S.B. 95-12 Fire and police pensions - statewide money purchase plan - application for coverage in lieu of local money purchase plan - requirements - rules. Authorizes employers who have established local money purchase plans to apply for coverage of their fire and police members under the statewide money purchase plan. Requires the employer to initiate an application for coverage by filing a resolution, adopted by the employer's governing body, with the board of directors of the fire and police pension association no less than 6 months prior to the effective date of coverage. Requires approval of the application for coverage by at least 65% of the employer's active members who are participating in the local money purchase plan. Authorizes the board of directors of the fire and police pension association to promulgate rules and regulations relating to member approval, standards for granting an employer's application, and submission of information by an employer to the board. As part of the application process, requires an employer to make certain certifications to the board concerning covered employees and the local money purchase plan.
APPROVED by Governor March 31, 1995
EFFECTIVE March 31, 1995
S.B. 95-228 Fire and police pensions - funding standards - state contribution. Increases the funding standards and annual state contribution for state-assisted policemen's and firemen's pension plans in order to eliminate the unfunded accrued liabilities in such plans by the year 2009.
Requires a lump-sum state contribution in 1995, as certified by the fire and police pension association but not to exceed $25,500,000, to the fire and police members' benefit fund to fund the supplemental unfunded liability of state-assisted policemen's or firemen's pension plans attributable to the reduction of the state's contribution in 1987.
Increases the annual amount of the state contribution to the fire and police members' benefit fund beginning September 30, 1995. Specifies that state contributions cease when the unfunded accrued liabilities of the state-assisted pension plans are eliminated, but no later than December 31, 2009.
As of July 1, 1995, requires employers to make annual contributions to state-assisted pension funds in an amount at least equal to the total 1993 contribution amount less 1993 member contributions and less state contributions received in 1994. Reduces such annual employer contributions if required annual member contributions are made, if annual state contributions based on the 1994 amount are made, and if fewer contributions are needed to pay current service costs and to eliminate all unfunded accrued liabilities of the state-assisted pension plans no later than December 31, 2009. Specifies that such employer contributions shall continue after the year 2009 if necessary to eliminate unfunded accrued liability in such funds and if the state makes the higher contributions through the year 2009. Reverts to the employer funding requirements in effect before July 1, 1995, if state contributions are less than the amount contributed on September 30, 1995. Clarifies that employers must also continue to pay for additional plan benefits that they adopt.
From 1995 through 2009, requires distributions from the fire and police members' benefit fund to employers' plan funds having unfunded accrued liabilities equal to the amount of state contributions such plan funds received in 1994 to assist in retiring such plan funds' unfunded liabilities no later than December 31, 2009, plus additional amounts to those plan funds with employers who contribute a certain percentage more under this act than what was required under the former law. Requires distribution of any remaining state contributions to such plan funds to ensure elimination of unfunded liabilities no later than December 31, 2009. If any annual state contribution is less than the September 30, 1995, contribution, requires proportional distribution of state contributions to such plan funds.
Adjusts the 1995 long bill to increase the amount included for informational purposes for the department of the treasury to allocate to the fire and police pension association for the implementation of the act by $32,100,000.
APPROVED by Governor May 25, 1995
EFFECTIVE July 1, 1995
H.B. 95-1004 Fire and police pensions - timing of allocation of earnings to member accounts. Changes the allocation of earnings to separate retirement accounts of police and fire members under the statewide defined benefit plan from a quarterly to at least a monthly basis.
APPROVED by Governor March 23, 1995
EFFECTIVE March 23, 1995
H.B. 95-1010 Fire and police pensions - volunteer firefighter pensions. Separates volunteer firefighter pension provisions from paid firefighter pension provisions. Clarifies volunteer firefighter pension provisions and repeals obsolete provisions.
Defines "volunteer firefighter" to include a firefighter who has another designation or title so long as the firefighter meets the volunteer firefighter requirements.
Includes provisions that: (1) Authorize optional survivor benefits for active volunteer firefighters; (2) require the governing body or board of a district offering fire protection services to determine whether the optional survivor benefits are available only if the volunteer firefighters die while on duty and the benefit amount, up to a maximum amount; (3) allow volunteer firefighters to designate certain beneficiaries of the optional survivor benefits; (4) prescribe when the optional survivor benefits are discontinued; (5) require the board to insure the volunteer firefighters; (6) prohibit additional state contributions to the fund to pay the insurance premiums or as a result of additional local contributions made to pay such premiums; (7) allow firefighters to buy the insurance policies or the board to surrender the policies if the volunteer firefighters terminate active service; and (8) specify the procedures to terminate the optional survivor benefits.
Prescribes a maximum benefit amount of $450 that is allowed under any volunteer firefighter pension fund, except for the funeral benefit that has an increased limit of twice the amount of the retirement pension. Increases the maximum total pension amount allowed to a volunteer firefighter if the firefighter served in more than one municipality, fire protection district, or county improvement district. Authorizes the board in any municipality or district to increase short-term disability benefits, retirement pension benefits, and survivor benefits up to the specified maximum, allowable amount only if the governing body approves the increase and if the higher amount is actuarially sound. Restricts any such increases in these benefits from increasing the amount of the state contribution.
Adds one person to the membership of the volunteer firefighter pension fund board in municipalities. Clarifies that the board in a fire protection district elects a president and secretary from the board's membership. Eliminates a municipality's and fire protection district's authority to create, by ordinance or resolution, a board to administer the volunteer firefighter's pension fund that is distinct from the board authorized by statute. Allows a governing body of any municipality to continue its existing board that was created by ordinance.
Authorizes the governing body of a municipality or district to contribute all of the moneys in a volunteer firefighter pension fund for fire-related purposes in situations where no person is eligible or can become eligible for all of the moneys in the fund. Increases the number of active and retired volunteer firefighters required to concur with the purchase of insurance.
States that board members of the boards of trustees who administer volunteer firefighter pension funds in any municipality, fire protection district, or county improvement district in this state before the effective date of the act shall continue their terms and duties on the applicable boards of trustees of the volunteer firefighter pension funds under the new provisions. Specifies that moneys from volunteer firemen's pension funds established before the effective date of this act remain in effect and are governed by the new provisions.
APPROVED by Governor June 5, 1995
EFFECTIVE June 5, 1995
H.B. 95-1012 Fire and police pensions - disability benefits - time period for investigation of members. Increases from 3 to 5 years the time period during which the fire and police pension association is authorized to investigate members who have been awarded disability benefits by the association.
APPROVED by Governor March 23, 1995
EFFECTIVE March 23, 1995
H.B. 95-1128 Volunteer firefighters - optional survivor benefits. Authorizes optional survivor benefits for active volunteer firefighters if 65% of the firefighters consent, if the option is actuarially sound and will not impair the ability to pay annuities or pensions, and, if provided by a municipality, the governing board of the municipality consents. Requires the governing body of the municipality or the board of a fire protection district or county improvement district with a volunteer fire department that provides such optional benefits to determine the benefit amount, not to exceed the amount of the retirement pension that would have been available to the firefighter had the firefighter not died, and to determine whether the benefits are available only if the volunteer firefighter dies while on duty. Authorizes a volunteer firefighter to designate certain beneficiaries to receive the optional survivor benefits. Discontinues such survivor benefits: (1) when the beneficiary dies; (2) if the beneficiary is a child, when the child is 18 or upon the child's death; (3) if the beneficiary is a full-time student, when the beneficiary is 23; (4) if the beneficiary is the surviving spouse, when the spouse remarries; or (5) when the insurance proceeds and accrued interest thereon are exhausted.
Requires the board to insure the volunteer firefighter, pay the insurance premiums from the firefighter's pension fund and from additional local contributions made to the fund, and collect the proceeds of the insurance policies to pay the cost of the optional survivor benefits. Prohibits additional state contributions to the fund to pay the insurance premiums or as a result of additional local contributions made to pay such premiums. Allows the volunteer firefighter to buy the insurance policy and the board to surrender the policy if the firefighter terminates active service. Specifies how the optional survivor benefits can be terminated.
APPROVED by Governor April 17, 1995
EFFECTIVE April 17, 1995
H.B. 95-1211 Municipal initiatives, referenda, and referred measures - procedures. Separates the law governing the procedures of municipal initiatives, referenda, and referred measures from the state procedures and places it in a separate article 11 of title 31, with amendments, and renames the law "Municipal Initiatives, Referenda, and Referred Measures". Repeals provisions in article 40 of title 1 that are moved to article 11 of title 31.
Specifies that the time period during which a legislative body must refer a proposed ordinance to the electors will run from the date of final determination of petition sufficiency rather than the date of petition filing.
Eliminates the 15-day extension for petitioners to gather signatures. Requires that protests be handled through an administrative hearing process rather than a district court procedure. Specifies that grounds for such protest may include the deficiency of any portion of a petition or a circulator affidavit.
Requires that each petition contain a summary followed by the full text of the proposed ordinance or initiative that is the subject of a referendum petition. Specifies the format for signature pages of a petition. Requires petition circulators to be registered electors. Eliminates the requirement that circulators wear badges identifying themselves as either paid or volunteer and that paid circulators display their names and the names of their employers. Eliminates the required disclosure by petition proponents of the names, addresses, and voter registration of and amount paid to paid circulators.
Specifies the appropriate methods for signature verification and the procedures and time frames for the clerk's issuance of a statement of petition sufficiency.
Requires a legislative body to fix a ballot title for an initiative or referendum once an election has been ordered. Requires that the district attorney be charged with the enforcement of the provisions of article 11 of title 31.
APPROVED by Governor May 8, 1995
EFFECTIVE May 8, 1995
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