HCS/SB 127 - Current law allows uniformed members of the highway patrol to purchase, prior to retirement, up to four years of creditable service for any time such person served as a non-federal full-time public employee in this state prior to becoming a member of the system. This act extends the aforementioned provision to every member of the Missouri Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol Employees' Retirement System (MPERS), which includes each employee of the Highways and Transportation Commission, each uniformed member of the highway patrol, and each civilian or non-uniformed employee of the state highway patrol. Further, the act removes a provision requiring the filing of an affidavit stating that the member is not receiving credits or benefits from any other public plan for the service to be purchased. Section 104.040.6. The act also states that all such creditable service payments must be completed prior to retirement or termination of employment. If a member who purchased creditable service dies prior to retirement, the surviving spouse may, upon written request, receive a refund of the amount contributed for such purchase of such creditable service, provided that the surviving spouse is not entitled to receive survivorship benefits as described in Section 104.110, RSMo. Also, a member who is entitled to a deferred annuity under Section 104.035 shall be ineligible to purchase service under this act. Section 104.040.6.
The act also provides that there shall be two retirees on the board of trustees for the MPERS retirement system, rather than one, in addition to board members provided in current law. One retiree shall be elected by the retired employees of the transportation department and the other shall be elected by the retired employees of the civilian or uniformed highway patrol. The retiree serving on the board on August 28, 2007, shall continue to serve on the board as a representative of the retired employees of the transportation department until June 30, 2010. An election shall be held before January 1, 2008 for the retiree to be elected by the retired employees of the civilian or uniformed highway patrol; such term shall begin January 1, 2008, and expire on June 30, 2010. All terms of elected retired employees shall be for four years after June 30, 2010. Section 104.160.
Provisions in this act are similar to SB 791 (2006) and SB 317 (2005).
ALEXA PEARSON