HB 515 - This act modifies provisions of law relating to the police retirement systems of Kansas City and the City of St. Louis. POLICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS
Currently the medical board which is responsible for determining disability retirement is composed of board of three physicians of different disciplines appointed by the trustees of the police retirement board. This act provides that the medical board shall be a health care organization appointed by the trustees of the police retirement board, and repeals provisions of law which state that opinions and recommendations to the board of trustees regarding disability retirement can be based upon the opinion of a single member or that of an outside specialists, if one is appointed.
Under the act the medical board, rather than a medical director and appointed physicians, is now responsible for the arrangement of all medical examinations and investigations in connection with an application for disability retirement.
The act repeals the existence of the board of police commissioners and grants the various duties of the board of police commissioners to the chief of police or the board of trustees of the police retirement system as specified in the act.
These provisions are identical to provisions contained in HCS/SCS/SB 270 (2015), HCS/SB 283 (2015), and HCS/SCS/SB 300 (2015).
The act also states that an employee of St. Louis City who is earning creditable service in the city's retirement plan and who is subsequently hired as a St. Louis City police officer may elect to stay a member of the city's retirement plan or elect to transfer membership and creditable service to the police retirement system of St. Louis.
This provision is identical to language contained in HB 643 (2015) and similar to HB 1272 (2015).
POLICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF KANSAS CITY
The act provides that a member of the Police Retirement System of Kansas City or the Civilian Employees' Retirement System of the Police Department of Kansas City who after August 28, 2015, returns to employment from a leave of absence for active duty military service and who becomes entitled to reemployment rights shall be entitled to service credit for the time spent in military service only to the extent that such member pays member contributions for the time spent in military service. The total amount of service credit is limited to a maximum of five years, and the retirement board may waive the required contributions for military leave of absence for up to three years of creditable service if the member provides certain documentation.
This act states that a nonspouse beneficiary who receives an eligible rollover distribution from either retirement system may have such distribution directly paid to an individual retirement account, an individual retirement annuity, or a Roth individual retirement account.
These provisions are identical to provisions contained in HCS/SCS/SB 300 (2015), HB 629 (2015), and HB 630 (2015).
JESSI BAKER