State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
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91_HB1080

 
                                              LRB9103350EGfgA

 1        AN ACT to amend  the  Illinois  Pension  Code  by  adding
 2    Sections  3-105.2 and 3-111.2 and changing Sections 3-111 and
 3    3-111.1 and to amend the State Mandates Act.

 4        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 5    represented in the General Assembly:

 6        Section  5.   The  Illinois  Pension  Code  is amended by
 7    adding Sections 3-105.2 and  3-111.2  and  changing  Sections
 8    3-111 and 3-111.1 as follows:

 9        (40 ILCS 5/3-105.2 new)
10        Sec.   3-105.2.    Deferred   Retirement   Option   Plan.
11    "Deferred  Retirement  Option  Plan" or "DROP plan" means the
12    Deferred Retirement Option  Plan  established  under  Section
13    3-111.2.

14        (40 ILCS 5/3-111) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 3-111)
15        Sec. 3-111.  Pension.
16        (a)  A  police  officer  age  50  or more with 20 or more
17    years of creditable service, who is no longer in service as a
18    police officer, shall receive a pension of 1/2 of the  salary
19    attached  to the rank held by the officer on the police force
20    for one year immediately prior to  retirement  or,  beginning
21    July 1, 1987 for persons terminating service on or after that
22    date, the salary attached to the rank held on the last day of
23    service  or  for one year prior to the last day, whichever is
24    greater.  The pension shall be increased by 2% of such salary
25    for each additional year of service over 20 years, up  to  30
26    years,  and  1%  of  such  salary for each additional year of
27    service over 30 years, to a maximum of 75%  of  such  salary.
28    No  pension in effect on or granted after June 30, l973 shall
29    be less than $200 per month.  Beginning  July  1,  1987,  the
30    minimum  retirement  pension  for  a police officer having at
 
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 1    least 20 years of creditable service shall be $400 per month,
 2    without regard to whether or not retirement occurred prior to
 3    that date.
 4        For a police officer who retires  at  the  conclusion  of
 5    participation  in the DROP plan, calculation of the amount of
 6    the retirement pension shall be based on the police officer's
 7    salary and accumulated service on the date he  or  she  began
 8    participation  in  the DROP plan and shall include any annual
 9    increases that would have accrued under  Section  3-111.1  if
10    the police officer had retired on that date.
11        (b)  A  police  officer  mandatorily retired from service
12    due to age by operation of law, having at least  8  but  less
13    than  20 years of creditable service, shall receive a pension
14    equal to 2 1/2% of the salary attached to the rank he or  she
15    held  on  the  police force for one year immediately prior to
16    retirement or, beginning July 1, 1987 for persons terminating
17    service on or after that date, the  salary  attached  to  the
18    rank held on the last day of service or for one year prior to
19    the  last  day,  whichever  is  greater,  for  each  year  of
20    creditable service.
21        A police officer who retires or is separated from service
22    having  at least 8 years but less than 20 years of creditable
23    service, who  is  not  mandatorily  retired  due  to  age  by
24    operation  of  law,  and  who  does not apply for a refund of
25    contributions at his  or  her  last  separation  from  police
26    service,  shall receive a pension upon attaining age 60 equal
27    to 2.5% of the salary attached to the rank held by the police
28    officer on the police force for one year immediately prior to
29    retirement or, beginning July 1, 1987 for persons terminating
30    service on or after that date, the  salary  attached  to  the
31    rank held on the last day of service or for one year prior to
32    the  last  day,  whichever  is  greater,  for  each  year  of
33    creditable service.
34        (c)  A  police  officer  no  longer in service who has at
 
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 1    least one but less than 8 years of creditable  service  in  a
 2    police  pension  fund  but  meets  the  requirements  of this
 3    subsection (c) shall be eligible to receive  a  pension  from
 4    that  fund  equal  to 2.5% of the salary attached to the rank
 5    held on the last day of service under that fund  or  for  one
 6    year  prior  to that last day, whichever is greater, for each
 7    year of creditable service in that fund.  The  pension  shall
 8    begin  no  earlier  than  upon  attainment of age 60 (or upon
 9    mandatory retirement from the fund by operation of law due to
10    age, if that occurs before age 60) and in no event before the
11    effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997.
12        In  order  to  be  eligible  for  a  pension  under  this
13    subsection (c), the police officer must have at least 8 years
14    of creditable service in a second police pension  fund  under
15    this  Article and be receiving a pension under subsection (a)
16    or (b) of this Section from that  second  fund.   The  police
17    officer need not be in service on or after the effective date
18    of this amendatory Act of 1997.
19    (Source: P.A. 90-460, eff. 8-17-97.)

20        (40 ILCS 5/3-111.1) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 3-111.1)
21        Sec. 3-111.1.  Increase in pension.
22        (a)  Except  as  provided  in subsection (e), the monthly
23    pension of a police officer who retires after July  1,  1971,
24    and prior to January 1, 1986, shall be increased, upon either
25    the first of the month following the first anniversary of the
26    date  of retirement if the officer is 60 years of age or over
27    at retirement date, or  upon  the  first  day  of  the  month
28    following  attainment  of age 60 if it occurs after the first
29    anniversary of retirement, by 3% of  the  originally  granted
30    pension  and  by  an  additional 3% of the originally granted
31    pension in January of each year thereafter.
32        (b)  The monthly pension of a police officer who  retired
33    from  service  with 20 or more years of service, on or before
 
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 1    July 1, 1971, shall be  increased  in  January  of  the  year
 2    following the year of attaining age 65 or in January of 1972,
 3    if  then over age 65, by 3% of the originally granted pension
 4    for each year the police officer received  pension  payments.
 5    In  each  January  thereafter,  he  or  she  shall receive an
 6    additional increase of 3% of the original pension.
 7        (c)  The monthly pension of a police officer who  retires
 8    on disability or is retired for disability shall be increased
 9    in  January  of  the year following the year of attaining age
10    60, by 3% of the original grant of pension for each  year  he
11    or   she   received   pension   payments.   In  each  January
12    thereafter, the police officer shall  receive  an  additional
13    increase of 3% of the original pension.
14        (d)  The  monthly pension of a police officer who retires
15    after January 1, 1986, shall be increased,  upon  either  the
16    first  of  the  month  following the first anniversary of the
17    date of retirement if the officer is 55 years of age or  over
18    at  the  retirement  date, or upon the first day of the month
19    following attainment of age 55 if it occurs after  the  first
20    anniversary  of  retirement,  by 3% of the originally granted
21    pension for each full year that has elapsed since the pension
22    began, and by an additional  3%  of  the  originally  granted
23    pension in January of each year thereafter.
24        For  the purpose of calculating eligibility for increases
25    under this Section,  the  date  of  retirement  of  a  police
26    officer who retires at the conclusion of participation in the
27    DROP  plan  shall  be  deemed  to be the date he or she began
28    participation in the DROP plan.
29        (e)  Notwithstanding the provisions  of  subsection  (a),
30    upon  the  first  day  of  the  month following (1) the first
31    anniversary of the date of retirement, or (2) the  attainment
32    of  age 55, or (3) July 1, 1987, whichever occurs latest, the
33    monthly pension of a police officer who retired on  or  after
34    January 1, 1977 and on or before January 1, 1986, and did not
 
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 1    receive an increase under subsection (a) before July 1, 1987,
 2    shall  be  increased  by 3% of the originally granted monthly
 3    pension for each full year that has elapsed since the pension
 4    began, and by an additional  3%  of  the  originally  granted
 5    pension  in  each  January thereafter. The increases provided
 6    under this subsection are in lieu of the  increases  provided
 7    in subsection (a).
 8        (f)  Notwithstanding   the   other   provisions  of  this
 9    Section, beginning with increases granted on or after July 1,
10    1993,  the  second  and  all  subsequent   automatic   annual
11    increases  granted  under subsection (a), (b), (d), or (e) of
12    this Section shall be calculated  as  3%  of  the  amount  of
13    pension  payable  at  the time of the increase, including any
14    increases previously granted under this Section, rather  than
15    3% of the originally granted pension amount.  Section 1-103.1
16    does not apply to this subsection (f).
17    (Source: P.A. 87-1265.)

18        (40 ILCS 5/3-111.2 new)
19        Sec. 3-111.2.  Deferred Retirement Option Plan.
20        (a)  The  Deferred Retirement Option Plan created by this
21    Section shall  first  become  available  to  eligible  police
22    officers on January 1, 2000.
23        (b)  To  be  eligible  to participate in the DROP plan, a
24    police officer must (i)  be  in  active  service,  (ii)  have
25    attained  age  50,  and  (iii)  have  at  least  20  years of
26    creditable  service  in  the  Fund.   A  police  officer  may
27    participate in the DROP plan only once.
28        (c)  An election to participate in the DROP plan must  be
29    made  within 3 years after becoming eligible under subsection
30    (b) or by January 1, 2003, whichever is later.  The election,
31    once made, is irrevocable.
32        The election to participate in the  DROP  plan  shall  be
33    made  in  writing  on  forms provided for that purpose by the
 
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 1    Board and shall be filed with  the  Board.   The  application
 2    must  indicate  the date upon which participation in the DROP
 3    plan is to begin, which shall be the first day of a  calendar
 4    month  and  not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days after
 5    the date of filing the application.
 6        As a part of the application,  the  police  officer  must
 7    file  with  the  Board  and  with  his  or  her  employer  an
 8    irrevocable  letter of resignation from employment, effective
 9    on  the  date  of  termination  of   the   police   officer's
10    participation  in  the  DROP  plan  (unless  that termination
11    results from acceptance of a disability benefit).
12        (d)  A police officer's participation in  the  DROP  plan
13    shall  commence  on the date specified in the application and
14    shall end upon (i) termination of service, (ii) death of  the
15    police officer, (iii) disability for which the police officer
16    receives   a  benefit  under  Section  3-114.1,  3-114.2,  or
17    3-114.3, or (iv) expiration of 3  years  from  the  date  the
18    police  officer's  participation  in  the  DROP  plan  began,
19    whichever occurs first.
20        (e)  A  police  officer  who is participating in the DROP
21    plan shall be considered an active  police  officer  for  the
22    purposes  of this Article, including Section 3-128, but shall
23    be subject to the special conditions of the DROP plan.
24        A police officer shall continue to make the contributions
25    that are required for active police officers  during  his  or
26    her  participation  in  the  DROP  plan.  These contributions
27    shall be accumulated in the police officer's DROP account and
28    shall be treated as being "picked up" within the  meaning  of
29    Section  3-125.2  of  this  Code and Section 414(h)(2) of the
30    Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
31        A police officer who is participating in  the  DROP  plan
32    shall  not  receive  service  credit  for  the period of that
33    participation, and the salary earned during that period shall
34    be disregarded in calculating the police  officer's  benefits
 
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 1    under this Article.
 2        (f)  A  police  officer who participates in the DROP plan
 3    may terminate service at any time during participation in the
 4    DROP plan.  A police officer who  participates  in  the  DROP
 5    plan  must terminate service on the last day of participation
 6    in the DROP plan, unless participation in the  DROP  plan  is
 7    ended due to acceptance of a disability benefit.
 8        (g)  A  police  officer  who is participating in the DROP
 9    plan remains eligible to apply for a disability benefit under
10    Section 3-114.1, 3-114.2, or 3-114.3,  but  participation  in
11    the  DROP  plan  ceases  upon  acceptance  of  the disability
12    benefit.  If participation in the DROP plan is ended  due  to
13    acceptance  of  a disability benefit, (1) the disabled police
14    officer shall be credited  with  employee  contributions  and
15    creditable  service  for  the  period of participation in the
16    DROP plan, (2) the police  officer's  letter  of  resignation
17    from  service  that  is  required  to be filed at the time of
18    application to participate in the DROP plan is void, and  (3)
19    the amounts in the disabled police officer's DROP account are
20    forfeited to the Fund.
21        (h)  The  Fund shall maintain a separate DROP account for
22    the benefit of each police officer who becomes a  participant
23    in  the  DROP  plan.   The  Fund  shall  pay  into the police
24    officer's DROP account:
25             (1)  for  each  month  of   the   police   officer's
26        participation  in  the  DROP plan, an amount equal to the
27        monthly retirement pension that the police officer  would
28        have  been  eligible to receive if the police officer had
29        terminated service and taken a retirement pension on  the
30        date  his  or  her  participation in the DROP plan began,
31        including any increases in pension for which  the  police
32        officer would have been eligible under Section 3-111.1;
33             (2)  the  employee  contributions paid by the police
34        officer during the period of participation  in  the  DROP
 
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 1        plan; and
 2             (3)  interest on the balance in the DROP account, at
 3        the  rate  of  7% per annum, paid and compounded monthly,
 4        throughout the period of participation in the DROP  plan.
 5        The  DROP  account  shall cease earning interest when the
 6        police officer's participation in the DROP plan ends.
 7        (i)  In addition to the retirement pension under  Section
 8    3-111, a police officer who terminates service and retires at
 9    the  conclusion  of his or her participation in the DROP plan
10    shall receive, upon retirement, a DROP benefit equal  to  the
11    balance  in  the police officer's DROP account at the time of
12    retirement.
13        At the time of application for a retirement pension,  the
14    police officer shall elect to receive the DROP benefit in the
15    form  of  either  a  lump  sum  or  an actuarially equivalent
16    annuity for life.  If a lump sum payment is elected,  it  may
17    be  taken  in  the  form  of  cash or a cash equivalent or be
18    rolled over into an individual retirement account (IRA) or  a
19    qualified  retirement  plan.   A  DROP benefit payable in the
20    form of an annuity shall be in a fixed amount not subject  to
21    annual  or  other increases.  A DROP benefit shall be treated
22    as a retirement benefit for the  purposes  of  Section  1-119
23    (QILDROs).
24        (j)  If  a police officer receiving a DROP benefit in the
25    form of  an  annuity  re-enters  service,  the  DROP  benefit
26    annuity   payments   shall  be  suspended  until  the  police
27    officer's subsequent retirement.
28        (k)  If a police officer dies while participating in  the
29    DROP  plan,  the  DROP benefit shall be paid as a lump sum to
30    the surviving spouse or other survivor of the police  officer
31    entitled  to a pension under Section 3-112 or, if there is no
32    such survivor, then to the deceased police officer's estate.
33        (l)  If a retired police officer dies while  receiving  a
34    DROP  benefit in the form of an annuity, and the DROP account
 
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 1    balance at the time of retirement exceeds the total amount of
 2    DROP benefit annuity payments received, the excess  shall  be
 3    refunded  to  the  surviving  spouse or other survivor of the
 4    police officer entitled to a pension under Section 3-112  or,
 5    if  there  is  no  such survivor, then to the deceased police
 6    officer's estate.

 7        Section 90.  The State Mandates Act is amended by  adding
 8    Section 8.23 as follows:

 9        (30 ILCS 805/8.23 new)
10        Sec.  8.23.  Exempt  mandate.  Notwithstanding Sections 6
11    and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is  required
12    for  the  implementation  of  any  mandate  created  by  this
13    amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly.

14        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
15    becoming law.

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