House Bill 1

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 25-11-117, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM WHO HAVE AT LEAST TEN YEARS OF MEMBERSHIP SERVICE TO RECEIVE A DISTRIBUTION OF UP TO ONE-THIRD OF THE AMOUNT OF THE MEMBER'S CONTRIBUTIONS, WHICH SHALL BE USED ONLY FOR CERTAIN SPECIFIED PURPOSES; TO PROVIDE THAT A MEMBER MAY RECEIVE A DISTRIBUTION UNDER THIS PROVISION ONLY ONE TIME; TO PROVIDE THAT IF A MEMBER RECEIVES A DISTRIBUTION UNDER THIS PROVISION AND LATER IS PAID A REFUND OF THE AMOUNT OF THE MEMBER'S CONTRIBUTIONS AFTER WITHDRAWAL FROM STATE SERVICE, THE AMOUNT OF THE DISTRIBUTION SHALL BE DEDUCTED FROM THE MEMBER'S CONTRIBUTIONS IN COMPUTING THE AMOUNT OF THE REFUND; TO AMEND SECTION 25-11-115, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT IF A MEMBER RECEIVES A DISTRIBUTION UNDER THE PRECEDING SECTION BEFORE RETIREMENT, THE MEMBER'S RETIREMENT BENEFITS SHALL BE ACTUARIALLY REDUCED TO REFLECT THE AMOUNT OF THE DISTRIBUTION RECEIVED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 25-11-117, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

25-11-117. (1) A member may be paid a refund of the amount of accumulated contributions to the credit of the member in the annuity savings account, provided that the member has withdrawn from state service and has not returned to state service on the date the refund of the accumulated contributions would be paid. That refund of the contributions to the credit of the member in the annuity savings account shall be paid within ninety (90) days from receipt in the office of the retirement system of the properly completed form requesting the payment. In the event of death before retirement of any member whose spouse and/or children are not entitled to a retirement allowance, the accumulated contributions to the credit of the deceased member in the annuity savings account shall be paid to the designated beneficiary on file in writing in the office of the executive director of the board of trustees within ninety (90) days from receipt of a properly completed form requesting the payment. If there is no such designated beneficiary on file for the deceased member in the office of the system, upon the filing of a proper request with the board, the contributions to the credit of the deceased member in the annuity savings account shall be refunded pursuant to Section 25-11-117.1(1). The payment of the refund shall discharge all obligations of the retirement system to the member on account of any creditable service rendered by the member prior to the receipt of the refund. By the acceptance of the refund, the member shall waive and relinquish all accrued rights in the system.

(2) Under the Unemployment Compensation Amendments of 1992 (Public Law 102-318 (UCA)), a member or the spouse of a member who is an eligible beneficiary entitled to a refund under this section may elect, on a form prescribed by the board under rules and regulations established by the board, to have an eligible rollover distribution of accumulated contributions payable under this section paid directly to an eligible retirement plan, as defined under applicable federal law, or an individual retirement account. If the member or the spouse of a member who is an eligible beneficiary makes that election and specifies the eligible retirement plan or individual retirement account to which the distribution is to be paid, the distribution will be made in the form of a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer to the specified eligible retirement plan. Flexible rollovers under this subsection shall not be considered assignments under Section 25-11-129.

(3) If any person who has received a refund reenters the state service and again becomes a member of the system, the member may repay all or part of the amounts previously received as a refund, together with regular interest covering the period from the date of refund to the date of repayment; however, the amounts that are repaid by the member and the creditable service related thereto shall not be used in any benefit calculation or determination until the member has remained a contributor to the system for a period of at least four (4) years after the member's reentry into state service. Repayment for that time shall be made in increments of not less than one-quarter (1/4) year of creditable service beginning with the most recent service for which refund has been made. Upon the repayment of all or part of that refund and interest, the member shall again receive credit for the period of creditable service for which full repayment has been made to the system.

(4) (a) An active member who has not less than ten (10) years of membership service may receive a distribution of up to one-third (1/3) of the amount of accumulated contributions to the credit of the member in the annuity savings account, which shall be used only for the following purposes: purchase of a home; purchase of an automobile; college tuition; start up of a business; funeral expenses; wedding expenses; medical expenses; or any combination of those purposes. A member may receive a distribution under this subsection only one (1) time during the person's membership in the system.

(b) The distribution of the member's contributions in the annuity savings account as authorized by this subsection shall be paid to the member within ninety (90) days from receipt in the office of the retirement system of the properly completed form requesting the distribution, which shall specify the amount and the purpose of expenditure of the distribution.

(c) If a member receives a distribution under this subsection and later is paid a refund of the amount of accumulated contributions to the member's credit in the annuity savings account under subsection (1) of this section, the amount of the distribution shall be deducted from the member's annuity savings account in computing the amount of the refund.

(5) (a) In order to provide a source of income to members who have applied for disability benefits under Sections 25-11-113 or 25-11-114, the board may provide, at the employee's election, a temporary benefit to be paid from the member's accumulated contributions, if any, without forfeiting the right to pursue disability benefits, provided that the member has exhausted all personal and medical leave and has terminated his or her employment. The board may prescribe rules and regulations for carrying out the provisions of this subsection (4).

(b) If a member who has elected to receive temporary benefits under this subsection later applies for a refund of his or her accumulated contributions, all amounts paid under this subsection shall be deducted from the accumulated contributions and the balance will be paid to the member. If a member who has elected to receive temporary benefits under this subsection is later approved for a disability retirement allowance, and a service retirement allowance or survivor benefits are paid on the account, the board shall adjust the benefits in such a manner that no more than the actuarial equivalent of the benefits to which the member or beneficiary was or is entitled shall be paid.

(c) The board may study, develop and propose a disability benefit structure, including short and long term disability benefits, provided that it is the actuarial equivalent of the benefits currently provided in Sections 25-11-113 or 25-11-114.

SECTION 2. Section 25-11-115, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

25-11-115. (1) Upon application for superannuation or disability retirement, any member may elect to receive his benefit in a retirement allowance payable throughout life with no further payments to anyone at his death, except that in the event his total retirement payments under this article do not equal his total contributions under this article, his named beneficiary shall receive the difference in cash at his death. Or he may elect upon retirement, or upon becoming eligible for retirement, to receive the actuarial equivalent subject to the provisions of subsection (3) of this section of his retirement allowance in a reduced retirement allowance payable throughout life with the provision that:

Option 1. If he dies before he has received in annuity payment the value of the member's annuity savings account as it was at the time of his retirement, the balance shall be paid to his legal representative or to such person as he shall nominate by written designation duly acknowledged and filed with the board; or

Option 2. Upon his death, his reduced retirement allowance shall be continued throughout the life of, and paid to, such person as he has nominated by written designation duly acknowledged and filed with the board of trustees at the time of his retirement;

Option 3. Upon his death, one-half (1/2) of his reduced retirement allowance shall be continued throughout the life of, and paid to, such person as he shall have nominated by written designation duly acknowledged and filed with the board of trustees at the time of his retirement, and the other one-half (1/2) of his reduced retirement allowance to some other designated beneficiary;

Option 4-A. Upon his death, one-half (1/2) of his reduced retirement allowance, or such other specified amount, shall be continued throughout the life of, and paid to, such person as he shall have nominated by written designation duly acknowledged and filed with the board of trustees at the time of his retirement; or

Option 4-B. A reduced retirement allowance shall be continued throughout the life of the retirant, but with the further guarantee of payments to the named beneficiary, beneficiaries or to the estate for a specified number of years certain. If the retired member or the last designated beneficiary receiving annuity payments dies prior to receiving all guaranteed payments due, the actuarial equivalent of the remaining payments shall be paid pursuant to Section 25-11-117.1(1);

Option 4-C. Such retirement allowance otherwise payable may be converted into a retirement allowance of equivalent actuarial value in such an amount that, with the member's benefit under Title II of the federal Social Security Act, the member will receive, so far as possible, approximately the same amount annually before and after the earliest age at which the member becomes eligible to receive a social security benefit. This option shall not be available to retirees whose retirement is effective on or after July 1, 2004.

Option 6. Any member who has at least twenty-eight (28) years of creditable service at the time of retirement or who is at least sixty-three (63) years of age and eligible to retire, may select the maximum retirement benefit or an optional benefit as provided in this subsection together with a partial lump sum distribution. The amount of the lump sum distribution under this option shall be equal to the maximum monthly benefit multiplied by twelve (12), twenty-four (24) or thirty-six (36) as selected by the member. The maximum retirement benefit shall be actuarially reduced to reflect the amount of the lump sum distribution selected and further reduced for any other optional benefit selected. The annuity and lump sum distribution shall be computed to result in no actuarial loss to the system. The lump sum distribution shall be made as a single payment payable at the time the first monthly annuity payment is paid to the retiree. The amount of the lump sum distribution shall be deducted from the member's annuity savings account in computing what contributions remain at the death of the retiree and/or a beneficiary. The lump sum distribution option may be elected only once by a member upon initial retirement, and may not be elected by a retiree, by members applying for a disability retirement annuity, by survivors or by a member selecting Option 4-C.

(2) No change in the option selected shall be permitted after the member's death or after the member has received his first retirement check except as provided in subsections (3) and (4) of this section and in Section 25-11-127. Members who are pursuing a disability retirement allowance and simultaneously or subsequently elect to begin to receive a service retirement allowance while continuing to pursue a disability retirement allowance, shall not be eligible to select Option 4-C or Option 6 and those options may not be selected at a later time if the application for a disability retirement allowance is voided or denied. However, any retired member who is receiving a retirement allowance under Option 2 or Option 4-A upon July 1, 1992, and whose designated beneficiary predeceased him or whose marriage to a spouse who is his designated beneficiary is terminated by divorce or other dissolution, upon written notification to the retirement system of the death of the designated beneficiary or of the termination of his marriage to his designated beneficiary, the retirement allowance payable to the member after receipt of such notification by the retirement system shall be equal to the retirement allowance which would have been payable had the member not elected the option. In addition, any retired member who is receiving the maximum retirement allowance for life, a retirement allowance under Option 1 or who is receiving a retirement allowance under Option 2 or Option 4-A on July 1, 1992, may elect to provide survivor benefits under Option 2 or Option 4-A to a spouse who was not previously the member's beneficiary and whom the member married before July 1, 1992.

(3) Any retired member who is receiving a reduced retirement allowance under Option 2 or Option 4-A whose designated beneficiary predeceases him, or whose marriage to a spouse who is his designated beneficiary is terminated by divorce or other dissolution, may elect to cancel his reduced retirement allowance and receive the maximum retirement allowance for life in an amount equal to the amount that would have been payable if the member had not elected Option 2 or Option 4-A. Such election must be made in writing to the office of the executive director of the system on a form prescribed by the board. Any such election shall be effective the first of the month following the date the election is received by the system.

(4) Any retired member who is receiving the maximum retirement allowance for life, or a retirement allowance under Option 1, and who marries after his retirement may elect to cancel his maximum retirement allowance and receive a reduced retirement allowance under Option 2 or Option 4-A to provide continuing lifetime benefits to his spouse. Such election must be made in writing to the office of the executive director of the system on a form prescribed by the board not earlier than the date of the marriage. Any such election shall be effective the first of the month following the date the election is received by the system.

(5) In the event the election of an optional benefit is made after the member has attained the age of sixty-five (65) years, the actuarial equivalent factor shall be used to compute the reduced retirement allowance as if the election had been made on his sixty-fifth birthday; however, from and after January 1, 2003, if there is an election of Option 6 after the member has attained the age of sixty-five (65) years, the actuarial equivalent factor based on the retiree's age at the time of retirement shall be used to compute the reduced maximum monthly retirement allowance. However, if a retiree marries or remarries after retirement and elects either Option 2 or Option 4-A as provided in subsection (2) or (4) of this section, the actuarial equivalent factor used to compute the reduced retirement allowance shall be the factor for the age of the retiree and his or her beneficiary at the time such election for recalculation of benefits is made.

(6) Notwithstanding any provision of Section 25-11-1 et seq., no payments may be made for a retirement allowance on a monthly basis for a period of time in excess of that allowed by federal law.

(7) If a retirant and his eligible beneficiary, if any, both die before they have received in annuity payments a total amount equal to the accumulated contributions standing to the retirant's credit in the annuity savings account at the time of his retirement, the difference between the accumulated contributions and the total amount of annuities received by them shall be paid to such persons as the retirant has nominated by written designation duly executed and filed in the office of the executive director. If no designated person survives the retirant and his beneficiary, the difference, if any, shall be paid pursuant to Section 25-11-117.1(1).

(8) Any retired member who retired on Option 2(5) or 4-A(5) prior to July 1, 1992, who is still receiving a retirement allowance on July 1, 1994, shall receive an increase in the annual retirement allowance effective July 1, 1994, equal to the amount they would have received under Option 2 or Option 4-A without a reduction for Option 5 based on the ages at retirement of the retiree and beneficiary and option factors in effect on July 1, 1992. Such increase shall be prospective only.

(9) If a member receives a distribution under Section 25-11-117(4) before retirement, the maximum retirement benefit of the member at the time of retirement shall be actuarially reduced to reflect the amount of the distribution received and shall be further reduced for any other optional benefit selected. The amount of the member's annuity shall be computed to result in no actuarial loss to the system. In addition, the amount of a distribution received under Section 25-11-117(4) shall be deducted from the member's annuity savings account in computing what contributions remain at the death of the retiree and/or a beneficiary.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2005.