State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

   [ Search ]   [ Legislation ]   [ Bill Summary ]
[ Home ]   [ Back ]   [ Bottom ]



90_SB1912

      40 ILCS 5/14-120          from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 14-120
          Amends the State Employee Article of the Pension Code  to
      make   stylistic  changes  relating  to  the  termination  of
      survivor benefits.  Effective immediately.
                                                     LRB9011579EGfg
                                               LRB9011579EGfg
 1        AN ACT to amend the Illinois  Pension  Code  by  changing
 2    Section 14-120.
 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section 5.  The  Illinois  Pension  Code  is  amended  by
 6    changing Section 14-120 as follows:
 7        (40 ILCS 5/14-120) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 14-120)
 8        Sec.   14-120.   Survivors  annuities  -  Conditions  for
 9    payments.  A survivors annuity is established for all members
10    of the System.  Upon the death of any male person who  was  a
11    member  on  July  19,  1961,  however, his widow may have the
12    option of receiving the  widow's  annuity  provided  in  this
13    Article, in lieu of the survivors annuity.
14        (a)  A  survivors annuity beneficiary, as herein defined,
15    is eligible for a survivors annuity if  the  deceased  member
16    had completed at least 1 1/2 years of contributing creditable
17    service if death occurred:
18             (1)  while in service;
19             (2)  while  on  an  approved  or authorized leave of
20        absence   from   service,   not   exceeding   one    year
21        continuously; or
22             (3)  while   in   receipt   of   a  non-occupational
23        disability or an occupational disability benefit.
24        (b)  If death of the member occurs after withdrawal,  the
25    survivors  annuity  beneficiary  is eligible for such annuity
26    only if the member had fulfilled at the  date  of  withdrawal
27    the prescribed service conditions for establishing a right in
28    a retirement annuity.
29        (c)  Payment   of   the  survivors  annuity  shall  begin
30    immediately if the beneficiary is 50 years or over,  or  upon
31    attainment  of age 50 if the beneficiary is under that age at
                            -2-                LRB9011579EGfg
 1    the date of the member's death. In the case of survivors of a
 2    member whose death occurred between November 1, 1970 and July
 3    15, 1971, the payment of the survivors  annuity  shall  begin
 4    upon  October 1, 1977, if the beneficiary is then 50 years of
 5    age or older, or  upon  the  attainment  of  age  50  if  the
 6    beneficiary is under that age on October 1, 1977.
 7        If  an  eligible child or children, under the care of the
 8    spouse also survive the member, the survivors  annuity  shall
 9    begin  immediately  without regard to whether the beneficiary
10    has attained age 50.
11        Benefits under this Section shall accrue and  be  payable
12    for  whole calendar months, beginning on the first day of the
13    month after the initiating event occurs  and  ending  on  the
14    last day of the month in which the terminating event occurs.
15        (d)  A survivor annuity beneficiary means:
16             (1)  A  spouse  of  a  member  or  annuitant  if the
17        current marriage with member was in effect at  least  one
18        year  at  the  date of the member's death or at least one
19        year at the date of  his  or  her  withdrawal,  whichever
20        first occurs.
21             (2)  An  unmarried  child under age 18 (under age 22
22        if a full-time student) of the member  or  annuitant;  an
23        unmarried  stepchild  under  age  18  (under  age 22 if a
24        full-time student) who has been such  for  at  least  one
25        year  at  the  date of the member's death or at least one
26        year at the date of withdrawal, whichever  first  occurs;
27        an  unmarried adopted child under age 18 (under age 22 if
28        a full-time student) if  the  adoption  proceedings  were
29        initiated  at  least  one  year  prior  to  the  death or
30        withdrawal of the member or  annuitant,  whichever  first
31        occurs;  and  an unmarried child over age 18 if he or she
32        is  dependent  by  reason  of  a   physical   or   mental
33        disability,  so long as the physical or mental disability
34        continues.  For purposes of this  subsection,  disability
                            -3-                LRB9011579EGfg
 1        means  inability  to  engage  in  any substantial gainful
 2        activity by reason of any medically determinable physical
 3        or mental impairment which can be expected to  result  in
 4        death  or which has lasted or can be expected to last for
 5        a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
 6             (3)  A dependent parent of the member or  annuitant;
 7        a  dependent  step-parent by a marriage contracted before
 8        the member or annuitant attained age 18; or  a  dependent
 9        adopting  parent  by  whom  the  member  or annuitant was
10        adopted before he or she attained age 18.
11        (e)  Payment of a  survivors  annuity  to  a  beneficiary
12    terminates  upon:  (1)  remarriage before age 55 or death, if
13    the beneficiary is of a spouse; (2) marriage or death, if the
14    beneficiary is of a child; or (3) remarriage before age 55 or
15    death, if the beneficiary  is  of  a  parent  terminates  the
16    survivors  annuity  payable  on  account of such beneficiary.
17    Remarriage  of  a  prospective  beneficiary  prior   to   the
18    attainment  of  age  50  disqualifies the beneficiary for the
19    annuity expectancy hereunder.  Termination due to a  marriage
20    or  remarriage  shall  be  permanent regardless of any future
21    changes in marital status.
22        Any person whose survivors annuity was terminated  during
23    1978  or  1979  due  to remarriage at age 55 or over shall be
24    eligible to apply,  not  later  than  July  1,  1990,  for  a
25    resumption of that annuity, to begin on July 1, 1990.
26        (f)  The term "dependent" relating to a survivors annuity
27    means  a beneficiary of a survivors annuity who was receiving
28    from the member at the date of the member's  death  at  least
29    1/2  of the support for maintenance including board, lodging,
30    medical care and like living costs.
31        (g)  If there is no eligible spouse surviving the member,
32    or if a survivors annuity beneficiary includes a  spouse  who
33    dies  or  remarries,  the  annuity is payable to an unmarried
34    child or children.  If at the date of  death  of  the  member
                            -4-                LRB9011579EGfg
 1    there is no spouse or unmarried child, payments shall be made
 2    to  a  dependent parent or parents.  If no eligible survivors
 3    annuity beneficiary survives the member, the non-occupational
 4    death benefit is payable  in  the  manner  provided  in  this
 5    Article.
 6        (h)  Survivor  benefits  do  not  affect any reversionary
 7    annuity.
 8        (i)  If a survivors annuity beneficiary becomes  entitled
 9    to  a  widow's  annuity or one or more survivors annuities or
10    both such annuities, the beneficiary shall elect  to  receive
11    only one of such annuities.
12        (j)  Contributing  creditable  service  under  the  State
13    Universities  Retirement  System  and the Teachers Retirement
14    System of the  State  of  Illinois  shall  be  considered  in
15    determining  whether  the  member  has  met  the contributing
16    service requirements of this Section.
17        (k)  In lieu of the Survivor's Annuity described in  this
18    Section,  the  spouse  of the member has the option to select
19    the Nonoccupational Death Benefit described in this  Article,
20    provided  the  spouse  is  the  sole  survivor  and  the sole
21    nominated beneficiary of the member.
22        (l)  The  changes  made  to  this  Section  and  Sections
23    14-118, 14-119, and 14-128 by this amendatory  Act  of  1997,
24    relating  to  benefits for certain unmarried children who are
25    full-time students under age  22,  apply  without  regard  to
26    whether  the  deceased  member was in service on or after the
27    effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997.  These changes
28    do not authorize the repayment of a refund or  a  re-election
29    of   benefits,  and  any  benefit  or  increase  in  benefits
30    resulting from these changes is not payable retroactively for
31    any period before the effective date of this  amendatory  Act
32    of 1997.
33    (Source: P.A. 90-448, eff. 8-16-97.)
                            -5-                LRB9011579EGfg
 1        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
 2    becoming law.

[ Top ]