State parks peace officer-benefits.

WORKING DRAFT
2014
STATE OF
WYOMING
14LSO-0100.E1

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0070

State parks peace officer-benefits.

Sponsored by:
Joint Judiciary Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming retirement system; providing for
limited
participation in the law enforcement plan by peace officers employed by the department of state parks and cultural resources
as specified
;
providing for contributions;
making
an appropriation;
and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 9
‑
3
‑
432 by creating a new subsection (o) is amended to read:

9
‑
3
‑
432.

Law enforcement officers; contributions; benefit eligibility; service and disability benefits; death benefits; benefit options.

(o
)

A
ny peace officer as defined by W.S. 6
‑
1
‑
104(a)(vi)(P) shall be eligible for disability benefits and death benefits under this section to the same extent and under the same condition
s as law enforcement officers.
Contributions for the benefits shall be paid as follows
:

(i)

The

department of state parks and cultural resources
shall pay into the account a contribution equal to
one
percent (
1
%) of the salary paid to
the
officer
.
No additional contribution shall be imposed upon the state for benefits provided
peace
officers under this
subsection
;

(ii)

Contributions
under this subsection shall be made monthly to the account in accordance with W.S. 9
‑
3
‑
413 and are subject to the
provisions of
W.S. 9
‑
3
‑
4
13 for delinquent contributions;

(iii)

Cont
ribution
s
under this
sub
section shall be paid by the employer from the source of funds used to pay
peace
officer salaries in order to be treated as employer contributions for the sole purpose of determining tax treatment under the United States I
nternal Revenue Code, § 414(h).

Section 2.

Peace officers

eligible for coverage under W.S. 9
‑
3
‑
432(o)
on the effective date
of this act
may
elect coverage
under that subsection
no later than
August
1, 2014.

The election shall be irrevocable.
Death and
disability benefits shall
be payable under W.S. 9
‑
3
‑
432
(o) to members who timely
elect coverage under this section irrespective of whether the disability condition arose out of an injury or illness that occurred prior to the date of coverage
. Benefits shall not
be
payable
, however, if the application for benefits was made prior to the effective date of
this act
.
If
no election is made
under this section
,
eligibility
for
death and
disability
benefits shall be
as
otherwise
provided
under W.S. 9
‑
3
‑
422.

Section 3.

There is appropriated
fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000.00)
from the
general
fund to the
Wyoming retirement board
for deposit to the retireme
nt account established by W.S.
9
‑
3
‑
407
.
This appropriation is to fund additional actuarial liability resulting from the increase in member benefits for existing park rangers due to this act.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose.

Section 4.

This act is effective July 1, 20
14
.

(END)

1
HB0070