Introduced Version
House Bill 4227 History
OTHER VERSIONS -
Enrolled Version - Final Version
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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
H. B. 4227
(By Delegates Jenkins, Hubbard and Michael)
[Introduced February 2, 1998; referred to the
Committee on Pensions and Retirement.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section forty-one, article ten, chapter
five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred
thirty-one, as amended; to amend and reenact sections two,
three and five, article ten-b of said chapter; to further
amend said article by adding thereto a new section, designated
section ten; and to amend article ten-d of said chapter by
adding thereto a new section, designated section six, all
relating to the West Virginia Public Employees Act; providing
that the interest rate calculation be performed on a calender
year basis; incorporating federal tax law limitations on the
maximum compensation that can be taken into account for the
purpose of determining retirement benefits and contributions
to retirement plans; and incorporating federal requirements
that all assets of government deferred pension plans be held
in trust for the benefit of members and their beneficiaries.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section forty-one, article ten, chapter five of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended,
be amended and reenacted; that sections two, three and five,
article ten-b of said chapter be amended and reenacted; that said
article be further amended by adding thereto a new section,
designated section ten; and that article ten-d of said chapter be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section six,
all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 10. WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT ACT.
§5-10-41. Allowance of regular interest on balances in funds.
The board of trustees shall, at the end of each fiscal
calendar year, allow and credit regular interest on the balance at
the beginning of the said fiscal year in each member's individual
account in the members deposit fund, and on the mean balances in
the employers accumulation fund and the retirement reserve fund.
The interest so allowed and credited shall be charged to the income
fund.
ARTICLE 10B. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLANS.
§5-10B-2. Definitions.
Unless the context in which used clearly indicates a different
meaning, as used in this article:
(a) "Board of trustees" means the board of trustees of the
West Virginia public employees retirement system consolidated public retirement board provided for in article ten of this
chapter.
(b) "Deferred compensation plan" means an arrangement a trust
whereby the state of West Virginia, as the public employer, or a
public employer agrees with an employee for the voluntary reduction
in employee compensation for the payment of benefits by the state
employer or the public employer to the employee at a later date
pursuant to this article and the federal laws and regulations
relating to eligible state deferred compensation plans as described
in Internal Revenue Code Section 457 of the Internal Revenue Code.
(c) "Employee" means any person, whether appointed, elected,
or under contract, providing services for the state employer or
public employer, for which compensation is paid.
(d) "Public employer" means counties, municipalities or
political subdivisions of such governmental bodies which meet the
definition of "state" as described in Internal Revenue Code Section
457 (d) (1), but which do not meet the definition of "state
employer" as used in this article.
(e) "State employer" means the state of West Virginia and any
state agency or instrumentality of the state.
§5-10B-3. Contracts for deferred compensation plans -- Approval
of plans -- Approval of companies providing
investments.
The state employer or any public employer may, by contract, agree with any of its employees to defer and hold in trust any
portion of that employee's compensation and may subsequently
purchase or acquire from any company licensed to do business in the
state of West Virginia fixed or variable annuities, insurance,
endowment, or savings account for the purpose of carrying out the
objectives of the deferred compensation plan as described in this
article.
§5-10B-5. Investment of funds.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary,
the board of trustees, as well as the appropriate local officer,
board or committee, designated as responsible for implementing a
deferred compensation plan, is hereby authorized to invest
compensation held pursuant to any such deferred compensation plan
in fixed and variable annuities, mutual funds, insurance, endowment
or savings accounts from any company duly authorized to contract
such business in the state.
§5-10B-10. Deferred compensation plan funds held in trust.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, as
of the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety- eight, all assets and income of all deferred compensation plans
created or administered pursuant to this article shall be held in
trust for the exclusive benefit of participants and their
beneficiaries.
ARTICLE 10D. CONSOLIDATED PUBLIC RETIREMENT BOARD.
§5-10D-6. Compensation limitations; effective dates.
Effective for plan years beginning after the thirty-first day
of December, one thousand nine hundred ninety-five, the annual
compensation of a participant taken into account in determining
benefits or contributions under any of the public retirement plans
administered by the board and which are qualified plans under
section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code may not exceed one
hundred fifty thousand dollars. This provision shall apply
notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary in this code
and not withstanding any provisions of any legislative rule.
NOTE:The purpose of this bill is to incorporate the
limitations on compensation that may be taken into account in
determining retirement benefits or contributions under any
qualified plan, as those limitations are set forth in the Internal
Revenue Code
. The bill also reflects the requirement of the
Internal Revenue Code that all assets of government deferred
compensation plans be held in trust and updates references in that
particular plan to the Consolidated Public Retirement Board.
Finally, the bill changes the interest calculation from fiscal year
to calendar year.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.
Sections 5-10B-10 and 5-10D-6 are new; therefore strike- throughs and underscoring have been omitted.