HB384 Alabama 2019 Session

Relating to Jefferson County; relating to the General Retirement System for Employees of Jefferson County; to amend Sections 45-37-123.01, 45-37-123.21, 45-37-123.22, 45-37-123.24, 45-37-123.53, 45-37-123.54, 45-37-123.82, 45-37-123.101, 45-37-123.103, 45-37-123.104, 45-37-123.151, and 45-37-123.195 of the Code of Alabama 1975, to add definitions for the terms "benefit enhancement," "executive director" and "spouse"; to remove definitions of the terms "another pension system," "county treasurer" and "pension coordinator"; to revise definitions of the terms "active member," "compensation," "county," "eligible employee," "sick leave retirement conversion" and "unpaid membership time"; to add a qualification that member number three of the pension board have a minimum of 10 years' experience as a certified public accountant; to require that member number five of the pension board be a member of the system; to provide that elections of members number four and five of the pension board may be conducted by paper or electronic ballot; to require that the county manager inform those persons on the county payroll of elections for members numbers four and five; to authorize the pension board to appoint members of the election board only in the event that the members of the system fail to do so or in the event a member so appointed cannot or will not serve on the election board; to provide a mechanism for the removal of a member of the pension board; to make the executive director of the system the secretary of the system; to authorize the pension board to award cost-of-living benefit increases in any form, lump sum or otherwise; to authorize the pension board to determine the validity of and take appropriate action with respect to any divorce decree or other judicial order presented to the pension board; to authorize notification of the annual meeting to be provided to members of the system by electronic mail; to authorize the pension board to purchase insurance coverage in forms and amounts determined by the pension board; to authorize the pension board to provide health, dental, vision, and other forms of insurance, paid leave, and other employment benefits to its employees; to authorize the pension board to provide life, disability, and other forms of voluntary insurance to members of the system provided the cost thereof is paid by such member; to remove the designation of a legal advisor for the system; to authorize the pension board to permit members of the system to convert unpaid membership time to paid membership time; to require pension board approval of any commission authorized conversion of unpaid membership time to paid membership time; to require the county to pay for an actuarial evaluation of the system before any conversion of unpaid membership time to paid membership time; to clarify that neither the county, the system, or the pension board is required to fund a conversion of unpaid membership time to paid membership time; to clarify how a member continues to participate in the system upon being rehired by the county; to authorize the pension board to provide employee contributions to be made on either a pre or after tax basis in the discretion of the pension board; to provide that a member may not withdraw his or her contributions to the system by joining another pension plan; to clarify that a member may cease contributions to the system upon attaining 30 years of paid membership time; to clarify that, upon termination of employment, a member may not rescind an election for a postretirement joint survivorship pension; to authorize the pension board, in certain circumstances to interplead into a court of competent jurisdiction a deceased member's death benefit; to further provide that a member may not withdraw his or her contributions by joining another pension plan; to clarify that a member who has attained 30 years of paid membership time may cease making contributions to the system and to provide that, in certain circumstances, a refund of employee contributions to the beneficiary of a deceased member shall be paid with interest; to authorize the pension board to increase or enhance member benefits by lump sum payment or in such other form or manner as the pension board may prescribe; to alter the procedure to increase or enhance a member's benefit; and to authorize the pension board to require execution of an indemnification agreement when making certain payments to a member, a member's legal representative, beneficiary, guardian, or committee appointed for such member.