State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_SB1245

 
                                               LRB9101658EGfg

 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-                LRB9101658EGfg
 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 the  member  or  annuitant  was  in
18        effect for at least one year at the date of the member or
19        annuitant's  member's  death  or at least one year at the
20        date of his or her withdrawal, whichever 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-                LRB9101658EGfg
 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
 
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 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'  Teachers
14    Retirement   System   of  the  State  of  Illinois  shall  be
15    considered in determining whether  the  member  has  met  the
16    contributing 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; revised 2-24-98.)
 
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 1        Section 99. Effective date.  This Act takes  effect  upon
 2    becoming law.

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