Report Title:

ERS; Elective Officers

 

Description:

Changes basis for calculating retirement allowances for elective officers serving either house of the legislature after December 31, 2003 from 3.5 per cent to 2 per cent per year. Applies on a prospective basis only. (HB1567 HD1)

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1567

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to the Employees' retirement system.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that for as long as the employees' retirement system has been in existence, the legislative members have benefited from a higher retirement benefit ratio than regular employees. The retirement benefit ratio is used in significant part to calculate the elective officer's final retirement benefit.

The legislature finds that Hawaii's legislative system is premised on the notion that legislators are not supposed to be professional politicians. Rather, Hawaii's legislators are supposed to be real people with real jobs who, in a political equivalent of Cincinnatus, take some time away from their regular careers in order to serve in the legislative arena. Under this ethic, retirement income from service as a legislator should not be a significant reward. Accordingly, it is time the legislature accept the same or more similar retirement benefit ratio accorded other public employees and be treated in the same fashion. It is therefore, the purpose of this Act to lower the basis for calculating the elective officer's retirement allowance from 3.5 per cent to 2.0 per cent on a prospective basis.

SECTION 2. Section 88-74, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§88-74 Allowance on service retirement. Upon retirement from service, a member shall receive a retirement allowance as follows:

(1) If the member has attained age fifty-five, a retirement allowance of two per cent of the member's average final compensation multiplied by the total number of years of the member's credited service as a class A and B member, [excluding any credited service as a judge, elective officer, or legislative officer,] including elective officer service as a legislator of either house of the legislature after December 31, 2003, plus a retirement allowance of one and one-fourth per cent of the member's average final compensation multiplied by the total number of years of prior credited service as a class C member; provided that:

(A) After June 30, 1968, if the member has at least ten years of credited service of which the last five or more years prior to retirement is credited service as a firefighter, police officer, or an investigator of the department of the prosecuting attorney;

(B) After June 30, 1977, if the member has at least ten years of credited service of which the last five or more years prior to retirement is credited service as a corrections officer;

(C) After June 16, 1981, if the member has at least ten years of credited service of which the last five or more years prior to retirement is credited service as an investigator of the department of the attorney general;

(D) After June 30, 1989, if the member has at least ten years of credited service of which the last five or more years prior to retirement is credited service as a narcotics enforcement investigator;

(E) After December 31, 1993, if the member has at least ten years of credited service of which the last five or more years prior to retirement is credited service as a water safety officer; and

(F) After June 30, 1994, if the member has at least ten years of credited service, of which the last five or more years prior to retirement are credited service as a public safety investigations staff investigator;

then for each year of service as a firefighter, police officer, corrections officer, investigator of the department of the prosecuting attorney, investigator of the department of the attorney general, narcotics enforcement investigator, water safety officer, or public safety investigations staff investigator, the retirement allowance shall be two and one-half per cent of the member's average final compensation. The maximum retirement allowance for those members shall not exceed eighty per cent of the member's average final compensation. If the member has not attained age fifty-five, the member's retirement allowance shall be computed as though the member had attained age fifty-five, reduced in accordance with factors of actuarial equivalence adopted by the board upon the advice of the actuary; provided that no reduction shall be made if the member has at least twenty-five years of credited service as a firefighter, police officer, corrections officer, investigator of the department of the prosecuting attorney, investigator of the department of the attorney general, narcotics enforcement investigator, public safety investigations staff investigator, sewer worker, or water safety officer, of which the last five or more years prior to retirement is credited service in such capacities;

(2) If the member has made voluntary additional contributions for the purchase of an additional annuity and has not applied for a refund as permitted by section 88-72, the member may accept the refund at the time of retirement or, in lieu thereof, receive in addition to the retirement allowance provided in paragraph (1), an annuity that is the actuarial equivalent of the additional contributions with regular interest;

(3) If the member has credited service as a judge, the member's retirement allowance shall be computed on the following basis:

(A) For a member who has credited service as a judge before July 1, 1999, irrespective of age, for each year of credited service as a judge, three and one-half per cent of the member's average final compensation in addition to an annuity that is the actuarial equivalent of the member's accumulated contributions allocable to the period of such service; and

(B) For a member who first earned credited service as a judge after June 30, 1999, for each year of credited service as a judge, three and one-half per cent of the member's average final compensation in addition to an annuity that is the actuarial equivalent of the member's accumulated contributions allocable to the period of such service. If the member has not attained age fifty-five, the member's retirement allowance shall be computed as though the member had attained age fifty-five, reduced in accordance with factors of actuarial equivalence adopted by the board upon the advice of the actuary; or

(C) For a judge with other credited service, as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2). If the member has not attained age fifty-five, the member's retirement allowance shall be computed as though the member had attained age fifty-five, reduced in accordance with factors of actuarial equivalence adopted by the board upon the advice of the actuary; or

(D) For a judge with credited service as an elective officer or as a legislative officer, as provided in paragraph (4).

No allowance shall exceed seventy-five per cent of the member's average final compensation. If the allowance exceeds this limit, it shall be adjusted by reducing the annuity included in subparagraphs (A) and (B) and the portion of the accumulated contributions specified in the subparagraphs in excess of the requirements of the reduced annuity shall be returned to the member. The allowance for judges under this paragraph, together with the retirement allowance provided by the federal government for similar service, shall in no case exceed seventy-five per cent of the member's average final compensation; or

(4) If the member has credited service as: an elective officer or as a legislative officer, the member's retirement allowance shall be derived by adding the allowances computed separately under subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) as follows:

(A) [Irrespective of age, for each year of credited service as an elective officer, three and one-half per cent of the member's average final compensation as computed under section 88-81(d)(1), in addition to an annuity that is the actuarial equivalent of the member's accumulated contributions allocable to the period of service; and] If the member has credited service as an elective officer, the member’s retirement allowance shall be computed on the following basis:

(i) For each year of credited service as an elective officer, excluding service as a legislator in either house of the legislature, irrespective of age, three and one-half per cent of the members average final compensation as computed under section 88-81(d)(1), in addition to an annuity that is the actuarial equivalent of the member’s accumulated contributions allocable to the period of such service;

(ii) For each year of credited service as a legislator in either house of the legislature prior to January 1, 2004, irrespective of age, three and one-half per cent of the members average final compensation as computed under section 88-81(d)(1), in addition to an annuity that is the actuarial equivalent of the member’s accumulated contributions allocable to the period of such service; or

(iii) For each year of credited service as a legislator in either house of the legislature after December 31, 2003, and with the attainment of age of fifty-five, two per cent of the member’s average final compensation as computed under section 88-81(d)(1). If the member has not attained age fifty-five, the member’s retirement allowance shall be computed as through the member had attained age fifty-five, reduced in accordance with factors of actuarial equivalence adopted by the board upon the advice of the actuary; and

(B) Irrespective of age, for each year of credited service as a legislative officer, three and one-half per cent of the member's average final compensation as computed under section 88-81(d)(2), in addition to an annuity that is the actuarial equivalent of the member's accumulated contributions allocable to the period of service;

(C) If the member has credited service as a judge, the member's retirement allowance shall be computed on the following basis:

(i) For a member who has credited service as a judge before July 1, 1999, irrespective of age, for each year of credited service as a judge, three and one-half per cent of the member's average final compensation as computed under section 88-81(d)(3), in addition to an annuity that is the actuarial equivalent of the member's accumulated contributions allocable to the period of such service; and

(ii) For a member who first earned credited service as a judge after June 30, 1999, and has attained the age of fifty-five, for each year of credited service as a judge, three and one-half per cent of the member's average final compensation as computed under section 88-81(d)(3), in addition to an annuity that is the actuarial equivalent of the member's accumulated contributions allocable to the period of such service. If the member has not attained age fifty-five, the member's retirement allowance shall be computed as though the member had attained age fifty-five, reduced in accordance with factors of actuarial equivalence adopted by the board upon the advice of the actuary; and

(D) For each year of credited service not included in subparagraph (A), or (B), or (C), the average final compensation as computed under section 88-81(d)(4) shall be multiplied by two per cent, two and one-half per cent, or one and one-quarter per cent, as applicable to the credited service earned as a class A, B, or C member, respectively. If the member has not attained age fifty-five, the member's retirement allowance shall be computed as though the member had attained age fifty-five, reduced in accordance with factors of actuarial equivalence adopted by the board upon the advice of the actuary.

The total retirement allowance shall not exceed seventy-five per cent of the member's highest average final compensation calculated under section 88-81(d)(1), (2), (3), or (4). If the allowance exceeds this limit, it shall be adjusted by reducing any annuity accrued under subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) and the portion of the accumulated contributions specified in these subparagraphs in excess of the requirements of the reduced annuity shall be returned to the member. If a member has service credit as an elective officer or as a legislative officer in addition to service credit as a judge, then the retirement benefit calculation contained in this paragraph shall supersede the formula contained in paragraph (3)."

SECTION 3. The commission on legislative salary that is appointed on or before November 30, 2002, shall consider the impact of this Act upon total legislative compensation in its deliberations on legislative salary for its final report and recommendations.

SECTION 4. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun, before its effective date.

SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2004.