Forty-ninth Legislature
Second Regular Session

 

COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, RETIREMENT AND ENTITLEMENT REFORM

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AMENDMENTS TO H.B. 2389

(Reference to printed bill)

 

1   Page 15, between lines 21 and 22, insert:

2                 "Sec. 5.   Section 38-783, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

3                 38-783. Retired members; dependents; health insurance premium

4                             payment; separate account; definitions

5                 A. Subject to subsections G, H and I F, G AND H of this section, the

6           board shall pay from ASRS assets part of the single coverage premium of any

7           health and accident insurance for each retired, contingent annuitant or

8           disabled member of ASRS if the member elects to participate in the coverage

9           provided by ASRS or section 38-651.01 or elects to participate in a health

10          and accident insurance program provided or administered by an employer or

11          paid for, in whole or in part, by an employer to an insurer. A contingent

12          annuitant must be receiving a monthly retirement benefit from ASRS in order

13          to obtain any premium payment provided by this section. The board shall pay:

14                1. Up to one hundred fifty dollars per month for a member of ASRS who

15          is not eligible for medicare if the retired or disabled member has ten or

16          more years of credited service.

17                2. Up to one hundred dollars per month for each member of ASRS who is

18          eligible for medicare if the retired or disabled member has ten or more years

19          of credited service.

20                B. Subject to subsections G, H and I F, G AND H of this section, the

21          board shall pay from ASRS assets part of the family coverage premium of any

22          health and accident insurance for a retired, contingent annuitant or disabled

23          member of ASRS who elects family coverage and who otherwise qualifies for

24          payment pursuant to subsection A of this section. If a member of ASRS and

25          the member's spouse are both either retired or disabled under ASRS and apply

26          for family coverage, the member who elects family coverage is entitled to

27          receive the payments under this section as if they were both applying under a

28          single coverage premium unless the payment under this section for family

29          coverage is greater. Payment under this subsection is in the following

30          amounts:

31                1.   Up to two hundred sixty dollars per month if the member of ASRS and

32          one or more dependents are not eligible for medicare.

33                2. Up to one hundred seventy dollars per month if the member of ASRS

34          and one or more dependents are eligible for medicare.

35                3. Up to two hundred fifteen dollars per month if either:


House Amendments to H.B. 2389

1                 (a) The member of ASRS is not eligible for medicare and one or more

2           dependents are eligible for medicare.

3                 (b) The member of ASRS is eligible for medicare and one or more

4           dependents are not eligible for medicare.

5                 C. In addition each retired, contingent annuitant or disabled member

6           of ASRS with less than ten years of credited service and a dependent of such

7           a retired, contingent annuitant or disabled member who elects to participate

8           in the coverage provided by ASRS or section 38-651.01 or who elects to

9           participate in a health and accident insurance program provided or

10          administered by an employer or paid for, in whole or in part, by an employer

11          to an insurer is entitled to receive a proportion of the full benefit

12          prescribed by subsection A or B of this section according to the following

13          schedule:

14                1. 9.0 to 9.9 years of credited service, ninety per cent.

15                2. 8.0 to 8.9 years of credited service, eighty per cent.

16                3. 7.0 to 7.9 years of credited service, seventy per cent.

17                4. 6.0 to 6.9 years of credited service, sixty per cent.

18                5. 5.0 to 5.9 years of credited service, fifty per cent.

19                6. Those with less than five years of credited service do not qualify

20          for the benefit.

21                D. The board shall not pay more than the amount prescribed in this

22          section for a member of ASRS.

23                E. A retired, contingent annuitant or disabled member of ASRS may

24          elect to purchase individual health care coverage and receive a payment

25          pursuant to this section through the retired or disabled member’s employer if

26          that employer assumes the administrative functions associated with the

27          payment, including verification that the payment is used to pay for health

28          insurance coverage if the payment is made to the retired or disabled member.       

29                F. E. The board shall establish a separate account that consists of

30           the benefits provided by this section. The board shall not use or divert any

31          part of the corpus or income of the account for any purpose other than the

32          provision of benefits under this section unless the liabilities of ASRS to

33          provide the benefits are satisfied. If the liabilities of ASRS to provide

34          the benefits described in this section are satisfied, the board shall return

35          any amount remaining in the account to the employer.

36                G. F. Payment of the benefits provided by this section is subject to

37          the following conditions:

38                1. The payment of the benefits is subordinate to the payment of

39          retirement benefits payable by ASRS.

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House Amendments to H.B. 2389

1                 2. The total of contributions for the benefits and actual

2           contributions for life insurance protection, if any, shall not exceed

3           twenty-five per cent of the total actual employer and employee contributions

4           to ASRS, less contributions to fund past service credits, after the day the

5           account is established.

6                 3. The board shall deposit the benefits provided by this section in

7           the account.

8                 4. The contributions by the employer to the account shall be

9           reasonable and ascertainable.

10                H. G. A member who elects to receive a retirement benefit pursuant to

11          section 38-760, subsection B, paragraph 1 may elect at the time of retirement

12          an optional form of health and accident insurance premium benefit payment

13          pursuant to this subsection as follows:

14                1.   The optional premium benefit payment shall be an amount prescribed

15          by subsection A, B or C of this section that is actuarially reduced to the

16          retiring member for life. The amount of the optional premium benefit payment

17          shall be the actuarial equivalent of the premium benefit payment to which the

18          retired member would otherwise be entitled. The election in a manner

19          prescribed by the board shall name the contingent annuitant and may be

20          revoked at any time before the retiring member's effective date of

21          retirement. At any time after benefits have commenced, the member may name a

22          different contingent annuitant or rescind the election by written notice to

23          the board as follows:

24                (a) If the retired member names a different contingent annuitant, the

25          optional premium benefit payment shall be adjusted to the actuarial

26          equivalent of the original premium benefit payment based on the age of the

27          new contingent annuitant. The adjustment shall include all Postretirement

28          increases or decreases in amounts prescribed by subsection A, B or C of this

29          section that are authorized by law after the retired member's date of

30          retirement. Payment of this adjusted premium benefit payment shall continue

31          under the provisions of the optional premium benefit payment previously

32          elected by the retired member. A retired member cannot name a different

33          contingent annuitant if the retired member has at any time rescinded the

34          optional form of health and accident insurance premium benefit payment.

35                (b) If the retired member rescinds the election, the retired member

36          shall thereafter receive the premium benefit payment that the retired member

37          would otherwise be entitled to receive if the retired member had not elected

38          the optional premium benefit payment, including all postretirement increases

39          or decreases in amounts prescribed by subsection A, B or C of this section

40          that are authorized by law after the member's date of retirement. The

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House Amendments to H.B. 2389

1           increased benefit payment shall continue during the remainder of the retired

2           member's lifetime. The decision to rescind shall be irrevocable.

3                 2. If at the time of the retired member's death:

4           (a)   The retired member was receiving a reduced premium benefit payment

5           based on an amount prescribed in subsection B or C of this section and the

6           contingent annuitant is eligible for family health and accident insurance w

7           coverage, the contingent annuitant is entitled to receive a premium benefit

8           payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection B or C of this section

9           times the reduction factor applied to the retired member's premium benefit

10          payment times the joint and survivor option reduction factor elected by the

11          retired member at the time of retirement pursuant to section 38-760,

12          subsection B, paragraph 1.

13                (b)   The retired member was receiving a reduced premium benefit payment

14          based on an amount prescribed in subsection A or C of this section and the

15          contingent annuitant is eligible for single health and accident insurance

16          coverage, the contingent annuitant is entitled to receive a premium benefit

17          payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection A or C of this section

18          times the reduction factor applied to the retired member's premium benefit

19          payment times the joint and survivor option reduction factor elected by the

20          retired member at the time of retirement pursuant to section 38-760,

21          subsection B, paragraph 1.

22                (c)   The retired member was receiving a reduced premium benefit payment

23          based on an amount prescribed in subsection B or C of this section and the

24          contingent annuitant is not eligible for family health and accident insurance

25          coverage, the contingent annuitant is entitled to receive a premium benefit

26          payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection A or C of this section

27          times the reduction factor applied to the retired member's premium benefit

28          payment times the joint and survivor option reduction factor elected by the

29          retired member at the time of retirement pursuant to section 38-760,

30          subsection B, paragraph 1.

31                I. H. A member who elects to receive a retirement benefit pursuant to

32          section 38-760, subsection B, paragraph 2 may elect at the time of retirement

33          an optional form of health and accident insurance premium benefit payment

34          pursuant to this subsection as follows:

35                1. The optional premium benefit payment shall be an amount prescribed

36          by subsection A, B or C of this section that is actuarially reduced with

37          payments for five, ten or fifteen years that are not dependent on the

38          continued lifetime of the retired member but whose payments continue for the

39          retired member's lifetime beyond the five, ten or fifteen year period. The

40          election in a manner prescribed by the board shall name the contingent

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House Amendments to H.B. 2389

1           annuitant and may be revoked at any time before the retiring member's

2           effective date of retirement. At any time after benefits have commenced, the

3           member may name a different contingent annuitant or rescind the election by

4           written notice to the board. If the retired member rescinds the election,

5           the retired member shall thereafter receive the premium benefit payment that

6           the retired member would otherwise be entitled to receive if the retired

7           member had not elected the optional premium benefit payment, including all

8           postretirement increases or decreases in amounts prescribed by subsection A,

9           B or C of this section that are authorized by law after the member's date of

10          retirement. The increased benefit payment shall continue during the

11          remainder of the retired member's lifetime. The decision to rescind shall be

12          irrevocable.

13                2. If, at the time of the retired member's death:

14                (a)   The retired member was receiving a reduced premium benefit payment

15          based on an amount prescribed in subsection B or C of this section and the

16          contingent annuitant is eligible for family health and accident insurance

17          coverage, the contingent annuitant is entitled to receive a premium benefit

18          payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection B or C of this section

19          times the period certain and life option reduction factor elected by the

20          retired member at the time of retirement pursuant to section 38-760,

21          subsection B, paragraph 2.

22                (b)   The retired member was receiving a reduced premium benefit payment

23          based on an amount prescribed in subsection A or C of this section and the

24          contingent annuitant is eligible for single health and accident insurance

25          coverage, the contingent annuitant is entitled to receive a premium benefit

26          payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection A or C of this section

27          times the period certain and life option reduction factor elected by the

28          retired member at the time of retirement pursuant to section 38-760,

29          subsection B, paragraph 2.

30                (c)   The retired member was receiving a reduced premium benefit payment

31          based on an amount prescribed in subsection B or C of this section and the

32          contingent annuitant is not eligible for family health and accident insurance

33          coverage, the contingent annuitant is entitled to receive a premium benefit

34          payment based on an amount prescribed in subsection A or C of this section

35          times the period certain and life option reduction factor elected by the

36          retired member at the time of retirement pursuant to section 38-760,

37          subsection B, paragraph 2.

38                J.  I.   If, at the time of retirement, a retiring member does not elect

39          to receive a reduced premium benefit payment pursuant to subsection H G or

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House Amendments to H.B. 2389

1                 I H of this section, the retired member's contingent annuitant is not

2           eligible at any time for the optional premium benefit payment.

3                 K. J. A contingent annuitant is not eligible for any premium benefit

4           payment if the contingent annuitant was not enrolled in an eligible health

5           and accident insurance plan at the time of the retired member's death or if

6           the contingent annuitant is not the dependent beneficiary or insured

7           surviving dependent as provided in section 38-782.

8                 L. K. For the purposes of this section:

9                 1. "Account" means the separate account established pursuant to

10          subsection F  E of this section.

11                2. "Credited service" includes prior service.

12                3. "Prior service" means service for this state or a political

13          subdivision of this state before membership in the defined contribution

14          program administered by ASRS."

15   Renumber to conform

16   Page 16, after line 9, insert:

17                "Sec. 8. Insurance subsidy payments received through retired employer

18                A retired, contingent annuitant or disabled member of the Arizona state

19          retirement system who is receiving the payments allowed by section 38-783,

20          Arizona Revised Statutes, through the retired or disabled member's employer

21          on the effective date of this act may continue to receive such a payment as

22          long as the retired member's employer assumes the administrative functions

23          associated with the payment."

24   Amend title to conform

and, as so amended, it do pass

 

                                                      TOM BOONE
                                                      Chairman

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