ELECTED
OFFICIALS’ RETIREMENT PLAN
2004 PROPOSED LEGISLATION
Updated June 7, 2004
FINAL
***The 46th Legislature, Second Regular Session,
adjourned sine die Wednesday, May 26, 2004 at 9:58 pm.***
|
Bills
enclosed in a border have been passed. |
H
2083 Retirement;
EORP; Joinder Agreements
States that if a governing
body has purchased prior service for one elected official for the time of
service prior to an executed joinder agreement with EORP, then the governing
body must provide benefits to all eligible elected officials if no retirement
benefits were in effect during the time of service being redeemed. States
that time of service prior to August 18, 1987 may not be redeemed by the
governing body. Prohibits
the governing body from paying into the fund all or any part of the amount to
provide benefits for former elected officials for the time of service prior to
the joinder agreement.
Current
Action: 3/3 from House gov-ret with amend #3500; 3/9 from House rules
okay; 3/10 House COW approved with amend #3500; note
short title change; 3/11 passed House 57-0; ready for Senate; 3/17
referred to Senate fin; 3/24 from Senate fin with amend #3992; 3/30 from
Senate rules okay; 3/31 further referred to Senate jud; 4/8 from Senate jud
with amend #4206. STRIKER
AMENDMENT
H
2185 State
Sick Leave Pay, Direct Transfer
Upon
retirement, a state or county officer or employee may elect to have accumulated
sick leave payouts transferred directly to an eligible retirement plan.
Sponsor:
Rep. L. Gray
Current Action: 1/19 referred to House educ, gov-ret;
1/21 from House educ do pass; 1/27 from House gov-ret do pass; 2/4 to House
consent calendar; 2/4 stricken from House consent calendar by L. Gray; 2/5 from
House rules okay; 2/12 retained on House COW calendar; 2/19 retained on House
COW calendar; 2/26 House COW approved with floor amend #3409; 3/3 passed House
57-0; ready for Senate; 3/4 referred to Senate gov; 3/16 Senate gov held; 3/23
Senate gov held; 4/7 from Senate gov with amend #4178; 4/13 from Senate rules
okay. STRIKER AMENDMENT
H 2361 State
Agencies, Outside Council, Procurement
State agencies authorized to retain outside counsel to perform legal services must comply with provisions of the state procurement code and must submit copies of the RFP and name of the proposed outside counsel to JLBC. At conclusion of the proceeding, outside counsel must submit a detailed statement of hours worked, expenses, etc. If the proceeding is a contingent fee case, the state agency is prohibited from paying an hourly rate in excess of $500.
Sponsor: Rep.
Biggs
Current Action: 1/28 referred to House gov-ret, appro; 2/10 House gov-ret held.
H
2375 Judges;
Appellate, Elections
All Appeals
Court Judges must be elected (previously those in Division One were appointed
and then required to stand for retenetion).
Enactment conditional on passage of a constitutional amendment to repeal
the merit selection of judges and to provide for their direct election by the
voters.
Sponsor:
Rep. C. Gray
Current Action: 1/26 referred to House jud; 2/26 from
House jud with amend #3390. STRIKER
AMENDMENT
H 2386 Superior
Court Judges, Election
Provides for the election of all county judges, conditional on the passage of a constitutional amendment. Currently, superior court judges in rural counties are elected; in Maricopa and Pima superior court judges are appointed by the governor from a list of people recommended by a nominating commission.
Sponsor: Rep. C. Gray
Current Action: 1/26 referred to House jud; 2/12 House jud held.
H 2433 Health Care District; Self Insurance
Allows special health care districts and other special districts in Maricopa County whose governing board is the county board of supervisors to establish a self-insurance program.
Sponsor: Rep. Hanson
Current Action: 1/28
referred to House gov-ret, fin-ins; 2/10 from House gov-ret with amend #3137;
3/3 from House fin-ins with amend #3502; 3/9 from House rules okay; 3/10 House
COW approved with amend #3137 and #3502; note
short title change; 3/11 passed House
40-18; ready for Senate; 3/18 referred to Senate gov; 4/7 from Senate
gov do pass; 4/12 to Senate consent calendar; 4/13 from Senate rules okay; 4/15
passed Senate 26-3; ready for governor; 4/23 signed by governor. Chap. 141,
Laws 2004.
H 2447 Administration
Dept Insurance
Authority for the sate Dept of Administration to self-insure for health and accident coverage for state officers and employees is repealed.
Sponsor: Rep.
Pearce
Current Action: 1/29 referred to House gov-ret, appro; 2/10 House gov-ret held.
H 2596 State
Employees; Active Military
Military reservists who are state employees and are called to active service as a result of a declaration of an emergency by the President or governor are automatically given a leave of absence. The state will make up the difference between the person’s state pay and his/her military pay. This bill repeals and replaces a similar provision in Laws 2002, Ch. 321 that is set to expire July 1, 2004. Retroactive to Sept. 1, 2002.
Sponsor: Rep.
A. Aguirre
Current Action: 2/11 referred to House com-mil, appro.
H 2599 Retirement;
ASRS, Retiree Health Insurance
Group health insurance offered by ASRS shall have comparable premiums, deductibles and co-payments for all participants regardless of where they live in the state.
Sponsor: Rep.
Konopnicki
Current Action: 2/11 referred to House gov-ret, appro.
H 2600 Retiree
Health Insurance Study
Legislative Council shall contract with a private entity to perform a study on various alternatives to provide health care coverage to retirees, including the feasibility of a single health insurance program for retirees of all state retirement plans or of allowing retirees to remain in the same health care plan as their previous employers; others. Report due Dec. 1, 2004.
Sponsor: Rep.
Konopnicki
Current Action: 2/11 referred to House gov-ret, appro; 2/17 from House gov-ret do pass; 2/24 House appro held; 3/3 from House appro with amend #3505.
H 2650 Investment
Protection Committee
Establishes an Investment Protection Committee, in conjunction with the State Treasurer, to share information and ideas between the State Compensation Fund (SCF), the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), and the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) to collectively improve the return on investments and to reduce the risks of investments within the participating groups.
Sponsor: Rep.
Rosati
Current
Action: 2/12 referred to House gov-ret, pub inst-county; 2/24 from House
gov-ret do pass; 3/2 from House pub inst-county with amend #3470.
H 2666 Retirement;
Elected Officials & Judges
After Jan. 1, 2005, whether elected or appointed, the following are required to become members of the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS): state and county elected officials, justices and judges of the supreme court, appellate courts and the superior court, full-time superior court commissioners. Provisions for local government joinder agreements with the EORP and for transfer of charter city retirement credits to EORP are repealed.
Sponsor: Rep.
Pearce
Current Action: 2/16 referred to House gov-ret, appro.
HCR 2038 Justices & Judges Retirement Age
The 2004 general election ballot is to carry the question of amending the state constitution to extend the mandatory retirement age for justices and judges from 70 to 75.
Sponsor: Rep.
Downing
Current Action: 2/16 referred to House jud; 2/19 House jud held.
HCR 2039 Judicial
Retention; Two-Thirds Vote
The 2004 general election ballot is to carry the question of amending the state constitution to require that to be retained on the bench, a judge must receive a two-thirds vote (currently a simply majority); further to require that the judge’s political party affiliation appear on the ballot, and finally to provide that if the judge receives a number of votes against retention that is equal to a majority of all the ballots cast in the election, the judge’s seat is vacated at the end of the term (currently the seat is vacated if a majority of those voting on a particular judge’s retention vote no).
Sponsor: Rep.
Biggs
Current Action: 2/11 referred to House jud; 2/12 House jud held; 2/19 House jud held.
HCR 2040
Judicial Appointment Commissions
The 2004 general election ballot is to carry the question of amending the state constitution to replace four of the five governor-appointed attorneys on the judicial appointments commissions with attorneys appointed by the Senate president (2) and House speaker (2), to delete the requirement that the attorneys be chosen from lists of nominees prepared by the state Bar, to forbid justices and judges lobbying on behalf of any nominee, and to keep the chief justice as chairman of the commissions but to make the chief a non-voting member. (NB. There are 3 commissions at the moment – one for the appellate courts and one for the superior court in each county with a population of 250,000 or more; there are 2 such counties today: Maricopa and Pima.)
Sponsor: Rep.
Biggs
Current Action: 2/11 referred to House jud; 2/12 House jud held; 2/19 House jud held.
S 1176 Retirement;
ASRS, Retiree Health Insurance
Premiums, coverage, co-pay costs, and deductible amounts for health insurance offered by ASRS for its retirees must be comparable for all eligible persons in the state.
Sponsor: Sen.
Arzberger
Current Action: 1/27 referred to Senate fin, appro; 2/23 Senate fin held; 3/4 from Senate fin with amend #3526.
S 1192 Retiree
Health Insurance Study
JLBC will contract with a private entity to conduct a study and make recommendations on various suggestions to provide a single health insurance plan for retirees in all four state retirement systems.
Sponsor: Sen.
Arzberger
Current Action: 1/27 referred to Senate fin, appro;
2/24 from Senate fin do pass.
S 1195 Retirement;
EORP Eligibility
Statutes governing EORP are revised to allow a member who is 62 to qualify for benefits with a minimum of 8 years, instead of 10 years, of credited service.
Current Action: 1/27 referred to Senate fin, appro; 2/24 from Senate fin do pass.
S 1290 Retirement;
State, Retiree Health Insurance
Retired members must provide written evidence of health care coverage to the fund manager before the fund begins payment of the health care insurance subsidy.
Sponsor: Sen.
Martin
Current Action: 2/3 referred to Senate fin; 2/24 from Senate fin do pass; 3/1 to Senate consent calendar; 3/2 from Senate rules okay; 3/3 stricken from Senate consent calendar by Sen. Martin; 3/11 retained on Senate COW calendar.
S
1336 County
Elected Officials; Salaries
Salaries for 7 categories of elected county officials (attorney, assessor, recorder, sheriff, superintendent of schools, supervisor and treasurer) are increased, effective beginning of new terms (Jan. 1, 2005).
Current Action: 2/4 referred to Senate gov; 2/11 from Senate gov do pass; 2/16 to Senate consent calendar; 2/17 from Senate rules okay; 2/23 passed Senate 26-3; ready for House; 3/2 referred to House pub inst-county; 3/9 from House pub inst-county do pass; 5/3 from House rules okay; 5/4 House COW approved; 5/5 passed House 44-13; ready for governor; 5/12 signed by governor. Chap. 227, Laws 2004.
S 1343 State Investment; Terrorist Ties
The state treasurer and the retirement system fund manager must report annually to the Legislature on the economic impact of global security risks of investments under their management, including a list of companies in their portfolios known or suspected of doing business in terrorist-sponsoring countries, the total amount invested in each company and an assessment of the level of global security risk based on the “prudent investor rule.”
Sponsor: Sen. Verschoor
Current Action: 2/4
referred to Senate fin; 3/1 Senate fin held; 3/4 from Senate fin with amend
#3530; 3/9 from Senate rules okay; 3/11 Senate COW approved with amend #3530;
3/16 passed Senate 23-7; ready for House; 3/22 referred to House gov-ret,
fin-ins; 3/30 from House gov-ret do pass; 3/30 House fin-ins held; 4/7 from
House fin-ins with amend #4185; 4/15 from House rules okay; 4/15 House COW
approved with amend #4185; passed House 49-6; ready for Senate action on House
amendments; 5/3 Senate concurred in House amendments and passed on final
reading 27-0; ready for governor; 5/10 signed by governor. Chap. 217, Laws
2004.
S 1366 Administration Dept Self-Insurance
If the state Administration Dept self-insures, it must include all mandated health coverage benefits as well as provide for grievance procedures for issues such as: treatment denials, creditable coverage determinations, dissatisfaction with care, and access to care.
Sponsor: Sen. Martin
Current Action: 2/5 referred
to Senate fin; 2/17 from Senate fin do pass; 2/23 to Senate consent calendar;
2/23 stricken from Senate consent calendar by Leff; 2/24 from Senate rules
okay; 2/26 Senate COW approved with floor amendment #3414; 3/1 passed Senate
27-0; ready for House; 3/4 referred to House gov-ret; 3/9 from House gov-ret do
pass; 3/31 to House consent calendar; 3/31 stricken from House consent calendar
by Rep. Carpenter; 4/1 from House rules okay; 4/8 retained on House COW
calendar; 4/26 House COW approved with floor amend #4404; 4/29 passed House
49-2; ready for Senate action on House amendments; Senate refused to concur in
House amendments and named Sen. Martin, Garcia and Leff to a FREE conference
committee; 5/10 House named Rep. Huppenthal, Carpenter and Loredo to FREE
conference committee; 5/26 House adopted conference report #4638. Senate
adopted conference report #4638 and passed on final reading 28-0. Passed House
on final reading 43-13; ready for governor; 6/3 signed by governor. Chap. 335,
Laws 2004.
S 1380 Retirement;
EORP, Peak Salary Years
Modifies the calculation period of “average yearly
salary” to the average of any three consecutive years that yielded the highest
average instead of three consecutive years in the last ten years.
Sponsor: Sen. Martin
Current
Action: 2/5 referred to Senate fin; 2/24 from Senate fin with amend
#3315; 3/2 from Senate rules okay; 3/4 Senate COW approved with amend #3315; note short title change; 3/8 passed
Senate 18-12; ready for House; 3/16 referred to House gov-ret, appro; 3/25
withdrawn from House gov-ret and additionally referred to hel as the primary
committee; 4/5 withdrawn from House appro; 4/8 from House hel with amend #4241. STRIKER AMENDMENT