31, 2001; 9.5% in 2002; 10.5% in 2003; and 11.5%
2     in 2004 and thereafter;
3         (4) Covered employees serving in a position in which
4     "eligible creditable service" as defined in Section 14-110
5     may be earned, 0.5% for a widow or survivors annuity plus
6     the following amount for retirement annuity: 5% through
7     December 31, 2001; 6% in 2002; 7% in 2003; and 8% in 2004
8     and thereafter;
9         (5) Each security employee of the Department of
10     Corrections or of the Department of Human Services who is a
11     covered employee, 0.5% for a widow or survivors annuity
12     plus the following amount for retirement annuity: 5%
13     through December 31, 2001; 6% in 2002; 7% in 2003; and 8%
14     in 2004 and thereafter;
15         (6) Each security employee of the Department of
16     Corrections or of the Department of Human Services who is
17     not a covered employee, 1% for a widow or survivors annuity
18     plus the following amount for retirement annuity: 8.5%
19     through December 31, 2001; 9.5% in 2002; 10.5% in 2003; and
20     11.5% in 2004 and thereafter.
21     Notwithstanding any provision in this subsection (a) to the
22 contrary, in the case of an employee who participates in the
23 self-managed plan under Section 14-133.2, contributions for
24 widow or survivors annuities shall instead be used by the
25 System to fund the benefits in Sections 14-123, 14-123.1,
26 14-124, 14-125, 14-125.1, and 14-126.

 

 

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1     (b) Contributions shall be in the form of a deduction from
2 compensation and shall be made notwithstanding that the
3 compensation paid in cash to the employee shall be reduced
4 thereby below the minimum prescribed by law or regulation. Each
5 member is deemed to consent and agree to the deductions from
6 compensation provided for in this Article, and shall receipt in
7 full for salary or compensation.
8 (Source: P.A. 92-14, eff. 6-28-01.)
 
9     (40 ILCS 5/14-133.2 new)
10     Sec. 14-133.2. Self-managed plan.
11     (a) The General Assembly finds that it is important for
12 Illinois to be able to attract and retain the most qualified
13 employees and that in order to attract and retain these
14 employees, the State of Illinois should have the flexibility to
15 provide the defined contribution (self-managed) plan for
16 eligible employees. Accordingly, the State Employees
17 Retirement System of Illinois is hereby authorized to establish
18 and administer a self-managed plan, which shall offer
19 participating employees the opportunity to accumulate assets
20 for retirement through a combination of employee and employer
21 contributions that may be invested in mutual funds, collective
22 investment funds, or other investment products and used to
23 purchase annuity contracts, either fixed or variable or a
24 combination of fixed and variable. The plan must be qualified
25 under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

 

 

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1     (b) The Board shall adopt the self-managed plan established
2 under this Section for members under this Article. The State's
3 election to adopt the self-managed plan makes available to the
4 eligible employees of the State of Illinois the elections
5 described in Section 14-105.8.
6     The State Employees Retirement System of Illinois shall be
7 the plan sponsor for the self-managed plan and shall prepare a
8 plan document and adopt such rules and procedures as are
9 considered necessary or desirable for the administration of the
10 self-managed plan. Consistent with its fiduciary duty to the
11 participants and beneficiaries of the self-managed plan, the
12 Board of Trustees of the System may delegate aspects of plan
13 administration as it sees fit to companies authorized to do
14 business in this State.
15     (c) The System shall solicit proposals to provide
16 administrative services and funding vehicles for the
17 self-managed plan from insurance and annuity companies and
18 mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, or other
19 financial institutions authorized to do business in this State.
20 In reviewing the proposals received and approving and
21 contracting with no fewer than 2 and no more than 7 companies,
22 the Board of Trustees of the System shall consider, among other
23 things, the following criteria:
24         (1) the nature and extent of the benefits that would be
25     provided to the participants;
26         (2) the reasonableness of the benefits in relation to

 

 

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1     the premium charged;
2         (3) the suitability of the benefits to the needs and
3     interests of the participating employees and the State;
4         (4) the ability of the company to provide benefits
5     under the contract and the financial stability of the
6     company; and
7         (5) the efficacy of the contract in the recruitment and
8     retention of employees.
9     The System shall periodically review each approved
10 company. A company may continue to provide administrative
11 services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan only so
12 long as it continues to be an approved company under contract
13 with the Board.
14     In addition to the companies approved by the System under
15 this subsection (c), the System may offer its participants an
16 investment fund managed by the System.
17     (d) Employees who are participating in the program must be
18 allowed to direct the transfer of their account balances among
19 the various investment options offered, subject to applicable
20 contractual provisions. The participant shall not be deemed a
21 fiduciary by reason of providing such investment direction. A
22 person who is a fiduciary shall not be liable for any loss
23 resulting from such investment direction and shall not be
24 deemed to have breached any fiduciary duty by acting in
25 accordance with that direction. Neither the System nor the
26 employer shall guarantee any of the investments in the

 

 

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1 employee's account balances.
2     (e) An eligible employee, as defined in Section 14-105.8,
3 must make a written election to participate in the self-managed
4 plan in accordance with the provisions of Section 14-105.8 and
5 the procedures established by the System. Participation in the
6 self-managed plan shall begin on the first day of the month
7 immediately following the month in which the eligible
8 employee's election is filed with the System, but not sooner
9 than the effective date of the self-managed plan. The System
10 shall make the self-managed plan available under this Article
11 by January 1, 2010. An employee's participation in the
12 traditional retirement package under this Article shall
13 terminate on the date that participation in the self-managed
14 plan begins.
15     An employee who has elected to participate in the
16 self-managed plan under this Section must continue
17 participation while employed in an eligible position, and may
18 not participate in the traditional benefit package
19 administered by the System under this Article while employed by
20 the State under this Article.
21     Participation in the self-managed plan under this Section
22 shall constitute membership in the State Employees' Retirement
23 System of Illinois.
24     A participant under this Section shall be entitled to the
25 benefits of Article 20 of this Code.
26     (f) If, at the time an employee elects to participate in

 

 

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1 the self-managed plan, the employee has rights and credits in
2 the System due to previous participation in the traditional
3 benefit package, the System shall establish for the employee an
4 opening account balance in the self-managed plan, equal to (i)
5 the amount of the contribution refund that the employee would
6 be eligible to receive under Section 14-130 if the employee
7 terminated employment on that date and elected a refund of
8 contributions, plus (ii) an amount equal to the regular
9 employer contribution that would be required to fund the actual
10 regular cost incurred for each year of service credit earned,
11 provided that the total opening account balance does not exceed
12 7.6% of that participant's salary for that year, plus interest.
13 The interest used in this subsection (f) is calculated as the
14 average annual rate of return that the System has earned over
15 the past 20 fiscal years and is compounded. The System shall
16 transfer assets from the defined benefit retirement program to
17 the self-managed plan, as a tax-free transfer in accordance
18 with Internal Revenue Service guidelines, for purposes of
19 funding the employee's opening account balance.
20     (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, an
21 employee may not purchase or receive service or service credit
22 applicable to the traditional benefit package under this
23 Article for any period during which the employee was a
24 participant in the self-managed plan established under this
25 Section.
26     (h) The self-managed plan shall be funded by contributions

 

 

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1 from employees participating in the self-managed plan and State
2 contributions as provided in this Section.
3     The contribution rate for employees participating in the
4 self-managed plan under this Section shall be equal to the
5 employee contribution rate applicable to participants of the
6 same class under Section 14-133. This required contribution
7 shall be made as an employer pick-up under Section 414(h) of
8 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any successor Section
9 thereof. Any employee participating in the System's
10 traditional benefit package prior to his or her election to
11 participate in the self-managed plan shall continue to have the
12 employer pick up the contributions required under Section
13 14-133. However, the amounts picked up after the election of
14 the self-managed plan shall be remitted to and treated as
15 assets of the self-managed plan. In no event shall the employee
16 have an option of receiving these amounts in cash. Employees
17 may make additional contributions to the self-managed plan in
18 accordance with procedures prescribed by the System, to the
19 extent permitted under rules adopted by the System.
20     The program shall provide for State contributions to be
21 credited to each self-managed plan participant in an amount
22 equal to the regular employer contribution that would be
23 required to fund the actual regular cost incurred for each year
24 of service credit earned had the participant chosen to enroll
25 in the traditional benefit plan.
26     The System shall not be obligated to remit the required

 

 

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1 employer contributions to any of the insurance and annuity
2 companies, mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies,
3 financial institutions, or other sponsors of any of the funding
4 vehicles offered under the self-managed plan until it has
5 received the required employer contributions from the State. In
6 the event of a deficiency in the amount of State contributions,
7 the System shall implement any procedures to obtain the
8 required funding from the General Revenue Fund.
9     An amount of employer contribution, not exceeding 1% of the
10 participating employee's salary, shall be used for the purpose
11 of providing the disability benefits of the System to the
12 employee. Prior to the beginning of each plan year under the
13 self-managed plan, the Board of Trustees shall determine, as a
14 percentage of salary, the amount of employer contributions to
15 be allocated during that plan year for providing disability
16 benefits for employees in the self-managed plan. The provisions
17 of this paragraph shall work in conjunction with the provisions
18 of subsection (a-1) of Section 14-133.
19     (i) A participant in the self-managed plan becomes vested
20 in the employer contributions credited to his or her accounts
21 in the self-managed plan on the earliest to occur of the
22 following: (1) completion of 5 years of service credit under
23 this Article; (2) the death of the participating employee while
24 employed by an employer under this Article, if the participant
25 has completed at least 1.5 years of service; or (3) the
26 participant's election to retire and apply the reciprocal

 

 

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1 provisions of Article 20 of this Code.
2     A participant in the self-managed plan who receives a
3 distribution of his or her vested amounts from the self-managed
4 plan while not yet eligible for retirement under this Article
5 (and Article 20, if applicable) shall forfeit all service
6 credit and accrued rights in the System; if subsequently
7 re-employed, the participant shall be considered a new
8 employee. If a former participant again becomes a participating
9 employee (or becomes employed by a participating system under
10 Article 20 of this Code) and continues as such for at least 2
11 years, all rights, service credits, and previous status as a
12 participant shall be restored upon repayment of the amount of
13 the distribution, without interest.
14     (j) If an employee participating in the self-managed plan
15 who is vested in employer contributions terminates employment,
16 the employee shall be entitled to a benefit which is based on
17 the account values attributable to both employer and employee
18 contributions and any investment return thereon.
19     If an employee participating in the self-managed plan who
20 is not vested in employer contributions terminates employment,
21 the employee shall be entitled to a benefit based solely on the
22 account values attributable to the employee's contributions
23 and any investment return thereon, and the employer
24 contributions and any investment return thereon shall be
25 forfeited. Any employer contributions which are forfeited
26 shall be held in escrow by the company investing those

 

 

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1 contributions and shall be used, as directed by the System, for
2 future allocations of employer contributions or for the
3 restoration of amounts previously forfeited by former
4 participants who again become participating employees.
 
5     (40 ILCS 5/14-152.2)
6     Sec. 14-152.2. New benefit increases.
7     (a) The General Assembly finds and declares that the
8 amendment to Section 14-104 made by Public Act 95-652 this
9 amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly that allows members
10 to establish creditable service for certain participation in
11 the University of Illinois Government Public Service
12 Internship Program (GPSI) constitutes a new benefit increase
13 within the meaning of Section 14-152.1. Funding for this new
14 benefit increase will be provided by additional employee
15 contributions under subsection (r) of Section 14-104.
16     (b) To the extent that the changes made to this Article by
17 this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly authorizing
18 the System to offer a self-managed plan are determined to be a
19 new benefit increase within the meaning of Section 14-152.1,
20 the changes made by this amendatory Act are exempt from the
21 provisions of subsection (d) of Section 14-152.1.
22 (Source: P.A. 95-652, eff. 10-11-07.)
 
23     (40 ILCS 5/15-103.3)
24     Sec. 15-103.3. Self-Managed Plan. "Self-managed plan": The

 

 

SB0303 - 28 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1 defined contribution retirement program maintained under the
2 System as described in Section 15-158.2. The self-managed plan
3 also includes disability benefits as provided in Sections
4 15-150 through 15-153.3 (but disregarding disability
5 retirement annuities under Section 15-153.2). The self-managed
6 plan does not include retirement annuities, death benefits, or
7 survivors insurance benefits payable directly from the System
8 as provided in Sections 15-135 through 15-149 and Section
9 15-153.2, or refunds determined under Section 15-154.
10 (Source: P.A. 90-766, eff. 8-14-98.)
 
11     (40 ILCS 5/15-134.5)
12     Sec. 15-134.5. Retirement program elections.
13     (a) All participating employees are participants under the
14 traditional benefit package prior to January 1, 1998.
15     Effective as of the date that the System offers an employer
16 elects, as described in Section 15-158.2, to offer to its
17 employees the portable benefit package and the self-managed
18 plan as alternatives to the traditional benefit package, each
19 of that employer's eligible employee employees (as defined in
20 subsection (b)) shall be given the choice to elect which
21 retirement program he or she wishes to participate in with
22 respect to all periods of covered employment occurring on and
23 after the effective date of the employee's election. The
24 retirement program election made by an eligible employee must
25 be made in writing, in the manner prescribed by the System, and

 

 

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1 within the time period described in subsection (d) or (d-1).
2     If an eligible employee elects the self-managed plan, then
3 that election is irrevocable. The employee election authorized
4 by this Section is a one-time, irrevocable election. If an
5 employee who elected to participate or participated by default
6 in the traditional benefit plan terminates employment after
7 making the election provided under this subsection (a), then
8 upon his or her subsequent re-employment under this Article the
9 employee may make an election under this Section with an
10 employer the original election shall automatically apply to him
11 or her, provided that the employer is then a participating
12 employer as described in Section 15-158.2.
13     An eligible employee who fails to make this election shall,
14 by default, participate in the traditional benefit package.
15     (b) "Eligible employee" means an employee (as defined in
16 Section 15-107) who is either a currently eligible employee or
17 a newly eligible employee. For purposes of this Section, a
18 "currently eligible employee" is an employee who is employed
19 under this Article on the date on which the System first offers
20 the self-managed plan as an alternative to the traditional
21 benefit package an employee who is employed by an employer on
22 the effective date on which the employer offers to its
23 employees the portable benefit package and the self-managed
24 plan as alternatives to the traditional benefit package. A
25 "newly eligible employee" is an employee who first becomes an
26 employee after the date on which the System first offers the

 

 

SB0303 - 30 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1 self-managed plan as an alternative to the traditional benefit
2 package. an employee who first becomes employed by an employer
3 after the effective date on which the employer offers its
4 employees the portable benefit package and the self-managed
5 plan as alternatives to the traditional benefit package. A
6 newly eligible employee participates in the traditional
7 benefit package until he or she makes an election to
8 participate in the portable benefit package or the self-managed
9 plan. If an employee does not elect to participate in the
10 portable benefit package or the self-managed plan, he or she
11 shall continue to participate in the traditional benefit
12 package by default.
13     (c) A currently An eligible employee who at the time he or
14 she is first eligible to make the election described in
15 subsection (a) does not have sufficient age and service to
16 qualify for a retirement annuity under Section 15-135 may elect
17 to participate in the traditional benefit package, the portable
18 benefit package, or the self-managed plan. An eligible employee
19 who has sufficient age and service to qualify for a retirement
20 annuity under Section 15-135 at the time he or she is first
21 eligible to make the election described in subsection (a) may
22 elect to participate in the traditional benefit package or the
23 portable benefit package, but may not elect to participate in
24 the self-managed plan.
25     (d) A currently eligible employee must make this election
26 within 5 years one year after the effective date of the

 

 

SB0303 - 31 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1 employer's adoption of the self-managed plan.
2     A currently newly eligible employee who terminates
3 employment under this Article must make this election within 6
4 months after his or her re-employment under this Article. the
5 date on which the System receives the report of status
6 certification from the employer. If an employee elects to
7 participate in the self-managed plan, no employer
8 contributions shall be remitted to the self-managed plan when
9 the employee's account balance transfer is made. Employer
10 contributions to the self-managed plan shall commence as of the
11 first pay period that begins after the System receives the
12 employee's election.
13     (d-1) A newly eligible employee must make this election
14 within 6 months after he or she begins employment under this
15 Article. who, prior to the effective date of this amendatory
16 Act of the 91st General Assembly, fails to make the election
17 within the period provided under subsection (d) and
18 participates by default in the traditional benefit package may
19 make a late election to participate in the portable benefit
20 package or the self-managed plan instead of the traditional
21 benefit package at any time within 6 months after the effective
22 date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly.
23     (e) (Blank) If a currently eligible employee elects the
24 portable benefit package, that election shall not become
25 effective until the one-year anniversary of the date on which
26 the election is filed with the System, provided the employee

 

 

SB0303 - 32 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1 remains continuously employed by the employer throughout the
2 one-year waiting period, and any benefits payable to or on
3 account of the employee before such one-year waiting period has
4 ended shall not be determined under the provisions applicable
5 to the portable benefit package but shall instead be determined
6 in accordance with the traditional benefit package. If a
7 currently eligible employee who has elected the portable
8 benefit package terminates employment covered by the System
9 before the one-year waiting period has ended, then no benefits
10 shall be determined under the portable benefit package
11 provisions while he or she is inactive in the System and upon
12 re-employment with an employer covered by the System he or she
13 shall begin a new one-year waiting period before the provisions
14 of the portable benefit package become effective.
15     (f) An eligible employee shall be provided with written
16 information prepared or prescribed by the System which
17 describes the employee's retirement program choices. The
18 eligible employee shall be offered an opportunity to receive
19 counseling from the System prior to making his or her election.
20 This counseling may consist of videotaped materials, group
21 presentations, individual consultation with an employee or
22 authorized representative of the System in person or by
23 telephone or other electronic means, or any combination of
24 these methods.
25 (Source: P.A. 90-766, eff. 8-14-98; 91-887, eff. 7-6-00.)
 

 

 

SB0303 - 33 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1     (40 ILCS 5/15-158.2)
2     Sec. 15-158.2. Self-managed plan.
3     (a) Purpose. The General Assembly finds that it is
4 important for colleges and universities to be able to attract
5 and retain the most qualified employees and that in order to
6 attract and retain these employees, colleges and universities
7 should have the flexibility to provide a defined contribution
8 (self-managed) plan as an alternative for eligible employees
9 who elect not to participate in a defined benefit retirement
10 program provided under this Article. Accordingly, the State
11 Universities Retirement System is hereby authorized to
12 establish and administer a self-managed plan, which shall offer
13 participating employees the opportunity to accumulate assets
14 for retirement through a combination of employee and employer
15 contributions that may be invested in mutual funds, collective
16 investment funds, or other investment products and used to
17 purchase annuity contracts, either fixed or variable or a
18 combination thereof. The plan must be qualified under the
19 Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
20     (b) The Board shall adopt the self-managed plan established
21 under this Section for participants under this Article. The
22 adoption of Adoption by employers. Each employer subject to
23 this Article may elect to adopt the self-managed plan
24 established under this Section; this election is irrevocable.
25 An employer's election to adopt the self-managed plan makes
26 available to the eligible employees of that employer the

 

 

SB0303 - 34 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1 elections described in Section 15-134.5.
2     The State Universities Retirement System shall be the plan
3 sponsor for the self-managed plan and shall prepare a plan
4 document and prescribe such rules and procedures as are
5 considered necessary or desirable for the administration of the
6 self-managed plan. Consistent with its fiduciary duty to the
7 participants and beneficiaries of the self-managed plan, the
8 Board of Trustees of the System may delegate aspects of plan
9 administration as it sees fit to companies authorized to do
10 business in this State, to the employers, or to a combination
11 of both.
12     (c) Selection of service providers and funding vehicles.
13 The System, in consultation with the employers, shall solicit
14 proposals to provide administrative services and funding
15 vehicles for the self-managed plan from insurance and annuity
16 companies and mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, or
17 other financial institutions authorized to do business in this
18 State. In reviewing the proposals received and approving and
19 contracting with no fewer than 2 and no more than 7 companies,
20 the Board of Trustees of the System shall consider, among other
21 things, the following criteria:
22         (1) the nature and extent of the benefits that would be
23     provided to the participants;
24         (2) the reasonableness of the benefits in relation to
25     the premium charged;
26         (3) the suitability of the benefits to the needs and

 

 

SB0303 - 35 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1     interests of the participating employees and the employer;
2         (4) the ability of the company to provide benefits
3     under the contract and the financial stability of the
4     company; and
5         (5) the efficacy of the contract in the recruitment and
6     retention of employees.
7     The System, in consultation with the employers, shall
8 periodically review each approved company. A company may
9 continue to provide administrative services and funding
10 vehicles for the self-managed plan only so long as it continues
11 to be an approved company under contract with the Board.
12      In addition to the companies approved by the System under
13 this subsection (c), the System may offer its participants an
14 investment fund managed by the System.
15     (d) Employee Direction. Employees who are participating in
16 the program must be allowed to direct the transfer of their
17 account balances among the various investment options offered,
18 subject to applicable contractual provisions. The participant
19 shall not be deemed a fiduciary by reason of providing such
20 investment direction. A person who is a fiduciary shall not be
21 liable for any loss resulting from such investment direction
22 and shall not be deemed to have breached any fiduciary duty by
23 acting in accordance with that direction. Neither the System
24 nor the employer guarantees any of the investments in the
25 employee's account balances.
26     (e) Participation. An employee eligible to participate in

 

 

SB0303 - 36 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1 the self-managed plan must make a written election in
2 accordance with the provisions of Section 15-134.5 and the
3 procedures established by the System. Participation in the
4 self-managed plan by an electing employee shall begin on the
5 first day of the first pay period following the later of the
6 date the employee's election is filed with the System or the
7 effective date as of which the employee's employer begins to
8 offer participation in the self-managed plan. Employers may not
9 make the self-managed plan available earlier than January 1,
10 1998. An employee's participation in any other retirement
11 program administered by the System under this Article shall
12 terminate on the date that participation in the self-managed
13 plan begins.
14     An employee who has elected to participate in the
15 self-managed plan under this Section must continue
16 participation while employed in an eligible position, and may
17 not participate in any other retirement program administered by
18 the System under this Article while employed by that employer
19 or any other employer that has adopted the self-managed plan,
20 unless the self-managed plan is terminated in accordance with
21 subsection (i).
22     Participation in the self-managed plan under this Section
23 shall constitute membership in the State Universities
24 Retirement System.
25     A participant under this Section shall be entitled to the
26 benefits of Article 20 of this Code.

 

 

SB0303 - 37 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1     (f) Establishment of Initial Account Balance. If at the
2 time an employee elects to participate in the self-managed plan
3 he or she has rights and credits in the System due to previous
4 participation in the traditional benefit package, the System
5 shall establish for the employee an opening account balance in
6 the self-managed plan, equal to the amount of contribution
7 refund that the employee would be eligible to receive under
8 Section 15-154 if the employee terminated employment on that
9 date and elected a refund of contributions, except that this
10 hypothetical refund shall include interest at the effective
11 rate for the respective years. The System shall transfer assets
12 from the defined benefit retirement program to the self-managed
13 plan, as a tax free transfer in accordance with Internal
14 Revenue Service guidelines, for purposes of funding the
15 employee's opening account balance.
16     (g) No Duplication of Service Credit. Notwithstanding any
17 other provision of this Article, an employee may not purchase
18 or receive service or service credit applicable to any other
19 retirement program administered by the System under this
20 Article for any period during which the employee was a
21 participant in the self-managed plan established under this
22 Section.
23     (h) Contributions. The self-managed plan shall be funded by
24 contributions from employees participating in the self-managed
25 plan and employer contributions as provided in this Section.
26     The contribution rate for employees participating in the

 

 

SB0303 - 38 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1 self-managed plan under this Section shall be equal to the
2 employee contribution rate for other participants in the
3 System, as provided in Section 15-157. This required
4 contribution shall be made as an "employer pick-up" under
5 Section 414(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any
6 successor Section thereof. Any employee participating in the
7 System's traditional benefit package prior to his or her
8 election to participate in the self-managed plan shall continue
9 to have the employer pick up the contributions required under
10 Section 15-157. However, the amounts picked up after the
11 election of the self-managed plan shall be remitted to and
12 treated as assets of the self-managed plan. In no event shall
13 an employee have an option of receiving these amounts in cash.
14 Employees may make additional contributions to the
15 self-managed plan in accordance with procedures prescribed by
16 the System, to the extent permitted under rules prescribed by
17 the System.
18     The program shall provide for employer contributions to be
19 credited to each self-managed plan participant in an amount
20 equal to the regular employer contribution that would be
21 required to fund the actual regular cost incurred for each year
22 of service credit earned had the participant chosen to enroll
23 in the traditional benefit plan. at a rate of 7.6% of the
24 participating employee's salary, less the amount used by the
25 System to provide disability benefits for the employee. The
26 amounts so credited shall be paid into the participant's

 

 

SB0303 - 39 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1 self-managed plan accounts in a manner to be prescribed by the
2 System.
3     An amount of employer contribution, not exceeding 1% of the
4 participating employee's salary, shall be used for the purpose
5 of providing the disability benefits of the System to the
6 employee. Prior to the beginning of each plan year under the
7 self-managed plan, the Board of Trustees shall determine, as a
8 percentage of salary, the amount of employer contributions to
9 be allocated during that plan year for providing disability
10 benefits for employees in the self-managed plan.
11     The State of Illinois shall make contributions by
12 appropriations to the System of the employer contributions
13 required for employees who participate in the self-managed plan
14 under this Section. The amount required shall be certified by
15 the Board of Trustees of the System and paid by the State in
16 accordance with Section 15-165. The System shall not be
17 obligated to remit the required employer contributions to any
18 of the insurance and annuity companies, mutual fund companies,
19 banks, trust companies, financial institutions, or other
20 sponsors of any of the funding vehicles offered under the
21 self-managed plan until it has received the required employer
22 contributions from the State. In the event of a deficiency in
23 the amount of State contributions, the System shall implement
24 those procedures described in subsection (c) of Section 15-165
25 to obtain the required funding from the General Revenue Fund.
26     (i) (Blank) Termination. The self-managed plan authorized

 

 

SB0303 - 40 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1 under this Section may be terminated by the System, subject to
2 the terms of any relevant contracts, and the System shall have
3 no obligation to reestablish the self-managed plan under this
4 Section. This Section does not create a right to continued
5 participation in any self-managed plan set up by the System
6 under this Section. If the self-managed plan is terminated, the
7 participants shall have the right to participate in one of the
8 other retirement programs offered by the System and receive
9 service credit in such other retirement program for any years
10 of employment following the termination.
11     (j) Vesting; Withdrawal; Return to Service. A participant
12 in the self-managed plan becomes vested in the employer
13 contributions credited to his or her accounts in the
14 self-managed plan on the earliest to occur of the following:
15 (1) completion of 5 years of service with an employer described
16 in Section 15-106; (2) the death of the participating employee
17 while employed by an employer described in Section 15-106, if
18 the participant has completed at least 1 1/2 years of service;
19 or (3) the participant's election to retire and apply the
20 reciprocal provisions of Article 20 of this Code.
21     A participant in the self-managed plan who receives a
22 distribution of his or her vested amounts from the self-managed
23 plan while not yet eligible for retirement under this Article
24 (and Article 20, if applicable) shall forfeit all service
25 credit and accrued rights in the System; if subsequently
26 re-employed, the participant shall be considered a new

 

 

SB0303 - 41 - LRB096 02849 AMC 12862 b

1 employee. If a former participant again becomes a participating
2 employee (or becomes employed by a participating system under
3 Article 20 of this Code) and continues as such for at least 2
4 years, all such rights, service credits, and previous status as
5 a participant shall be restored upon repayment of the amount of
6 the distribution, without interest.
7     (k) Benefit amounts. If an employee who is vested in
8 employer contributions terminates employment, the employee
9 shall be entitled to a benefit which is based on the account
10 values attributable to both employer and employee
11 contributions and any investment return thereon.
12     If an employee who is not vested in employer contributions
13 terminates employment, the employee shall be entitled to a
14 benefit based solely on the account values attributable to the
15 employee's contributions and any investment return thereon,
16 and the employer contributions and any investment return
17 thereon shall be forfeited. Any employer contributions which
18 are forfeited shall be held in escrow by the company investing
19 those contributions and shall be used as directed by the System
20 for future allocations of employer contributions or for the
21 restoration of amounts previously forfeited by former
22 participants who again become participating employees.
23 (Source: P.A. 93-347, eff. 7-24-03.)
 
24     (40 ILCS 5/15-198.1 new)
25     Sec. 15-198.1. New benefit increases. To the extent that

 

 

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1 the changes made to this Article by this amendatory Act of the
2 96th General Assembly authorizing the System to offer a
3 self-managed plan are determined to be a new benefit increase
4 within the meaning of Section 15-198, the changes made by this
5 amendatory Act are exempt from the provisions of subsection (d)
6 of Section 15-198.
 
7     (40 ILCS 5/16-104.1 new)
8     Sec. 16-104.1. Traditional benefit package. "Traditional
9 benefit package" means the defined benefit retirement program
10 maintained by the System, which includes retirement annuities
11 payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections
12 16-132 through 16-136.4; disability benefits payable under
13 Sections 16-149 through 16-149.5; survivor's benefits payable
14 directly from the System, as provided in Sections 16-140
15 through 16-143.1; and contribution refunds, as provided in
16 Sections 16-138, 16-143.2, and 16-151.
 
17     (40 ILCS 5/16-104.2 new)
18     Sec. 16-104.2. Self-managed plan. "Self-managed plan"
19 means the defined contribution retirement program maintained
20 by the System, as described in Section 16-158.2. The
21 self-managed plan also includes disability benefits, as
22 provided in Sections 16-149 through 16-149.5 (but disregarding
23 disability retirement annuities under Section 16-149.2). The
24 self-managed plan does not include retirement annuities or

 

 

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1 survivor's benefits payable directly from the System as
2 provided in Sections 16-132 through 16-136.4, Sections 16-140
3 through 16-143.1, and Section 16-149.2, or refunds determined
4 under Sections 16-138, 16-143.2, and 16-151.
 
5     (40 ILCS 5/16-131.7 new)
6     Sec. 16-131.7. Retirement program elections.
7     (a) For the purposes of this Act:
8     "Eligible member" means a either a currently eligible
9 member or a newly eligible member.
10     "Currently eligible member" means a member who is employed
11 by an employer on the date on which the employer first offers
12 to its employees the self-managed plan as an alternative to the
13 traditional benefit package.
14     "Newly eligible member" is a member who first becomes
15 employed by an employer after the date on which the employer
16 first offers its members the self-managed plan as an
17 alternative to the traditional benefit package.
18     (b) Effective as of the date that an employer adopts the
19 self-managed plan as described in Section 16-158.2 as an
20 alternative to the traditional benefit package, each of that
21 employer's currently eligible members shall be given the choice
22 to elect which retirement program he or she wishes to
23 participate in with respect to all periods of covered
24 employment occurring on and after the effective date of the
25 employee's election.

 

 

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1     The retirement program election made by an eligible member
2 must be made in writing, in the manner prescribed by the
3 System, and within the time period described in this Section.
4     If an eligible member elects the self-managed plan, then
5 that election is irrevocable. If an eligible member who elected
6 to participate or participated by default in the traditional
7 benefit plan terminates employment under this Article, then the
8 member, upon his or her subsequent re-employment under this
9 Article, may make an election under this Section.
10     An eligible member who fails to make an election under this
11 Section shall, by default, participate in the traditional
12 benefit package.
13     (c) An eligible member may elect to participate in the
14 traditional benefit package or the self-managed plan.
15     A currently eligible member must make this election within
16 5 years after the effective date of the employer's adoption of
17 the self-managed plan or, in the case of a currently eligible
18 member who terminates employment under this Article, within 6
19 months after his or her re-employment under this Article.
20     A newly eligible member must make this election within 6
21 months after he or she begins employment under this Article.
22     (d) If the eligible member elects to participate in the
23 self-managed plan, the System shall fund their account as
24 stated in subsection (f) of Section 16-158.2. Employer
25 contributions to the self-managed plan shall commence as of the
26 first pay period that begins after the System receives the

 

 

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1 member's election.
2     (e) An eligible member shall be provided with written
3 information prepared or prescribed by the System that describes
4 the member's retirement program choices. The eligible member
5 shall be offered an opportunity to receive counseling from the
6 System prior to making his or her election. This counseling may
7 consist of videotaped materials, group presentations,
8 individual consultation with an employee or authorized
9 representative of the System in person or by telephone or other
10 electronic means, or any combination of these methods.
 
11     (40 ILCS 5/16-152)  (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 16-152)
12     Sec. 16-152. Contributions by members.
13     (a) Each member shall make contributions for membership
14 service to this System as follows:
15         (1) Effective July 1, 1998, contributions of 7.50% of
16     salary towards the cost of the retirement annuity. Such
17     contributions shall be deemed "normal contributions".
18         (2) Effective July 1, 1969, contributions of 1/2 of 1%
19     of salary toward the cost of the automatic annual increase
20     in retirement annuity provided under Section 16-133.1.
21         (3) Effective July 24, 1959, contributions of 1% of
22     salary towards the cost of survivor benefits. Such
23     contributions shall not be credited to the individual
24     account of the member and shall not be subject to refund
25     except as provided under Section 16-143.2.

 

 

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1         (4) Effective July 1, 2005, contributions of 0.40% of
2     salary toward the cost of the early retirement without
3     discount option provided under Section 16-133.2. This
4     contribution shall cease upon termination of the early
5     retirement without discount option as provided in Section
6     16-176. The contributions made under this paragraph (4)
7     shall be used by the System to fund benefits under Sections
8     16-149 through 16-149.5 for those that participate in the
9     self-managed plan.
10     (b) The minimum required contribution for any year of
11 full-time teaching service shall be $192.
12     (c) Contributions shall not be required of any annuitant
13 receiving a retirement annuity who is given employment as
14 permitted under Section 16-118 or 16-150.1.
15     (d) A person who (i) was a member before July 1, 1998, (ii)
16 retires with more than 34 years of creditable service, and
17 (iii) does not elect to qualify for the augmented rate under
18 Section 16-129.1 shall be entitled, at the time of retirement,
19 to receive a partial refund of contributions made under this
20 Section for service occurring after the later of June 30, 1998
21 or attainment of 34 years of creditable service, in an amount
22 equal to 1.00% of the salary upon which those contributions
23 were based.
24     (e) A member's contributions toward the cost of early
25 retirement without discount made under item (a)(4) of this
26 Section shall not be refunded if the member has elected early

 

 

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1 retirement without discount under Section 16-133.2 and has
2 begun to receive a retirement annuity under this Article
3 calculated in accordance with that election. Otherwise, a
4 member's contributions toward the cost of early retirement
5 without discount made under item (a)(4) of this Section shall
6 be refunded according to whichever one of the following
7 circumstances occurs first:
8         (1) The contributions shall be refunded to the member,
9     without interest, within 120 days after the member's
10     retirement annuity commences, if the member does not elect
11     early retirement without discount under Section 16-133.2.
12         (2) The contributions shall be included, without
13     interest, in any refund claimed by the member under Section
14     16-151.
15         (3) The contributions shall be refunded to the member's
16     designated beneficiary (or if there is no beneficiary, to
17     the member's estate), without interest, if the member dies
18     without having begun to receive a retirement annuity under
19     this Article.
20         (4) The contributions shall be refunded to the member,
21     without interest, within 120 days after the early
22     retirement without discount option provided under Section
23     16-133.2 is terminated under Section 16-176.
24 (Source: P.A. 93-320, eff. 7-23-03; 94-4, eff. 6-1-05.)
 
25     (40 ILCS 5/16-158.2 new)

 

 

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1     Sec. 16-158.2. Self-managed plan.
2     (a) The General Assembly finds that it is important for
3 schools to be able to attract and retain the most qualified
4 employees and that in order to attract and retain these
5 employees, schools should have the flexibility to provide a
6 defined contribution (self-managed) plan for eligible members.
7 Accordingly, the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of
8 Illinois is hereby authorized to establish and administer a
9 self-managed plan, which shall offer participating members the
10 opportunity to accumulate assets for retirement through a
11 combination of member and employer contributions that may be
12 invested in mutual funds, collective investment funds, or other
13 investment products and used to purchase annuity contracts,
14 either fixed or variable or a combination of fixed and
15 variable. The plan must be qualified under the Internal Revenue
16 Code of 1986.
17     (b) Each employer subject to this Article shall adopt the
18 self-managed plan established under this Section. This
19 election is irrevocable. An employer's election to adopt the
20 self-managed plan makes available to the eligible members of
21 that employer the elections described in Section 16-131.7.
22     The Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois
23 shall be the plan sponsor for the self-managed plan and shall
24 prepare a plan document and adopt any rules and procedures as
25 are considered necessary or desirable for the administration of
26 the self-managed plan. Consistent with its fiduciary duty to

 

 

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1 the participants and beneficiaries of the self-managed plan,
2 the Board of Trustees of the System may delegate aspects of
3 plan administration as it sees fit to companies authorized to
4 do business in this State, to the employers, or to a
5 combination of both.
6     (c) Selection of service providers and funding vehicles.
7 The System shall solicit proposals to provide administrative
8 services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan from
9 insurance and annuity companies and mutual fund companies,
10 banks, trust companies, or other financial institutions
11 authorized to do business in this State. In reviewing the
12 proposals received and approving and contracting with no fewer
13 than 2 and no more than 7 companies, the Board of Trustees of
14 the System shall consider, among other things, the following
15 criteria:
16         (1) the nature and extent of the benefits that would be
17     provided to the participants;
18         (2) the reasonableness of the benefits in relation to
19     the premium charged;
20         (3) the suitability of the benefits to the needs and
21     interests of the participating members and employers;
22         (4) the ability of the company to provide benefits
23     under the contract and the financial stability of the
24     company; and
25         (5) the efficacy of the contract in the recruitment and
26     retention of employees.

 

 

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1     The System shall periodically review each approved
2 company. A company may continue to provide administrative
3 services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan only so
4 long as it continues to be an approved company under contract
5 with the Board.
6     In addition to the companies approved by the System under
7 this subsection (c), the System may offer its participants an
8 investment fund managed by the System.
9     (d) Participants in the program must be allowed to direct
10 the transfer of their account balances among the various
11 investment options offered, subject to applicable contractual
12 provisions. The participant shall not be deemed a fiduciary by
13 reason of providing such investment direction. A person who is
14 a fiduciary shall not be liable for any loss resulting from
15 such investment direction and shall not be deemed to have
16 breached any fiduciary duty by acting in accordance with that
17 direction. Neither the System nor the employer guarantees any
18 of the investments in the participant's account balances.
19     (e) An eligible member, as defined in Section 16-131.7,
20 must make a written election to participate in the self-managed
21 plan in accordance with the provisions of Section 16-131.7 and
22 the procedures established by the System. Participation in the
23 self-managed plan shall begin on the first day of the month
24 immediately following the month in which the eligible member's
25 election is filed with the System, but not sooner than the
26 effective date of the self-managed plan. The System shall make

 

 

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1 the self-managed plan available under this Article by January
2 1, 2010. A member's participation in the traditional retirement
3 package under this Article shall terminate on the date that
4 participation in the self-managed plan begins.
5     A member who has elected to participate in the self-managed
6 plan under this Section must continue participation while he or
7 she remains a member, and may not participate in the
8 traditional benefit package while employed by that employer or
9 any other employer under this Article.
10     Participation in the self-managed plan under this Section
11 shall constitute membership in the Teachers' Retirement System
12 of the State of Illinois.
13     A participant under this Section shall be entitled to the
14 benefits of Article 20 of this Code.
15     (f) If, at the time an employee elects to participate in
16 the self-managed plan, the employee has rights and credits in
17 the System due to previous participation in the traditional
18 benefit package, the System shall establish for the employee an
19 opening account balance in the self-managed plan, equal to (i)
20 the amount of the contribution refund that the employee would
21 be eligible to receive under Section 16-143.2 and 16-151 if the
22 employee terminated employment on that date and elected a
23 refund of contributions, plus (ii) an amount equal to the
24 regular employer contribution that would be required to fund
25 the actual regular cost incurred for each year of service
26 credit earned, provided that the total opening account balance

 

 

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1 does not exceed 7.6% of that participant's salary for that
2 year, plus interest. The interest used in this subsection (f)
3 is calculated as the average annual rate of return that the
4 System has earned over the past 20 fiscal years and is
5 compounded. The System shall transfer assets from the defined
6 benefit retirement program to the self-managed plan, as a
7 tax-free transfer in accordance with Internal Revenue Service
8 guidelines, for purposes of funding the employee's opening
9 account balance.
10     (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, a
11 member may not purchase or receive service or service credit
12 applicable to the traditional benefit package under this
13 Article for any period during which the member was a
14 participant in the self-managed plan established under this
15 Section.
16     (h) The self-managed plan shall be funded by contributions
17 from participants in the self-managed plan and employer
18 contributions as provided in this Section.
19     The contribution rate for participants in the self-managed
20 plan under this Section shall be equal to the member
21 contribution rate for all participants in the System, as
22 provided in Section 16-152. This required contribution shall be
23 made as an employer pick-up under Section 414(h) of the
24 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any successor Section thereof.
25 A participant in the System's traditional benefit package prior
26 to his or her election to participate in the self-managed plan

 

 

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1 shall continue to have the employer pick up the contributions
2 required under Section 16-152. However, the amounts picked up
3 after the election of the self-managed plan shall be remitted
4 to and treated as assets of the self-managed plan. In no event
5 shall a member have the option of receiving these amounts in
6 cash. Members may make additional contributions to the
7 self-managed plan in accordance with procedures prescribed by
8 the System, to the extent permitted under rules prescribed by
9 the System.
10     The program shall provide for State contributions to be
11 credited to each self-managed plan participant in an amount
12 equal to the regular employer contribution that would be
13 required to fund the actual regular cost incurred for each year
14 of service credit earned had the participant chosen to enroll
15 in the traditional benefit plan.
16     An amount of employer contribution, not exceeding 1% of the
17 participating member's salary, shall be used for the purpose of
18 providing the disability benefits of the System to the member.
19 Prior to the beginning of each plan year under the self-managed
20 plan, the Board of Trustees shall determine, as a percentage of
21 salary, the amount of member contributions to be allocated
22 during that plan year for providing disability benefits for
23 members in the self-managed plan. The provisions of this
24 paragraph shall be administered in conjunction with the
25 provisions of Section 16-132.
26     The State of Illinois shall make contributions by

 

 

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1 appropriations to the System of the employer contributions
2 required for participants in the self-managed plan under this
3 Section. The amount required shall be certified by the Board of
4 Trustees of the System and paid by the State in accordance with
5 Section 16-158. The System shall not be obligated to remit the
6 required employer contributions to any of the insurance and
7 annuity companies, mutual fund companies, banks, trust
8 companies, financial institutions, or other sponsors of any of
9 the funding vehicles offered under the self-managed plan until
10 it has received the required employer contributions from the
11 State. In the event of a deficiency in the amount of State
12 contributions, the System shall implement those procedures
13 described in subsection (b-1) of Section 16-158 to obtain the
14 required funding from the Common School Fund.
15     (i) A participant in the self-managed plan becomes vested
16 in the employer contributions credited to his or her accounts
17 in the self-managed plan on the earliest to occur of the
18 following: (1) attainment of at least 5 years of creditable
19 service under this Article; (2) the death of the participating
20 member while employed under this Article, if the participant
21 has completed at least 1.5 years of service; or (3) the
22 participant's election to retire and apply the reciprocal
23 provisions of Article 20 of this Code.
24     A participant in the self-managed plan who receives a
25 distribution of his or her vested amounts from the self-managed
26 plan while not yet eligible for retirement under this Article

 

 

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1 (and Article 20, if applicable) shall forfeit all service
2 credit and accrued rights in the System; if subsequently
3 re-employed under this Article, the participant shall be
4 considered a new member. If a former participant in the
5 self-managed plan again becomes a member (or becomes employed
6 by a participating system under Article 20 of this Code) and
7 continues as such for at least 2 years, all such rights,
8 service credits, and previous status as a participant shall be
9 restored upon repayment of the amount of the distribution,
10 without interest.
11     (j) If a member participating in the self-managed plan who
12 is vested in employer contributions terminates employment, the
13 member shall be entitled to a benefit that is based on the
14 account values attributable to both employer and member
15 contributions and any investment return thereon.
16     If a member participating in the self-managed plan who is
17 not vested in employer contributions terminates employment,
18 the member shall be entitled to a benefit based solely on the
19 account values attributable to the member's contributions and
20 any investment return thereon, and the employer contributions
21 and any investment return thereon shall be forfeited. Any
22 employer contributions that are forfeited shall be held in
23 escrow by the company investing those contributions and shall
24 be used, as directed by the System, for future allocations of
25 employer contributions or for the restoration of amounts
26 previously forfeited by former participants who again become

 

 

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1 participants in the self-managed plan.
 
2     (40 ILCS 5/16-203.1 new)
3     Sec. 16-203.1. New benefit increases. To the extent that
4 the changes made to this Article by this amendatory Act of the
5 96th General Assembly authorizing the System to offer a
6 self-managed plan are determined to be a new benefit increase
7 within the meaning of Section 16-203, the changes made by this
8 amendatory Act are exempt from the provisions of subsection (d)
9 of Section 16-203.
 
10     (40 ILCS 5/18-105.1 new)
11     Sec. 18-105.1. Traditional benefit package. "Traditional
12 benefit package" means the defined benefit retirement program
13 maintained by the System, which includes retirement annuities
14 payable directly from the System, as provided in Sections
15 18-124 through 18-125.1; disability retirement annuities
16 payable under Sections 18-126 and 18-126.1; survivor's
17 annuities payable directly from the System, as provided in
18 Section 18-123 and Sections 18-128 through 18-128.1 and Section
19 18-128.3; and contribution refunds as provided in Section
20 18-129.
 
21     (40 ILCS 5/18-105.2 new)
22     Sec. 18-105.2. Self-managed plan. "Self-managed plan"
23 means the defined contribution retirement program maintained

 

 

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1 by the System, as described in Section 18-133.2. The
2 self-managed plan also includes disability benefits, as
3 provided in Section 18-126.1. The self-managed plan does not
4 include retirement annuities or survivor's annuities payable
5 directly from the System, as provided in Section 18-123,
6 Sections 18-124 through 18-126, Sections 18-128 through
7 18-128.1, and Section 18-128.3 or refunds determined under
8 Section 18-129.
 
9     (40 ILCS 5/18-123.3 new)
10     Sec. 18-123.3. Retirement program elections.
11     (a) For the purposes of this Section:
12     "Eligible participant" means either a currently eligible
13 participant or a newly eligible participant.
14     "Currently eligible participant" means a participant who
15 is employed as a judge on the date on which the System first
16 offers the self-managed plan as an alternative to the
17 traditional benefit package.
18     "Newly eligible participant" means a participant who first
19 becomes employed as a judge after the date on which the System
20 first offers the self-managed plan as an alternative to the
21 traditional benefit package.
22     (b) When the System offers to participants the self-managed
23 plan as an alternative to the traditional benefit package, each
24 currently eligible participant shall be given the choice to
25 elect which retirement program he or she wishes to participate

 

 

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1 in with respect to all periods of covered employment occurring
2 on or after the effective date of the participant's election.
3     The retirement program election made by an eligible
4 participant must be made in writing, in the manner prescribed
5 by the System, and within the time period described in this
6 Section.
7     If an eligible participant elects the self-managed plan,
8 then that election is irrevocable. If an eligible participant
9 who elected to participate or participated by default in the
10 traditional benefit plan terminates employment under this
11 Article, then the participant, upon his or her subsequent
12 re-employment under this Article, may make an election under
13 this Section.
14     An eligible participant who fails to make an election under
15 this Section shall, by default, participate in the traditional
16 benefit package.
17     (c) An eligible participant may elect to participate in the
18 traditional benefit package or the self-managed plan.
19     A currently eligible participant must make this election
20 within 5 years after the effective date of the employer's
21 adoption of the self-managed plan or, in the case of a
22 currently eligible participant who terminates employment under
23 this Article, within 6 months after his or her re-employment
24 under this Article.
25     A newly eligible participant must make this election within
26 6 months after he or she begins employment under this Article.

 

 

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1     (d) If an eligible participant elects to participate in the
2 self-managed plan, the System shall fund their account as
3 stated in subsection (f) of Section 18-133.2. Employer
4 contributions to the self-managed plan shall commence as of the
5 first pay period that begins after the System receives the
6 member's election.
7     (e) An eligible participant shall be provided with written
8 information prepared or prescribed by the System that describes
9 the participant's retirement program choices. The eligible
10 participant shall be offered an opportunity to receive
11 counseling from the System prior to making his or her election.
12 This counseling may consist of videotaped materials, group
13 presentations, individual consultation with an employee or
14 authorized representative of the System in person or by
15 telephone or other electronic means, or any combination of
16 these methods.
 
17     (40 ILCS 5/18-133)  (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 18-133)
18     Sec. 18-133. Financing; employee contributions.
19     (a) Effective July 1, 1967, each participant is required to
20 contribute 7 1/2% of each payment of salary toward the
21 retirement annuity. Such contributions shall continue during
22 the entire time the participant is in service, with the
23 following exceptions:
24         (1) Contributions for the retirement annuity are not
25     required on salary received after 18 years of service by

 

 

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1     persons who were participants before January 2, 1954.
2         (2) A participant who continues to serve as a judge
3     after becoming eligible to receive the maximum rate of
4     annuity may elect, through a written direction filed with
5     the Board, to discontinue contributing to the System. Any
6     such option elected by a judge shall be irrevocable unless
7     prior to January 1, 2000, and while continuing to serve as
8     judge, the judge (A) files with the Board a letter
9     cancelling the direction to discontinue contributing to
10     the System and requesting that such contributing resume,
11     and (B) pays into the System an amount equal to the total
12     of the discontinued contributions plus interest thereon at
13     5% per annum. Service credits earned in any other
14     "participating system" as defined in Article 20 of this
15     Code shall be considered for purposes of determining a
16     judge's eligibility to discontinue contributions under
17     this subdivision (a)(2).
18         (3) A participant who (i) has attained age 60, (ii)
19     continues to serve as a judge after becoming eligible to
20     receive the maximum rate of annuity, and (iii) has not
21     elected to discontinue contributing to the System under
22     subdivision (a)(2) of this Section (or has revoked any such
23     election) may elect, through a written direction filed with
24     the Board, to make contributions to the System based only
25     on the amount of the increases in salary received by the
26     judge on or after the date of the election, rather than the

 

 

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1     total salary received. If a judge who is making
2     contributions to the System on the effective date of this
3     amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly makes an
4     election to limit contributions under this subdivision
5     (a)(3) within 90 days after that effective date, the
6     election shall be deemed to become effective on that
7     effective date and the judge shall be entitled to receive a
8     refund of any excess contributions paid to the System
9     during that 90-day period; any other election under this
10     subdivision (a)(3) becomes effective on the first of the
11     month following the date of the election. An election to
12     limit contributions under this subdivision (a)(3) is
13     irrevocable. Service credits earned in any other
14     participating system as defined in Article 20 of this Code
15     shall be considered for purposes of determining a judge's
16     eligibility to make an election under this subdivision
17     (a)(3).
18     (b) Beginning July 1, 1969, each participant is required to
19 contribute 1% of each payment of salary towards the automatic
20 increase in annuity provided in Section 18-125.1. However, such
21 contributions need not be made by any participant who has
22 elected prior to September 15, 1969, not to be subject to the
23 automatic increase in annuity provisions.
24     (c) Effective July 13, 1953, each married participant
25 subject to the survivor's annuity provisions is required to
26 contribute 2 1/2% of each payment of salary, whether or not he

 

 

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1 or she is required to make any other contributions under this
2 Section. Such contributions shall be made concurrently with the
3 contributions made for annuity purposes.
4     Notwithstanding any provision in this subsection (c) to the
5 contrary, in the case of an employee who participates in the
6 self-managed plan under Section 18-133.2, contributions for
7 survivor's annuity shall be used to fund benefits under Section
8 18-133.2.
9 (Source: P.A. 91-653, eff. 12-10-99.)
 
10     (40 ILCS 5/18-133.2 new)
11     Sec. 18-133.2. Self-managed plan.
12     (a) The General Assembly finds that it is important to be
13 able to attract and retain the most qualified judges and that
14 in order to attract and retain these judges, the System should
15 have the flexibility to provide a defined contribution
16 (self-managed) plan for eligible participants. Accordingly,
17 the Judges Retirement System of Illinois is hereby authorized
18 to establish and administer a self-managed plan, which shall
19 offer participants the opportunity to accumulate assets for
20 retirement through a combination of participant and employer
21 contributions that may be invested in mutual funds, collective
22 investment funds, or other investment products and used to
23 purchase annuity contracts, either fixed or variable or a
24 combination thereof. The plan must be qualified under the
25 Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

 

 

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1     (b) The Board shall adopt the self-managed plan established
2 under this Section. An employer's election to adopt the
3 self-managed plan makes available to the eligible participants
4 of that employer the elections described in Section 18-133.2.
5     The Judges Retirement System of Illinois shall be the plan
6 sponsor for the self-managed plan and shall prepare a plan
7 document and prescribe such rules and procedures as are
8 considered necessary or desirable for the administration of the
9 self-managed plan. Consistent with its fiduciary duty to the
10 participants and beneficiaries of the self-managed plan, the
11 Board of Trustees of the System may delegate aspects of plan
12 administration as it sees fit to companies authorized to do
13 business in this State.
14     (c) The System shall solicit proposals to provide
15 administrative services and funding vehicles for the
16 self-managed plan from insurance and annuity companies and
17 mutual fund companies, banks, trust companies, or other
18 financial institutions authorized to do business in this State.
19 In reviewing the proposals received and approving and
20 contracting with no fewer than 2 and no more than 7 companies,
21 the Board of Trustees of the System shall consider, among other
22 things, the following criteria:
23         (1) the nature and extent of the benefits that would be
24     provided to the participants;
25         (2) the reasonableness of the benefits in relation to
26     the premium charged;

 

 

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1         (3) the suitability of the benefits to the needs and
2     interests of the participants and the employer;
3         (4) the ability of the company to provide benefits
4     under the contract and the financial stability of the
5     company; and
6         (5) the efficacy of the contract in the recruitment and
7     retention of judges.
8     The System shall periodically review each approved
9 company. A company may continue to provide administrative
10 services and funding vehicles for the self-managed plan only so
11 long as it continues to be an approved company under contract
12 with the Board.
13     In addition to the companies approved by the System under
14 this subsection (c), the System may offer its participants an
15 investment fund managed by the System.
16     (d) Participants who are under the self-managed plan must
17 be allowed to direct the transfer of their account balances
18 among the various investment options offered, subject to
19 applicable contractual provisions. The participant shall not
20 be deemed a fiduciary by reason of providing such investment
21 direction. A person who is a fiduciary shall not be liable for
22 any loss resulting from such investment direction and shall not
23 be deemed to have breached any fiduciary duty by acting in
24 accordance with that direction. Neither the System nor the
25 State guarantees any of the investments in the participant's
26 account balances.

 

 

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1     (e) An eligible participant, as defined in Section
2 18-123.3, must make a written election to participate in the
3 self-managed plan in accordance with the provisions of Section
4 18-133.2 and the procedures established by the System.
5 Participation in the self-managed plan shall begin on the first
6 day of the month immediately following the month in which the
7 eligible participant's election is filed with the System, but
8 not sooner than the effective date of the self-managed plan.
9 The System shall make the self-managed plan available under
10 this Article by January 1, 2010. A participant's participation
11 in the traditional retirement package under this Article shall
12 terminate on the date that participation in the self-managed
13 plan begins.
14     A participant who has elected to participate in the
15 self-managed plan under this Section must continue
16 participation while employed as a judge, and may not
17 participate in the traditional benefit package administered by
18 the System under this Article while employed as a judge.
19     Participation in the self-managed plan under this Section
20 shall constitute membership in the Judges Retirement System of
21 Illinois.
22     A participant under this Section shall be entitled to the
23 benefits of Article 20 of this Code.
24     (f) If, at the time a participant elects to participate in
25 the self-managed plan, the participant rights and credits in
26 the System due to previous participation in the traditional

 

 

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1 benefit package, the System shall establish for the participant
2 an opening account balance in the self-managed plan, equal to
3 (i) the amount of the contribution refund that the participant
4 would be eligible to receive under Section 18-129 if the
5 participant terminated employment on that date and elected a
6 refund of contributions, plus (ii) an amount equal to the
7 regular employer contribution that would be required to fund
8 the actual regular cost incurred for each year of service
9 credit earned, provided that the total opening account balance
10 does not exceed 7.6% of that participant's salary for that
11 year, plus interest. The interest used in this subsection (f)
12 is calculated as the average annual rate of return that the
13 System has earned over the past 20 fiscal years and is
14 compounded. The System shall transfer assets from the defined
15 benefit retirement program to the self-managed plan, as a
16 tax-free transfer in accordance with Internal Revenue Service
17 guidelines, for purposes of funding the participant's opening
18 account balance.
19     (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, a
20 participant may not purchase or receive service or service
21 credit applicable to the traditional benefit package under this
22 Article for any period during which the participant was covered
23 under the self-managed plan established under this Section.
24     (h) The self-managed plan shall be funded by contributions
25 from participants participating in the self-managed plan and
26 State contributions as provided in this Section.

 

 

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1     The contribution rate for persons participating in the
2 self-managed plan under this Section shall be equal to the
3 participant contribution rate for other participants in the
4 System, as provided in Section 18-133. This required
5 contribution shall be made as an employer pick-up under Section
6 414(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any successor
7 Section thereof. Any employee participating in the System's
8 traditional benefit package prior to his or her election to
9 participate in the self-managed plan shall continue to have the
10 employer pick up that contribution. However, the amounts picked
11 up after the election of the self-managed plan shall be
12 remitted to and treated as assets of the self-managed plan. In
13 no event shall a participant have the option of receiving these
14 amounts in cash. Participants may make additional
15 contributions to the self-managed plan in accordance with
16 procedures prescribed by the System, to the extent permitted
17 under rules prescribed by the System.
18     The program shall provide for State contributions to be
19 credited to each self-managed plan participant in an amount
20 equal to the regular employer contribution that would be
21 required to fund the actual regular cost incurred for each year
22 of service credit earned had the participant chosen to enroll
23 in the traditional benefit plan.
24     An amount of participant contribution, not exceeding 1% of
25 the participant's salary, shall be used for the purpose of
26 providing the disability benefits of the System to the

 

 

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1 employee. Prior to the beginning of each plan year under the
2 self-managed plan, the Board of Trustees shall determine, as a
3 percentage of salary, the amount of participant contributions
4 to be allocated during that plan year for providing disability
5 benefits for participants in the self-managed plan. The
6 provisions of this paragraph shall be administered in
7 conjunction with the provisions of Section 18-124.
8     The State of Illinois shall make contributions by
9 appropriations to the System of the employer contributions
10 required for participants who are covered under the
11 self-managed plan under this Section. The amount required shall
12 be certified by the Board of Trustees of the System and paid by
13 the State in accordance with Section 18-140. The System shall
14 not be obligated to remit the required employer contributions
15 to any of the insurance and annuity companies, mutual fund
16 companies, banks, trust companies, financial institutions, or
17 other sponsors of any of the funding vehicles offered under the
18 self-managed plan until it has received the required employer
19 contributions from the State. In the event of a deficiency in
20 the amount of State contributions, the System shall implement
21 those procedures described in subsection (b) of Section 18-140
22 to obtain the required funding from the General Revenue Fund.
23     (i) A participant in the self-managed plan becomes vested
24 in the employer contributions credited to his or her accounts
25 in the self-managed plan on the earliest to occur of the
26 following: (1) attainment of 5 years of service credit; (2) the

 

 

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1 death of the participant while employed as a judge, if the
2 participant has completed at least 1.5 years of service; or (3)
3 the participant's election to retire and apply the reciprocal
4 provisions of Article 20 of this Code.
5     A participant in the self-managed plan who receives a
6 distribution of his or her vested amounts from the self-managed
7 plan while not yet eligible for retirement under this Article
8 (and Article 20, if applicable) shall forfeit all service
9 credit and accrued rights in the System; if subsequently
10 re-employed as a judge, the participant shall be considered a
11 new employee. If a former participant again becomes a
12 participating employee (or becomes employed by a participating
13 system under Article 20 of this Code) and continues as such for
14 at least 2 years, all such rights, service credits, and
15 previous status as a participant shall be restored upon
16 repayment of the amount of the distribution, without interest.
17     (j) If a participant who is vested in employer
18 contributions terminates employment, the participant shall be
19 entitled to a benefit which is based on the account values
20 attributable to both employer and participant contributions
21 and any investment return thereon.
22     If a participant who is not vested in employer
23 contributions terminates employment, the participant shall be
24 entitled to a benefit based solely on the account values
25 attributable to the participant's contributions and any
26 investment return thereon, and the employer contributions and

 

 

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1 any investment return thereon shall be forfeited. Any employer
2 contributions which are forfeited shall be held in escrow by
3 the company investing those contributions and shall be used, as
4 directed by the System, for future allocations of employer
5 contributions or for the restoration of amounts previously
6 forfeited by former participants who again become
7 participating employees.
 
8     (40 ILCS 5/18-169.1 new)
9     Sec. 18-169.1. New benefit increases. To the extent that
10 the changes made to this Article by this amendatory Act of the
11 96th General Assembly authorizing the System to offer a
12 self-managed plan are determined to be a new benefit increase
13 within the meaning of Section 18-169, the changes made by this
14 amendatory Act are exempt from the provisions of subsection (d)
15 of Section 18-169.
 
16     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
17 becoming law.

 

 

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1 INDEX
2 Statutes amended in order of appearance
3     40 ILCS 5/2-103.1 new
4     40 ILCS 5/2-103.2 new
5     40 ILCS 5/2-117.4 new
6     40 ILCS 5/2-126 from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 2-126
7     40 ILCS 5/2-126.2 new
8     40 ILCS 5/2-162.1 new
9     40 ILCS 5/14-103.40 new
10     40 ILCS 5/14-103.41 new
11     40 ILCS 5/14-105.8 new
12     40 ILCS 5/14-133 from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 14-133
13     40 ILCS 5/14-133.2 new
14     40 ILCS 5/14-152.2
15     40 ILCS 5/15-103.3
16     40 ILCS 5/15-134.5
17     40 ILCS 5/15-158.2
18     40 ILCS 5/15-198.1 new
19     40 ILCS 5/16-104.1 new
20     40 ILCS 5/16-104.2 new
21     40 ILCS 5/16-131.7 new
22     40 ILCS 5/16-152 from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 16-152
23     40 ILCS 5/16-158.2 new
24     40 ILCS 5/16-203.1 new
25     40 ILCS 5/18-105.1 new

 

 

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1     40 ILCS 5/18-105.2 new
2     40 ILCS 5/18-123.3 new
3     40 ILCS 5/18-133 from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 18-133
4     40 ILCS 5/18-133.2 new
5     40 ILCS 5/18-169.1 new