SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 4

(By Senators Wehrle, Manchin, Dittmar, Felton, Lucht,

Walker and Withers)



Amending Joint Rules of the Senate and House of Delegates.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Rules of the Senate and House of Delegates be amended by adding thereto a new rule, designated Joint Rule No. 29, to read as follows:
29. Joint Committee on Pensions and Retirement.
(a) A joint standing committee of the Senate and House, named the joint committee on pensions and retirement, shall continually study and investigate public retirement systems. All pension and retirement related legislation introduced in the Legislature shall be referred to the committee in addition to any other reference the presiding officer may designate. Upon reference of any pension or retirement related legislation, the committee shall forward such legislation to the actuary of the consolidated public retirement board or other actuary or actuarial firm who shall return an actuarial letter or note to the committee prior to the committee's consideration of such legislation.
(b) The committee shall consist of seven members of the Senate to be appointed by the president of the Senate and seven members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the speakerof the House. If possible, no more than five of the seven members appointed by the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House, respectively, may be members of the same political party.
(c) The committee shall make a continuing study and investigation of retirement benefit plans applicable to nonfederal government employees in this state. The powers and duties of the committee include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Studying retirement benefit plans applicable to nonfederal government employees in the state of West Virginia, including, without limitation, federal plans available to such employees;
(2) Making recommendations within the scope of the study with particular attention to financing of the various pension funds and financing of accrued liabilities;
(3) Considering all aspects of pension planning and operation, and making recommendations designed to establish and maintain sound pension policy as to all funds;
(4) Filing a report to each regular session of the Legislature concerning activities conducted between sessions;
(5) Analyzing each item of proposed pension and retirement legislation, including amendments thereto, with particular reference to analysis as to cost, actuarial soundness, and adherence to sound pension policy, and reporting of its findings in regard thereto to the Legislature; and
(6) Maintaining reference materials concerning pension and retirement matters, including, without limitation, information as to laws and systems in other states.
(d) The committee shall hold meetings at such times and places as it may designate. The president of the Senate shall appoint a cochair of the committee from the Senate members and the speaker of the House of Delegates shall appoint a cochair of the committee from the House of Delegates members. When the Legislature is not in session, the committee shall meet and conduct its business as a joint committee.
When the Legislature is in session, in addition to joint meetings, the members of either house may meet separately from members of the other house to conduct committee business concerning pension and retirement related legislation introduced or originated in that house. When the members meet separately, they may function as other committees of that house. As far as practicable, relevant information, including actuarial letters or notes, gathered by members meeting separately from the other house shall be sent to the cochair of the other house if it is considering the same or similar legislation.