Report Title:

Employees Retirement System

Description:

Provides conservation and resource enforcement officers with the same retirement benefits as police officers and firefighters. (HB1657 HD1)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1657

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

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. Section 88-21, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

""Conservation and resources enforcement officer": any regularly employed member of the department of land and natural resources whose principal duty is to enforce conservation laws and protect the State's natural resources."

SECTION 2. Section 88-45, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§88-45 Employee contributions. After June 30, 1988, each class A and class B member shall contribute seven and eight- tenths per cent of the member's compensation to the annuity savings fund; provided that after June 30, 1989, all firefighters, police officers, corrections officers, investigators of the departments of the prosecuting attorney and of the attorney general, narcotics enforcement investigators, water safety officers not making the election under section 88-271, conservation and resources enforcement officers, and public safety investigations staff investigators shall contribute twelve and two-tenths per cent of their compensation to the annuity savings fund for service in that capacity."

SECTION 3. Section 88-47, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) There shall be three classes of members in the system to be known as class A, class B, and class C, defined as follows:

(1) Class A shall consist of members covered by section 88-74(3) and (4), those members whose salaries are set forth in sections 26-52 and 26-53, and their county counterparts, managing directors or administrative assistant to the mayor, and other department heads, including agency heads appointed by the mayor, first deputies appointed by the county attorney and prosecuting attorney, the county clerk and deputy county clerk of each county, the administrative director of the courts, the deputy administrative director of the courts, the executive director of the labor and industrial relations appeals board, the executive director of the Hawaii labor relations board, investigators of the department of the attorney general, narcotics enforcement investigators, water safety officers not making the election under section 88-271, public safety investigations staff investigators, conservation and resources enforcement officers, and those members in service prior to July 1, 1984, including those who are on approved leave of absence, who are covered by Title II of the Social Security Act on account of service creditable under this part. This class shall consist of:

(A) All employees who enter membership after June 30, 1957, except employees in positions to which coverage under Title II of the Social Security Act is not extended;

(B) All employees who were members on July 1, 1957, who elected to be covered by the Social Security Act; and

(C) All former class A retirants who return to employment after June 30, 1984, requiring the retirant's active membership;

(2) Class B shall consist of all members who are not class A or class C members; and

(3) Except for members described in paragraph (1), class C shall consist of all employees in positions covered by Title II of the Social Security Act who:

(A) First enter service after June 30, 1984;

(B) Reenter service after June 30, 1984, without vested benefit status as provided in section 88-96(b);

(C) Make the election to become a class C member as provided in part VII; or

(D) Are former class C retirants who return to service requiring the retirant's active membership."

SECTION 4. 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, 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;

(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; [and]

(G) After June 30, 2002, if the member has at least ten years of credited service as a firefighter, and is deemed permanently medically disqualified due to a service related disability to be a firefighter by the employer's physician, and continues employment in a class A or B position other than a firefighter; and

(H) After June 30, 2003, 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 conservation and resources enforcement officer;

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, conservation and resources enforcement 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, conservation and resources enforcement officer, 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

(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), (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 5. (a) Conservation and resources enforcement officers of the department of land and natural resources who are in service prior to the effective date of this Act and who are class C members shall have the option of remaining in class C or converting their membership service to class A. An election form indicating the option selected shall be filed with the board of trustees by June 1, 2003, and those members electing to convert to class A shall arrange for additional deductions or lump sum payments pursuant to sections 88-45 and 88-59, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to commence by July 1, 2003. The election filed with the board of trustees shall be irrevocable.

(b) All conservation and resources enforcement officers of the department of land and natural resources hired after the effective date of this Act shall be designated class C members of the employees' retirement system.

SECTION 6. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2010.