Bill Text - HB468 (2019)

(New Title) relative to the inclusion of attendance stipends and certain additional pay for instructional activities as earnable compensation in the retirement system.


Revision: Jan. 10, 2019, 3:21 p.m.

HB 468-FN-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2019 SESSION

19-0733

10/04

 

HOUSE BILL 468-FN-LOCAL

 

AN ACT relative to the inclusion of attendance stipends as earnable compensation in the retirement system.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. P. Schmidt, Straf. 19

 

COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill includes attendance stipends paid to teachers and school employees in earnable compensation for the New Hampshire retirement system.

 

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

19-0733

10/04

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen

 

AN ACT relative to the inclusion of attendance stipends as earnable compensation in the retirement system.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  Retirement System; Earnable Compensation; Attendance Stipend.  Amend RSA 100-A:1, XVII(a) and (b)(1) to read as follows:

(a)  For members who have attained vested status prior to January 1, 2012 the full base rate of compensation paid, as determined by the employer, plus any overtime pay, holiday and vacation pay, sick pay, longevity or severance pay, cost of living bonus, additional pay for extracurricular and instructional activities [for] and attendance stipends paid to full-time teachers and full-time employees who are employed in paraprofessional or support position, and any military differential pay, plus the fair market value of non-cash compensation paid to, or on behalf of, the member for meals or living quarters if subject to federal income tax, but excluding other compensation except cash incentives paid by an employer to encourage members to retire, supplemental pay paid by the employer while the member is receiving workers' compensation, and teacher development pay that is not part of the contracted annual salary.  Compensation for extra and special duty, as reported by the employer, shall be included but limited during the highest 3 years of creditable service as provided in paragraph XVIII.  However, earnable compensation in the final 12 months of creditable service prior to termination of employment shall be limited to 1-1/2 times the higher of the earnable compensation in the 12-month period preceding the final 12 months or the highest compensation year as determined for the purpose of calculating average final compensation, but excluding the final 12 months.  Any compensation received in the final 12 months of employment in excess of such limit shall not be subject to member or employer contributions to the retirement system and shall not be considered in the computation of average final compensation.  Provided that, the annual compensation limit for members of governmental defined benefit pension plans under section 401(a)(17) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, shall apply to earnable compensation for all employees, teachers, permanent firemen, and permanent policemen who first become eligible for membership in the system on or after July 1, 1996.  Earnable compensation shall not include compensation in any form paid later than 120 days after the member's termination of employment from a retirement eligible position, with the limited exceptions of disability related severance pay paid to a member or retiree no later than 120 days after a decision by the board of trustees granting the member or retiree disability retirement benefits pursuant to RSA 100-A:6 and of severance pay which a member was entitled to be paid within 120 days after termination but which, without the consent of the member and not through any fault of the member, was paid more than 120 days after the member's termination.  The member shall have the burden of proving to the board of trustees that any severance payment paid later than 120 days after the member's termination of employment is earnable compensation and meets the requirements of an asserted exception to the 120-day post-termination payment requirement.

(b)(1)  For members who have not attained vested status prior to January 1, 2012, the full base rate of compensation paid, as determined by the employer, plus compensation over base pay.  Compensation over base pay shall include as applicable, subject to subparagraphs (2), (3), and (4), any overtime pay, cost of living bonus, annual longevity pay, additional pay for extracurricular and instructional activities [for] and attendance stipends paid to full-time teachers and full-time employees who are employed in paraprofessional or support position, compensation for extra and special duty, and any military differential pay, plus the fair market value of non-cash compensation paid to, or on behalf of, the member for meals or living quarters if subject to federal income tax, but excluding other compensation except supplemental pay paid by the employer while the member is receiving workers' compensation and teacher development pay that is not part of the contracted annual salary.

2  Application; Attendance Stipends  The inclusion of attendance stipends as earnable compensation in RSA 100-A:1, XVII as amended by section 1 of this act shall apply to a member's prior employment with an employer if member contributions were made for such attendance stipends.

3  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

 

LBAO

19-0733

1/7/19

 

HB 468-FN-LOCAL- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT relative to the inclusion of attendance stipends as earnable compensation in the retirement system.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:      [    ] State              [    ] County               [ X ] Local              [    ] None

 

 

 

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

LOCAL:

FY 2020

FY 2021

FY 2022

FY 2023

   Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

   Expenditures

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill adds attendance stipends paid to full-time teachers and full-time paraprofessionals or educational support personnel as a type of earnable compensation to be included for New Hampshire Retirement System reporting purposes.  The New Hampshire Retirement System is unable determine the scope of impacted employers, members, and dollars impacted by this bill. Therefore, this bill will increase local government employer retirement expenditures by an indeterminable amount.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

New Hampshire Retirement System