Public Act 093-1090
 
HB0612 Enrolled LRB093 05660 EFG 05753 b

    AN ACT in relation to pensions.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by changing
Sections 4-109.3, 4-110, 4-110.1, 4-111, and 4-114 as follows:
 
    (40 ILCS 5/4-109.3)
    Sec. 4-109.3. Employee creditable service.
    (a) As used in this Section:
    "Final monthly salary" means the monthly salary attached to
the rank held by the firefighter at the time of his or her last
withdrawal from service under a particular pension fund.
    "Last pension fund" means the pension fund in which the
firefighter was participating at the time of his or her last
withdrawal from service.
    (b) The benefits provided under this Section are available
only to a firefighter who:
        (1) is a firefighter at the time of withdrawal from the
    last pension fund and for at least the final 3 years of
    employment prior to that withdrawal;
        (2) has established service credit with at least one
    pension fund established under this Article other than the
    last pension fund;
        (3) has a total of at least 20 years of service under
    the various pension funds established under this Article
    and has attained age 50; and
        (4) is in service on or after the effective date of
    this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.
    (c) A firefighter who is eligible for benefits under this
Section may elect to receive a retirement pension from each
pension fund under this Article in which the firefighter has at
least one year of service credit but has not received a refund
under Section 4-116 (unless the firefighter repays that refund
under subsection (g)) or subsection (c) of Section 4-118.1, by
applying in writing and paying the contribution required under
subsection (i).
    (d) From each such pension fund other than the last pension
fund, in lieu of any retirement pension otherwise payable under
this Article, a firefighter to whom this Section applies may
elect to receive a monthly pension of 1/12th of 2.5% of his or
her final monthly salary under that fund for each month of
service in that fund, subject to a maximum of 75% of that final
monthly salary.
    (e) From the last pension fund, in lieu of any retirement
pension otherwise payable under this Article, a firefighter to
whom this Section applies may elect to receive a monthly
pension calculated as follows:
    The last pension fund shall calculate the retirement
pension that would be payable to the firefighter under
subsection (a) of Section 4-109 as if he or she had
participated in that last pension fund during his or her entire
period of service under all pension funds established under
this Article (excluding any period of service for which the
firefighter has received a refund under Section 4-116, unless
the firefighter repays that refund under subsection (g), or for
which the firefighter has received a refund under subsection
(c) of Section 4-118.1). From this hypothetical pension there
shall be subtracted the original amounts of the retirement
pensions payable to the firefighter by all other pension funds
under subsection (d). The remainder is the retirement pension
payable to the firefighter by the last pension fund under this
subsection (e).
    (f) Pensions elected under this Section shall be subject to
increases as provided in subsection (d) of Section 4-109.1.
    (g) A current firefighter may reinstate creditable service
in a pension fund established under this Article that was
terminated upon receipt of a refund, by payment to that pension
fund of the amount of the refund together with interest thereon
at the rate of 6% per year, compounded annually, from the date
of the refund to the date of payment. A repayment of a refund
under this Section may be made in equal installments over a
period of up to 10 years, but must be paid in full prior to
retirement.
    (h) As a condition of being eligible for the benefits
provided in this Section, a person who is hired to a position
as a firefighter on or after July 1, 2004 the effective date of
this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, a firefighter
must, within 21 months after being hired, notify the new
employer, all of his or her previous employers under this
Article, and the Public Pension Division of the Division
Department of Insurance of the Department of Financial and
Professional Regulation , within one year of being hired, of his
or her intent to receive the benefits provided under this
Section all periods of service of at least one year under a
pension fund established under this Article.
    (i) In order to receive a pension under this Section or an
occupational disease disability pension for which he or she
becomes eligible due to the application of subsection (m) of
this Section, a firefighter must pay to each pension fund from
which he or she has elected to receive a pension under this
Section a contribution equal to 1/12th of 1% of monthly salary
for each month of service credit that the firefighter has in
that fund (other than service credit for which the firefighter
has already paid the additional contribution required under
subsection (c) of Section 4-118.1), together with interest
thereon at the rate of 6% per annum, compounded annually, from
the firefighter's first day of employment with that fund or the
first day of the fiscal year of that fund that immediately
precedes the firefighter's first day of employment with that
fund, whichever is earlier.
    In order for a firefighter who, as of the effective date of
this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, has not begun
to receive a pension under this Section or an occupational
disease disability pension under subsection (m) of this Section
and who has contributed 1/12th of 1% of monthly salary for each
month of service credit that the firefighter has in that fund
(other than service credit for which the firefighter has
already paid the additional contribution required under
subsection (c) of Section 4-118.1), together with the required
interest thereon, to receive a pension under this Section or an
occupational disease disability pension for which he or she
becomes eligible due to the application of subsection (m) of
this Section, the firefighter must, within one year after the
effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General
Assembly, make an additional contribution equal to 11/12ths of
1% of monthly salary for each month of service credit that the
firefighter has in that fund (other than service credit for
which the firefighter has already paid the additional
contribution required under subsection (c) of Section
4-118.1), together with interest thereon at the rate of 6% per
annum, compounded annually, from the firefighter's first day of
employment with that fund or the first day of the fiscal year
of that fund that immediately precedes the firefighter's first
day of employment with the fund, whichever is earlier. A
firefighter who, as of the effective date of this amendatory
Act of the 93rd General Assembly, has not begun to receive a
pension under this Section or an occupational disease
disability pension under subsection (m) of this Section and who
has contributed 1/12th of 1% of monthly salary for each month
of service credit that the firefighter has in that fund (other
than service credit for which the firefighter has already paid
the additional contribution required under subsection (c) of
Section 4-118.1), together with the required interest thereon,
in order to receive a pension under this Section or an
occupational disease disability pension under subsection (m)
of this Section, may elect, within one year after the effective
date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly to
forfeit the benefits provided under this Section and receive a
refund of that contribution. time the service was rendered to
the date of payment.
    (j) A retired firefighter who is receiving pension payments
under Section 4-109 may reenter active service under this
Article. Subject to the provisions of Section 4-117, the
firefighter may receive credit for service performed after the
reentry if the firefighter (1) applies to receive credit for
that service, (2) suspends his or her pensions under this
Section, and (3) makes the contributions required under
subsection (i).
    (k) A firefighter who is newly hired or promoted to a
position as a firefighter shall not be denied participation in
a fund under this Article based on his or her age.
    (l) If a firefighter who elects to make contributions under
subsection (c) of Section 4-118.1 for the pension benefits
provided under this Section becomes entitled to a disability
pension under Section 4-110, the last pension fund is
responsible to pay that disability pension and the amount of
that disability pension shall be based only on the
firefighter's service with the last pension fund.
    (m) Notwithstanding any provision in Section 4-110.1 to the
contrary, if a firefighter who elects to make contributions
under subsection (c) of Section 4-118.1 for the pension
benefits provided under this Section becomes entitled to an
occupational disease disability pension under Section 4-110.1,
each pension fund to which the firefighter has made
contributions under subsection (c) of Section 4-118.1 must pay
a portion of that occupational disease disability pension equal
to the proportion that the firefighter's service credit with
that pension fund for which the contributions under subsection
(c) of Section 4-118.1 have been made bears to the
firefighter's total service credit with all of the pension
funds for which the contributions under subsection (c) of
Section 4-118.1 have been made. A firefighter who has made
contributions under subsection (c) of Section 4-118.1 for at
least 5 years of creditable service shall be deemed to have met
the 5-year creditable service requirement under Section
4-110.1, regardless of whether the firefighter has 5 years of
creditable service with the last pension fund.
    (n) If a firefighter who elects to make contributions under
subsection (c) of Section 4-118.1 for the pension benefits
provided under this Section becomes entitled to a disability
pension under Section 4-111, the last pension fund is
responsible to pay that disability pension, provided that the
firefighter has at least 7 years of creditable service with the
last pension fund.
(Source: P.A. 93-689, eff. 7-1-04.)
 
    (40 ILCS 5/4-110)  (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 4-110)
    Sec. 4-110. Disability pension - Line of duty. If a
firefighter, as the result of sickness, accident or injury
incurred in or resulting from the performance of an act of duty
or from the cumulative effects of acts of duty, is found,
pursuant to Section 4-112, to be physically or mentally
permanently disabled for service in the fire department, so as
to render necessary his or her being placed on disability
pension, the firefighter shall be entitled to a disability
pension equal to the greater of (1) 65% of the monthly salary
attached to the rank held by him or her in the fire department
at the date he or she is removed from the municipality's fire
department payroll or (2) the retirement pension that the
firefighter would be eligible to receive if he or she retired
(but not including any automatic annual increase in that
retirement pension). A firefighter shall be considered "on
duty" while on any assignment approved by the chief of the fire
department, even though away from the municipality he or she
serves as a firefighter, if the assignment is related to the
fire protection service of the municipality.
    Such firefighter shall also be entitled to a child's
disability benefit of $20 a month on account of each unmarried
child less than 18 years of age and dependent upon the
firefighter for support, either the issue of the firefighter or
legally adopted by him or her. The total amount of child's
disability benefit payable to the firefighter, when added to
his or her disability pension, shall not exceed 75% of the
amount of salary which the firefighter was receiving at the
date of retirement.
    Benefits payable on account of a child under this Section
shall not be reduced or terminated by reason of the child's
attainment of age 18 if he or she is then dependent by reason
of a physical or mental disability but shall continue to be
paid as long as such dependency continues. Individuals over the
age of 18 and adjudged to be disabled persons pursuant to
Article XIa of the Probate Act of 1975, except for persons
receiving benefits under Article III of the Illinois Public Aid
Code, shall be eligible to receive benefits under this Act.
    If a firefighter dies while still disabled and receiving a
disability pension under this Section, the disability pension
shall continue to be paid to the firefighter's survivors in the
sequence provided in Section 4-114 but shall, from the date of
death, become subject to the requirements, including
limitations on amount, that are provided for pensions to
survivors under Section 4-114. A pension previously granted
under Section 4-114 to a survivor of a firefighter who died
while receiving a disability pension under this Section shall
be deemed to be a continuation of the pension provided under
this Section and shall be deemed to be in the nature of
worker's compensation payments. The changes to this Section
made by this amendatory Act of 1995 are intended to be
retroactive and are not limited to persons in service on or
after its effective date.
(Source: P.A. 91-466, eff. 8-6-99.)
 
    (40 ILCS 5/4-110.1)  (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 4-110.1)
    Sec. 4-110.1. Occupational disease disability pension.
The General Assembly finds that service in the fire department
requires firefighters in times of stress and danger to perform
unusual tasks; that firefighters are subject to exposure to
extreme heat or extreme cold in certain seasons while
performing their duties; that they are required to work in the
midst of and are subject to heavy smoke fumes, and
carcinogenic, poisonous, toxic or chemical gases from fires;
and that these conditions exist and arise out of or in the
course of employment.
    An active firefighter with 5 or more years of creditable
service who is found, pursuant to Section 4-112, unable to
perform his or her duties in the fire department by reason of
heart disease, stroke, tuberculosis, or any disease of the
lungs or respiratory tract, resulting from service as a
firefighter, is entitled to an occupational disease disability
pension during any period of such disability for which he or
she has no right to receive salary.
    Any active firefighter who has completed 5 or more years of
service and is unable to perform his or her duties in the fire
department by reason of a disabling cancer, which develops or
manifests itself during a period while the firefighter is in
the service of the fire department, shall be entitled to
receive an occupational disease disability benefit during any
period of such disability for which he or she does not have a
right to receive salary. In order to receive this occupational
disease disability benefit, (i) the type of cancer involved
must be a type which may be caused by exposure to heat,
radiation or a known carcinogen as defined by the International
Agency for Research on Cancer and (ii) the cancer must (and is
rebuttably presumed to) arise as a result of service as a
firefighter.
    A firefighter who enters the service after August 27, 1971
shall be examined by one or more practicing physicians
appointed by the board. If the examination discloses impairment
of the heart, lungs or respiratory tract, or the existence of
any cancer, the firefighter shall not be entitled to the
occupational disease disability pension unless and until a
subsequent examination reveals no such impairment or cancer.
    The occupational disease disability pension shall be equal
to the greater of (1) 65% of the salary attached to the rank
held by the firefighter in the fire service at the time of his
or her removal from the municipality's fire department payroll
or (2) the retirement pension that the firefighter would be
eligible to receive if he or she retired (but not including any
automatic annual increase in that retirement pension).
    The firefighter is also entitled to a child's disability
benefit of $20 a month for each natural or legally adopted
unmarried child less than age 18 dependent upon the firefighter
for support. The total child's disability benefit when added to
the occupational disease disability pension shall not exceed
75% of the firefighter's salary at the time of the grant of
occupational disease disability pension.
    The occupational disease disability pension is payable to
the firefighter during the period of the disability. If the
disability ceases before the death of the firefighter, the
disability pension payable under this Section shall also cease
and the firefighter thereafter shall receive such pension
benefits as are provided in accordance with other provisions of
this Article.
    If a firefighter dies while still disabled and receiving a
disability pension under this Section, the disability pension
shall continue to be paid to the firefighter's survivors in the
sequence provided in Section 4-114 but shall, from the date of
death, become subject to the requirements, including
limitations on amount, that are provided for pensions to
survivors under Section 4-114. A pension previously granted
under Section 4-114 to a survivor of a firefighter who died
while receiving a disability pension under this Section shall
be deemed to be a continuation of the pension provided under
this Section and shall be deemed to be in the nature of
worker's occupational disease compensation payments. The
changes to this Section made by this amendatory Act of 1995 are
intended to be retroactive and are not limited to persons in
service on or after its effective date.
    The child's disability benefit shall terminate if the
disability ceases while the firefighter is alive or when the
child or children attain age 18 or marry, whichever event
occurs first, except that benefits payable on account of a
child under this Section shall not be reduced or terminated by
reason of the child's attainment of age 18 if he or she is then
dependent by reason of a physical or mental disability but
shall continue to be paid as long as such dependency continues.
Individuals over the age of 18 and adjudged as a disabled
person pursuant to Article XIa of the Probate Act of 1975,
except for persons receiving benefits under Article III of the
Illinois Public Aid Code, shall be eligible to receive benefits
under this Act.
(Source: P.A. 91-466, eff. 8-6-99.)
 
    (40 ILCS 5/4-111)  (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 4-111)
    Sec. 4-111. Disability pension - Not in duty. A firefighter
having at least 7 years of creditable service who becomes
disabled as a result of any cause other than an act of duty,
and who is found, pursuant to Section 4-112, to be physically
or mentally permanently disabled so as to render necessary his
or her being placed on disability pension, shall be granted a
disability pension of 50% of the monthly salary attached to the
rank held by the firefighter in the fire service at the date he
or she is removed from the municipality's fire department
payroll. If a firefighter dies while still disabled and
receiving a disability pension under this Section, the
disability pension shall continue to be paid to the
firefighter's survivors in the sequence provided in Section
4-114 if that disability pension is greater than the survivors
pension provided under subsection (a) of Section 4-114.
(Source: P.A. 83-1440.)
 
    (40 ILCS 5/4-114)  (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 4-114)
    Sec. 4-114. Pension to survivors. If a firefighter who is
not receiving a disability pension under Section 4-110 or
4-110.1 dies (1) as a result of any illness or accident, or (2)
from any cause while in receipt of a disability pension under
this Article, or (3) during retirement after 20 years service,
or (4) while vested for or in receipt of a pension payable
under subsection (b) of Section 4-109, or (5) while a deferred
pensioner, having made all required contributions, a pension
shall be paid to his or her survivors, based on the monthly
salary attached to the firefighter's rank on the last day of
service in the fire department, as follows:
        (a)(1) To the surviving spouse, a monthly pension of
    40% of the monthly salary, and to the guardian of any minor
    child or children including a child which has been
    conceived but not yet born, 12% of such monthly salary for
    each such child until attainment of age 18 or until the
    child's marriage, whichever occurs first. Beginning July
    1, 1993, the monthly pension to the surviving spouse shall
    be 54% of the monthly salary for all persons receiving a
    surviving spouse pension under this Article, regardless of
    whether the deceased firefighter was in service on or after
    the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1993.
        (2) Beginning July 1, 2004, unless the amount provided
    under paragraph (1) of this subsection (a) is greater, the
    total monthly pension payable under this paragraph (a),
    including any amount payable on account of children, to the
    surviving spouse of a firefighter who died (i) while
    receiving a retirement pension, (ii) while he or she was a
    deferred pensioner with at least 20 years of creditable
    service, or (iii) while he or she was in active service
    having at least 20 years of creditable service, regardless
    of age, including any amount payable on account of
    children, shall be no less than 100% of the monthly
    retirement pension earned by that the deceased firefighter
    at the time of death, regardless of whether death occurs
    before or after attainment of age 50, was receiving at the
    time of death, including any increases under Section
    4-109.1. This minimum applies to all such surviving spouses
    who are eligible to receive a surviving spouse pension,
    regardless of whether the deceased firefighter was in
    service on or after the effective date of this amendatory
    Act of the 93rd General Assembly, and notwithstanding any
    limitation on maximum pension under paragraph (d) or any
    other provision of this Article.
        (3) If the pension paid on and after July 1, 2004 to
    the surviving spouse of a firefighter who died on or after
    July 1, 2004 and before the effective date of this
    amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly was less than
    the minimum pension payable under paragraph (1) or (2) of
    this subsection (a), the fund shall pay a lump sum equal to
    the difference within 90 days after the effective date of
    this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.
    The pension to the surviving spouse shall terminate in the
event of the surviving spouse's remarriage prior to July 1,
1993; remarriage on or after that date does not affect the
surviving spouse's pension, regardless of whether the deceased
firefighter was in service on or after the effective date of
this amendatory Act of 1993.
    The surviving spouse's pension shall be subject to the
minimum established in Section 4-109.2.
    (b) Upon the death of the surviving spouse leaving one or
more minor children, to the duly appointed guardian of each
such child, for support and maintenance of each such child
until the child reaches age 18 or marries, whichever occurs
first, a monthly pension of 20% of the monthly salary.
    (c) If a deceased firefighter leaves no surviving spouse or
unmarried minor children under age 18, but leaves a dependent
father or mother, to each dependent parent a monthly pension of
18% of the monthly salary. To qualify for the pension, a
dependent parent must furnish satisfactory proof that the
deceased firefighter was at the time of his or her death the
sole supporter of the parent or that the parent was the
deceased's dependent for federal income tax purposes.
    (d) The total pension provided under paragraphs (a), (b)
and (c) of this Section shall not exceed 75% of the monthly
salary of the deceased firefighter (1) when paid to the
survivor of a firefighter who has attained 20 or more years of
service credit and who receives or is eligible to receive a
retirement pension under this Article, or (2) when paid to the
survivor of a firefighter who dies as a result of illness or
accident, or (3) when paid to the survivor of a firefighter who
dies from any cause while in receipt of a disability pension
under this Article, or (4) when paid to the survivor of a
deferred pensioner. For all other survivors of deceased
firefighters, the total pension provided under paragraphs (a),
(b) and (c) of this Section shall not exceed 50% of the
retirement annuity the firefighter would have received on the
date of death.
    The maximum pension limitations in this paragraph (d) do
not control over any contrary provision of this Article
explicitly establishing a minimum amount of pension or granting
a one-time or annual increase in pension.
    (e) If a firefighter leaves no eligible survivors under
paragraphs (a), (b) and (c), the board shall refund to the
firefighter's estate the amount of his or her accumulated
contributions, less the amount of pension payments, if any,
made to the firefighter while living.
    (f) An adopted child is eligible for the pension provided
under paragraph (a) if the child was adopted before the
firefighter attained age 50.
    (g) If a judgment of dissolution of marriage between a
firefighter and spouse is judicially set aside subsequent to
the firefighter's death, the surviving spouse is eligible for
the pension provided in paragraph (a) only if the judicial
proceedings are filed within 2 years after the date of the
dissolution of marriage and within one year after the
firefighter's death and the board is made a party to the
proceedings. In such case the pension shall be payable only
from the date of the court's order setting aside the judgment
of dissolution of marriage.
    (h) Benefits payable on account of a child under this
Section shall not be reduced or terminated by reason of the
child's attainment of age 18 if he or she is then dependent by
reason of a physical or mental disability but shall continue to
be paid as long as such dependency continues. Individuals over
the age of 18 and adjudged as a disabled person pursuant to
Article XIa of the Probate Act of 1975, except for persons
receiving benefits under Article III of the Illinois Public Aid
Code, shall be eligible to receive benefits under this Act.
    (i) Beginning January 1, 2000, the pension of the surviving
spouse of a firefighter who dies on or after January 1, 1994 as
a result of sickness, accident, or injury incurred in or
resulting from the performance of an act of duty or from the
cumulative effects of acts of duty shall not be less than 100%
of the salary attached to the rank held by the deceased
firefighter on the last day of service, notwithstanding
subsection (d) or any other provision of this Article.
    (j) Beginning July 1, 2004, the pension of the surviving
spouse of a firefighter who dies on or after January 1, 1988 as
a result of sickness, accident, or injury incurred in or
resulting from the performance of an act of duty or from the
cumulative effects of acts of duty shall not be less than 100%
of the salary attached to the rank held by the deceased
firefighter on the last day of service, notwithstanding
subsection (d) or any other provision of this Article.
(Source: P.A. 93-689, eff. 7-1-04.)
 
    Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding
Section 8.28 as follows:
 
    (30 ILCS 805/8.28 new)
    Sec. 8.28. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8
of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the
implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of
the 93rd General Assembly.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.

Effective Date: 3/11/2005