Florida Senate - 2015                                     SB 838
       
       
        
       By Senator Bradley
       
       
       
       
       
       7-00761-15                                             2015838__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to justices and judges; amending s.
    3         121.021, F.S.; revising the applicability of the term
    4         “termination”; amending s. 121.091, F.S.; providing
    5         that a retired justice or retired judge is not subject
    6         to certain restrictions on employment after retirement
    7         otherwise applicable to retired employees; amending s.
    8         121.591, F.S.; providing that a retired justice or
    9         retired judge who returns to temporary employment as a
   10         senior judge in any court may continue to receive a
   11         distribution of his or her retirement account after
   12         providing proof of termination from his or her
   13         regularly established position; adjusting employer
   14         contribution rates in order to fund changes made by
   15         the act; providing a directive to the Division of Law
   16         Revision and Information; providing findings of an
   17         important state interest; providing an effective date.
   18          
   19  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   20  
   21         Section 1. Subsection (39) of section 121.021, Florida
   22  Statutes, is amended to read:
   23         121.021 Definitions.—The following words and phrases as
   24  used in this chapter have the respective meanings set forth
   25  unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:
   26         (39)(a) “Termination” occurs, except as provided in
   27  paragraph (b), when a member ceases all employment relationships
   28  with participating employers, however:
   29         1. For retirements effective before July 1, 2010, if a
   30  member is employed by any such employer within the next calendar
   31  month, termination shall be deemed not to have occurred. A leave
   32  of absence constitutes a continuation of the employment
   33  relationship, except that a leave of absence without pay due to
   34  disability may constitute termination if such member makes
   35  application for and is approved for disability retirement in
   36  accordance with s. 121.091(4). The department or state board may
   37  require other evidence of termination as it deems necessary.
   38         2. For retirements effective on or after July 1, 2010, if a
   39  member is employed by any such employer within the next 6
   40  calendar months, termination shall be deemed not to have
   41  occurred. A leave of absence constitutes a continuation of the
   42  employment relationship, except that a leave of absence without
   43  pay due to disability may constitute termination if such member
   44  makes application for and is approved for disability retirement
   45  in accordance with s. 121.091(4). The department or state board
   46  may require other evidence of termination as it deems necessary.
   47         (b) “Termination” for a member electing to participate in
   48  the Deferred Retirement Option Program occurs when the program
   49  participant ceases all employment relationships with
   50  participating employers in accordance with s. 121.091(13),
   51  however:
   52         1. For termination dates occurring before July 1, 2010, if
   53  the member is employed by any such employer within the next
   54  calendar month, termination will be deemed not to have occurred,
   55  except as provided in s. 121.091(13)(b)4.c. A leave of absence
   56  shall constitute a continuation of the employment relationship.
   57         2. For termination dates occurring on or after July 1,
   58  2010, if the member becomes employed by any such employer within
   59  the next 6 calendar months, termination will be deemed not to
   60  have occurred, except as provided in s. 121.091(13)(b)4.c. A
   61  leave of absence constitutes a continuation of the employment
   62  relationship.
   63         (c) Effective July 1, 2011, “termination” for a member
   64  receiving a refund of employee contributions occurs when a
   65  member ceases all employment relationships with participating
   66  employers for 3 calendar months. A leave of absence constitutes
   67  a continuation of the employment relationship.
   68         (d) Effective July 1, 2015, “termination” for a retired
   69  justice or retired judge occurs when he or she has reached the
   70  later of his or her normal retirement age or the age when vested
   71  and has terminated all employment relationships with employers
   72  under the Florida Retirement System for at least 1 calendar
   73  month before returning to temporary employment as a senior judge
   74  in any court, as assigned by the Chief Justice of the Supreme
   75  Court in accordance with s. 2, Art. V of the State Constitution.
   76         Section 2. Paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of subsection (9)
   77  of section 121.091, Florida Statutes, are amended, and paragraph
   78  (f) is added to that subsection, to read:
   79         121.091 Benefits payable under the system.—Benefits may not
   80  be paid under this section unless the member has terminated
   81  employment as provided in s. 121.021(39)(a) or begun
   82  participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Program as
   83  provided in subsection (13), and a proper application has been
   84  filed in the manner prescribed by the department. The department
   85  may cancel an application for retirement benefits when the
   86  member or beneficiary fails to timely provide the information
   87  and documents required by this chapter and the department’s
   88  rules. The department shall adopt rules establishing procedures
   89  for application for retirement benefits and for the cancellation
   90  of such application when the required information or documents
   91  are not received.
   92         (9) EMPLOYMENT AFTER RETIREMENT; LIMITATION.—
   93         (c) Any person whose retirement is effective on or after
   94  July 1, 2010, or whose participation in the Deferred Retirement
   95  Option Program terminates on or after July 1, 2010, who is
   96  retired under this chapter, except under the disability
   97  retirement provisions of subsection (4) or as provided in s.
   98  121.053, may be reemployed by an employer that participates in a
   99  state-administered retirement system and receive retirement
  100  benefits and compensation from that employer. However, a person
  101  may not be reemployed by an employer participating in the
  102  Florida Retirement System before meeting the definition of
  103  termination in s. 121.021 and may not receive both a salary from
  104  the employer and retirement benefits for 6 calendar months after
  105  meeting the definition of termination, except as provided in
  106  paragraph (f). However, a DROP participant shall continue
  107  employment and receive a salary during the period of
  108  participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Program, as
  109  provided in subsection (13).
  110         1. The reemployed retiree may not renew membership in the
  111  Florida Retirement System.
  112         2. The employer shall pay retirement contributions in an
  113  amount equal to the unfunded actuarial liability portion of the
  114  employer contribution that would be required for active members
  115  of the Florida Retirement System in addition to the
  116  contributions required by s. 121.76.
  117         3. A retiree initially reemployed in violation of this
  118  paragraph and an employer that employs or appoints such person
  119  are jointly and severally liable for reimbursement of any
  120  retirement benefits paid to the retirement trust fund from which
  121  the benefits were paid, including the Florida Retirement System
  122  Trust Fund and the Public Employee Optional Retirement Program
  123  Trust Fund, as appropriate. The employer must have a written
  124  statement from the employee that he or she is not retired from a
  125  state-administered retirement system. Retirement benefits shall
  126  remain suspended until repayment is made. Benefits suspended
  127  beyond the end of the retiree’s 6-month reemployment limitation
  128  period shall apply toward the repayment of benefits received in
  129  violation of this paragraph.
  130         (d) Except as provided in paragraph (f), this subsection
  131  applies to retirees, as defined in s. 121.4501(2), of the
  132  Florida Retirement System Investment Plan, subject to the
  133  following conditions:
  134         1. A retiree may not be reemployed with an employer
  135  participating in the Florida Retirement System until such person
  136  has been retired for 6 calendar months.
  137         2. A retiree employed in violation of this subsection and
  138  an employer that employs or appoints such person are jointly and
  139  severally liable for reimbursement of any benefits paid to the
  140  retirement trust fund from which the benefits were paid. The
  141  employer must have a written statement from the retiree that he
  142  or she is not retired from a state-administered retirement
  143  system.
  144         (e) The limitations of this subsection apply to
  145  reemployment in any capacity irrespective of the category of
  146  funds from which the person is compensated, except as provided
  147  in paragraph (f).
  148         (f) Effective July 1, 2015, a retired justice or retired
  149  judge who has reached the later of his or her normal retirement
  150  age or the age when vested, who has terminated all employment
  151  with employers participating under the Florida Retirement System
  152  for at least 1 calendar month, and who subsequently returns to
  153  temporary employment as a senior judge in any court, as assigned
  154  by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in accordance with s.
  155  2, Art. V of the State Constitution is not subject to paragraph
  156  (c), paragraph (d), or paragraph (e) while reemployed as a
  157  senior judge.
  158         Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
  159  121.591, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  160         121.591 Payment of benefits.—Benefits may not be paid under
  161  the Florida Retirement System Investment Plan unless the member
  162  has terminated employment as provided in s. 121.021(39)(a) or is
  163  deceased and a proper application has been filed as prescribed
  164  by the state board or the department. Benefits, including
  165  employee contributions, are not payable under the investment
  166  plan for employee hardships, unforeseeable emergencies, loans,
  167  medical expenses, educational expenses, purchase of a principal
  168  residence, payments necessary to prevent eviction or foreclosure
  169  on an employee’s principal residence, or any other reason except
  170  a requested distribution for retirement, a mandatory de minimis
  171  distribution authorized by the administrator, or a required
  172  minimum distribution provided pursuant to the Internal Revenue
  173  Code. The state board or department, as appropriate, may cancel
  174  an application for retirement benefits if the member or
  175  beneficiary fails to timely provide the information and
  176  documents required by this chapter and the rules of the state
  177  board and department. In accordance with their respective
  178  responsibilities, the state board and the department shall adopt
  179  rules establishing procedures for application for retirement
  180  benefits and for the cancellation of such application if the
  181  required information or documents are not received. The state
  182  board and the department, as appropriate, are authorized to cash
  183  out a de minimis account of a member who has been terminated
  184  from Florida Retirement System covered employment for a minimum
  185  of 6 calendar months. A de minimis account is an account
  186  containing employer and employee contributions and accumulated
  187  earnings of not more than $5,000 made under the provisions of
  188  this chapter. Such cash-out must be a complete lump-sum
  189  liquidation of the account balance, subject to the provisions of
  190  the Internal Revenue Code, or a lump-sum direct rollover
  191  distribution paid directly to the custodian of an eligible
  192  retirement plan, as defined by the Internal Revenue Code, on
  193  behalf of the member. Any nonvested accumulations and associated
  194  service credit, including amounts transferred to the suspense
  195  account of the Florida Retirement System Investment Plan Trust
  196  Fund authorized under s. 121.4501(6), shall be forfeited upon
  197  payment of any vested benefit to a member or beneficiary, except
  198  for de minimis distributions or minimum required distributions
  199  as provided under this section. If any financial instrument
  200  issued for the payment of retirement benefits under this section
  201  is not presented for payment within 180 days after the last day
  202  of the month in which it was originally issued, the third-party
  203  administrator or other duly authorized agent of the state board
  204  shall cancel the instrument and credit the amount of the
  205  instrument to the suspense account of the Florida Retirement
  206  System Investment Plan Trust Fund authorized under s.
  207  121.4501(6). Any amounts transferred to the suspense account are
  208  payable upon a proper application, not to include earnings
  209  thereon, as provided in this section, within 10 years after the
  210  last day of the month in which the instrument was originally
  211  issued, after which time such amounts and any earnings
  212  attributable to employer contributions shall be forfeited. Any
  213  forfeited amounts are assets of the trust fund and are not
  214  subject to chapter 717.
  215         (1) NORMAL BENEFITS.—Under the investment plan:
  216         (a) Benefits in the form of vested accumulations as
  217  described in s. 121.4501(6) are payable under this subsection in
  218  accordance with the following terms and conditions:
  219         1. Benefits are payable only to a member, an alternate
  220  payee of a qualified domestic relations order, or a beneficiary.
  221         2. Benefits shall be paid by the third-party administrator
  222  or designated approved providers in accordance with the law, the
  223  contracts, and any applicable board rule or policy.
  224         3. The member must be terminated from all employment with
  225  all Florida Retirement System employers, as provided in s.
  226  121.021(39).
  227         4. Benefit payments may not be made until the member has
  228  been terminated for 3 calendar months, except that the state
  229  board may authorize by rule for the distribution of up to 10
  230  percent of the member’s account after being terminated for 1
  231  calendar month if the member has reached the normal retirement
  232  date as defined in s. 121.021. Effective July 1, 2015, a retired
  233  justice or retired judge who returns to temporary employment as
  234  a senior judge in any court pursuant to s. 2, Art. V of the
  235  State Constitution and meets the criteria in the definition of
  236  the term “termination in s. 121.021(39)(d) may continue to
  237  receive a distribution of his or her account as provided under
  238  this paragraph after providing proof of assignment as a senior
  239  judge.
  240         5. If a member or former member of the Florida Retirement
  241  System receives an invalid distribution, such person must either
  242  repay the full amount within 90 days after receipt of final
  243  notification by the state board or the third-party administrator
  244  that the distribution was invalid, or, in lieu of repayment, the
  245  member must terminate employment from all participating
  246  employers. If such person fails to repay the full invalid
  247  distribution within 90 days after receipt of final notification,
  248  the person may be deemed retired from the investment plan by the
  249  state board and is subject to s. 121.122. If such person is
  250  deemed retired, any joint and several liability set out in s.
  251  121.091(9)(d)2. is void, and the state board, the department, or
  252  the employing agency is not liable for gains on payroll
  253  contributions that have not been deposited to the person’s
  254  account in the investment plan, pending resolution of the
  255  invalid distribution. The member or former member who has been
  256  deemed retired or who has been determined by the state board to
  257  have taken an invalid distribution may appeal the agency
  258  decision through the complaint process as provided under s.
  259  121.4501(9)(g)3. As used in this subparagraph, the term “invalid
  260  distribution” means any distribution from an account in the
  261  investment plan which is taken in violation of this section, s.
  262  121.091(9), or s. 121.4501.
  263         Section 4. (1) In order to fund the benefit changes
  264  provided in this act, the required employer contribution rates
  265  for members of the Florida Retirement System established in s.
  266  121.71(4), Florida Statutes, must be adjusted as follows:
  267         (a) The Elected Officers’ Class for Justices and Judges
  268  must be increased by 0.45 percentage point; and
  269         (b) The Deferred Retirement Option Program must be
  270  increased by 0.01 percentage point.
  271         (2) In order to fund the benefit changes provided in this
  272  act, the required employer contribution rate for the unfunded
  273  actuarial liability of the Florida Retirement System established
  274  in s. 121.71(5), Florida Statutes, for the Elected Officers’
  275  Class for Justices and Judges is increased by 0.91 percentage
  276  point.
  277         (3) The adjustments provided in subsections (1) and (2)
  278  shall be in addition to all other changes to such contribution
  279  rates which may be enacted into law to take effect on July 1,
  280  2015, and July 1, 2016. The Division of Law Revision and
  281  Information is directed to adjust accordingly the contribution
  282  rates provided in s. 121.71, Florida Statutes.
  283         Section 5. (1) The Legislature finds that a proper and
  284  legitimate state purpose is served if employees and retirees of
  285  the state and its political subdivisions, and the dependents,
  286  survivors, and beneficiaries of such employees and retirees, are
  287  extended the basic protections afforded by governmental
  288  retirement systems which provide fair and adequate benefits and
  289  which are managed, administered, and funded in an actuarially
  290  sound manner as required by s. 14, Article X of the State
  291  Constitution and part VII of chapter 112, Florida Statutes.
  292  Therefore, the Legislature determines and declares that this act
  293  fulfills an important state interest.
  294         (2) The Legislature further finds that the assignments of
  295  former justices and judges to temporary employment as senior
  296  judges in any court by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in
  297  accordance with s. 2, Article V of the State Constitution assist
  298  the state courts system in managing caseloads and providing
  299  individuals and businesses with access to courts. In particular,
  300  these assignments are critically important in assisting with the
  301  disposition of the current backlog in foreclosure cases in this
  302  state. Therefore, the Legislature further determines and
  303  declares that this act fulfills an important state interest by
  304  facilitating the ability of justices and judges who retire under
  305  the Florida Retirement System to return to temporary employment
  306  as senior judges in a timely manner.
  307         Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.