Senate Bill No. 549

(By Senator Craigo)

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[Introduced March 22, 1993; referred to the Committee
on Pensions; and then to the Committee on Finance.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact sections twenty-two-b and twenty-two- d, article ten, chapter five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to supplemental benefits for certain annuitants; and removing the provision requiring the Legislature to appropriate money in order for certain annuitants to receive a supplemental benefit.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That sections twenty-two-b and twenty-two-d, article ten, chapter five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 10. WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT ACT.

§5-10-22b. Supplemental benefits for certain annuitants.

Any annuitant who is receiving a retirement annuity of less than seven thousand five hundred dollars annually on the effective date of this section shall receive, upon application,a supplemental benefit, prospectively, under this section: in any fiscal year for which the Legislature provides by line item appropriation for the payment of such benefit Provided, That the effective date of retirement for such annuitant was prior to the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred seventy-nine, and he had ten years or more of credited service at the time of such retirement. For the purposes of this section, "effective date of retirement" means the last day of actual employment, or the last day carried on the payroll of the employer, whichever is later, together with a meeting fully of all eligibility requirements for retirement prior to the aforesaid effective date. Any annuitant retired pursuant to the disability provisions of this article shall be considered to have had ten years or more credited service at the time of such retirement.
Each such annuitant shall receive as his supplemental benefit an increased annual amount which is the product of the sum of eighteen dollars multiplied by his years of credited service: Provided, That the total annuity of any annuitant affected by the provisions of this section, together with any of the other provisions of this article, shall not exceed seven thousand five hundred dollars annually.
Any annuitant receiving the supplemental benefit provided for herein for the annuity payment period just prior to the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred eighty-five, or any annuitant made newly eligible for receipt of such supplemental benefit on such date, shall receive a nineteen percent increasein the amount of such supplemental benefit prior received or newly calculated, effective on and after the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred eighty-five, and irrespective of the maximum total annuity proviso and limitation of seven thousand five hundred dollars annually. In any fiscal year in which pay increases are granted by the Legislature to active public employees, there may also be given an increase in retirement benefits for retired public employees, if funding is available for this purpose.
For the purpose of calculating the supplemental benefit provided in this section, fractional parts of a service credit year are to be disregarded unless in excess of one half of a credited service year, in which event the same shall constitute a full year of service credit.
On or after the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred eighty-two, for the purpose of computation for determination of eligibility and for the amount of any supplemental benefit hereunder, separate computation shall be made of a retirant's own benefit and that which may be receivable as beneficiary of another, under the provisions of this article, with each such benefit being eligible for the supplemental benefit herein provided.
§5-10-22d. Supplemental benefits for certain annuitants.

Beginning on the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-one, as an additional supplement to other retirement allowances provided, and notwithstanding theprovisions of section twenty-two-b of this article, requiring appropriation by the Legislature for payment of certain supplemental benefits any annuitant who is receiving a retirement annuity on the effective date of this section shall receive a supplemental benefit, prospectively, if the effective date of retirement for such annuitant was prior to the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred eighty-one. Each such annuitant shall receive as his or her supplemental benefit an increased annual amount which is the product of the sum of six dollars multiplied by his or her years of credited service. Nothing in this or any other section of this code shall be construed to require any appropriation of state general revenue funds for the payment of any benefit provided for in this section.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to remove the provision requiring the Legislature to appropriate money in order for certain annuitants to receive a supplemental benefit.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.