Legislation
Summary
Updated 4/16/2021
The Legislature completed the twenty-second and twenty-third legislative days of the Regular Session this week.
The House passed SB79, by Sen. Gudger, which would add two local seats to the ERS Board. The House amended the bill to remove language added by the Senate which would allow ex officio board members to send designees to board meetings in their stead. The bill now goes back to the Senate for concurrence in the changes.
The Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee gave favorable reports to two retirement bills:
- First, the Committee amended HB93 (TRS Tier II modifications) to remove the thirty-year retirement provisions and to modify the member rate contribution. As amended, the bill would allow TRS Tier II members to convert sick leave to retirement credit and would increase the member contribution rate from 6% to 6.2%.
- Second, the Committee adopted a substitute to SB172 by Sen. Singleton to provide a one-time bonus to TRS retirees. The Committee substitute would provide a $2 per month of service bonus for ERS State retirees to be paid out in December. Local units that participate in ERS could opt to provide the bonus to their retirees.
Additionally, two new bills were introduced this week that would impact RSA:
- SB394, by Sen. Albritton, would create a trust to fund bonuses for ERS State retirees.
- HB264, by Rep. Wood, would remove a requirement that JRF members transfer any ERS service to JRF within the first year of membership in JRF.
Bill Chart
House Bills | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill/Sponsor | Companion | Summary | Status |
| HB79/Pettus | n/a | Provides State Police retirement benefits to all employees of ALEA who perform law enforcement duties and modifies State Police Tier II benefits to allow 25-year retirement and to provide hazardous duty time. | Read First Time in Second House; Pending Consideration by Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund. |
| HB81/Pettus | n/a | Allows use of hazardous duty time to calculate years of service for in-service death benefits for firefighters, law enforcement officers, and correctional officers. | Read Third Time in Second House; Pending Governor’s Signature. |
| HB93/Baker | SB51/Chesteen | Modifies TRS Tier II by allowing 30-year retirement, allowing sick leave conversion, and increasing the employee contribution to 6.75%. Provides Option 2 benefits to beneficiaries of retirement-eligible members who die in active service. Amended in Senate F&TE to allow sick leave conversion only and to increase the member rate to 6.2%. | Read Second Time in Second House; Pending Third Reading. |
| HB119/Ingram | SB79/Gudger | Adds two board seats to the ERS Board, one for an elected active county employee and one for an elected active or retired local employee, and converts the two elected active local seats to one for active city employees and one for active local board employees. | Read Second Time in House of Origin. |
| HB159/Moore | n/a | Provides for a process to waive the earning limitations for retirees that return to work for a K12 employer in a teaching or support personnel position that the employer has been otherwise unable to fill. | Read First Time in House of Origin; Pending Third Reading; Pending Consideration by House Ways and Means Education. |
| HB193/Alexander | n/a | Proposes a constitutional amendment to allow City of Bessemer elected officials to participate in ERS. | Read Second Time in House of Origin; Pending Third Reading. |
| HB264/Ingram | n/a | Modifies ERS Tier II by allowing 30-year retirement, allowing sick leave conversion, providing hazardous duty time for FLC members, and increasing the regular employee contribution to 6.75% and the FLC employee contribution to 8%. | Read First Time in Second House; Pending Consideration by Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund. |
| HB309/Clouse | n/a | General Fund budget; fully funds ERS. | Read Second Time in House of Origin; Pending Consideration by Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund. |
| HB379/Lovvorn | SB61/Chesteen | Creates a trust to fund bonuses for TRS retirees. | Read First Time in House of Origin; Pending Consideration by House Ways and Means Education. |
| HB380/Warren | n/a | Proposes a constitutional amendment to allow Macon County sheriffs to participate in ERS, retroactive to 2000. | Enacted. Act 2021-158. |
| HB552/Moore | n/a | Provides for a process to waive the return to work earning limitations for retirees that return to work for a K12 employer in a teaching or support personnel position that the employer has been otherwise unable to fill. Similar to prior-filed HB159 with some changes in the approval process and a sunset provision. | Read First Time in House of Origin; Pending Consideration by House Ways and Means Education. |
| HB583/Chestnut | n/a | Proposes a constitutional amendment to allow Dallas County elected officials to participate in ERS. | Read Second Time in House of Origin; Pending Third Reading. |
| HB624/Wood | n/a | Removes requirement that JRF members transfer any ERS service to JRF within first year as a JRF member. | Read First Time in House of Origin; Pending Consideration by House Ways and Means General Fund. |
Senate Bills | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill/Sponsor | Companion | Summary | Status |
| SJR55/Albritton | n/a | Creates the State Employee and Teacher Compensation Joint Interim Study Commission to study the compensation (including retirement and health insurance) of state employees, education personnel, teachers, judges and staff of the Alabama Unified Judicial System, and associated contract employees. | Referred to House Rules. |
| SB51/Chesteen | HB93/Baker | Modifies TRS Tier II by allowing 30-year retirement, allowing sick leave conversion, and increasing the employee contribution to 6.75%. | Read First Time in House of Origin; Pending Consideration by Senate Finance and Taxation Education. |
| SB61/Chesteen | n/a | Creates a trust to fund bonuses for TRS retirees. | Read First Time in Second House; Pending Consideration by House Ways and Means Education. |
| SB79/Gudger | HB119/Ingram | Adds two board seats to the ERS Board, one for an elected active county employee and one for an elected active or retired local employee, and converts the two elected active local seats to one for active city employees and one for active local board employees. Amended to provide that ex officio board members can appoint designees to the board. | Read Third Time in Second House; Pending Concurrence by the Senate. |
| SB172/Singleton | n/a | Provides a $3 per month of service bonus for TRS retirees. Substituted in Senate F&TE to provide a $2 per month of service bonus for TRS retirees. | Read Second Time in House of Origin; Pending Third Reading. |
| SB189/Orr | n/a | Education Trust Fund budget; fully funds TRS and PEEHIP. | Read First Time in Second House; Pending Consideration by House Ways and Means Education. |
| SB229/Marsh | n/a | Provides a $2 per month of service bonus for ERS retirees. | Read Second Time in House of Origin; Pending Third Reading. |
| SB394/Albritton | n/a | Creates a trust to fund bonuses for ERS State retirees. | Read First Time in House of Origin; Pending Consideration by Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund. |
Week 1
2/8/2021
Week 2
2/16/2021
Week 3
2/26/2021
Week 4
3/5/2021
Week 5
3/12/2021
Week 6
3/19/2021
Week 7
4/2/2021
Week 8
4/9/2021
Archives
2020 Regular Session (archive)
2019 Regular Session (archive)
2018 Regular Session (archive)
Presentations
News
Bill would ‘modify’ teachers’ retirement benefits
Contacts
Neah Mitchell Scott,
Legislative Counsel
neah.scott@rsa-al.gov
Twitter: @neahmitchell
Neah Mitchell Scott has served as Legislative Counsel for the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) since September 2013. Prior to joining the RSA, Neah practiced in the areas of civil litigation and healthcare law as an associate with Balch & Bingham LLP. Neah obtained a juris doctorate from the University of Alabama in 2008, and a B.A. in History from Auburn University in 2004.
Also check our Frequently Asked Questions
Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Ask Us!