State park officers-benefits.

ORIGINAL
Senate
File No
.
SF0058

ENROLLED ACT NO. 55,

SENATE

SIXTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2015 General Session

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming retirement system; providing for limited participation in the law enforcement retirement 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)

Any 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 if the peace officer
’s

disabilities or death
are
duty
connected
. Contributions for the benefits shall be paid as follows:

(i)

The department of state parks and cultural resources shall pay into the account
from
general or
nongeneral fund sources
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
‑
413 for delinquent contributions;

(iii)

Contributions under this subsection 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 Internal 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, 2015. 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
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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 retirement account established by W.S. 9
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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
immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided in Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

1