_____________ bill NO. _____________

INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REVISING PENSION LAWS; CHANGING THE DEFAULT RETIREMENT PLAN TO THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN; AMENDING SECTIONS 19-3-401 AND 19-3-2111, MCA; and PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

Section 1. Section 19-3-401, MCA, is amended to read:

"19-3-401. Membership -- inactive vested members -- inactive nonvested members. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all employees become members of the defined benefit contribution plan on the first day of service. Each employer shall file with the board information affecting the employer's employees' status as members as the board may require. An employee may become a member of the defined contribution benefit plan only as provided in Title 19, chapter 3, part 21.

(2)        (a) An inactive member of the defined benefit plan with at least 5 years of membership service is an inactive vested member and retains the right to purchase service credit and to receive a service retirement benefit subject to the provisions of this chapter.

(b)        If an inactive vested member of the defined benefit plan chooses to take a lump-sum payment rather than a retirement benefit, the lump-sum payment consists of only the member's accumulated contributions and not the employer's contributions.

(3)        (a) An inactive member of the defined benefit plan with less than 5 years of membership service is an inactive nonvested member and is not eligible for any benefits from the retirement plan.

(b)        An inactive nonvested member of the defined benefit plan is eligible only for a refund of the member's accumulated contributions.

(4)        Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a member of either the defined benefit plan or the defined contribution plan is an active member of the system and is not eligible for a refund of contributions or for benefit payments if the member either:

(a)        returns to service within 30 days of termination of employment; or

(b)        terminates one employment but remains employed in another position covered by the system.

(5)        Time during which an employee of a school district, the Montana school for the deaf and blind, or a public institution of higher education is absent from service during official vacation is counted as membership service in determining eligibility for retirement benefits."

Section 2. Section 19-3-2111, MCA, is amended to read:

"19-3-2111. Plan membership -- written election required -- failure to elect -- effect of election. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this part:

(a)        a member who was an inactive member of the defined benefit plan on the effective date of the defined contribution plan and who is rehired into covered employment after the plan effective date may, within the 12-month period provided for in subsection (2)(a), elect to transfer to and become a member of the plan regardless of whether the member remains active, becomes inactive, or terminates employment and plan membership within the 12-month period;

(b)        a member who is initially hired into covered employment on or after the effective date of the defined contribution plan may, within the 12-month period provided for in subsection (2)(a), elect to become a member of the defined benefit plan regardless of whether the member remains active, becomes inactive, or terminates employment and plan membership within the 12-month period.

(2)        (a) Elections made pursuant to this section must be made on a form prescribed by the board and must be made within 12 months from the month that the employer properly reports the new or rehired member to the board.

(b)        A member failing to make an election prescribed by this section remains a member of the defined benefit contribution plan.

(c)        An election under this section, including the default election pursuant to subsection (2)(b), is a one-time irrevocable election. Subject to 19-3-2113, this subsection (2)(c) does not prohibit a new election after a member has terminated membership in either plan and returned to covered employment.

(3)        A member in either the defined benefit plan or the defined contribution plan who becomes inactive after an election under this section and who returns to active membership remains in the plan previously elected.

(4)        A system member may not simultaneously be a member of the defined benefit plan and the defined contribution plan and must be a member of either the defined benefit plan or the defined contribution plan. A period of service may not be credited in more than one retirement plan within the system.

(5)        The provisions of this part do not prohibit the board from adopting rules to allow an employee to elect the defined contribution plan from the first day of covered employment.

(6)        A member of the defined benefit plan who is subject to a family law order pursuant to 19-2-907 or an execution or income-withholding order pursuant to 19-2-909 may not transfer to the defined contribution plan unless the order is modified to apply under the defined contribution plan.

(7)        (a) A member of the defined benefit plan who is purchasing service credit through installment payments, either made directly to the board or pursuant to a payroll deduction agreement, may not transfer membership to the defined contribution plan unless the member first completes or terminates the contract for purchase of service credit.

(b)        A member who files an election to transfer membership may make a lump-sum payment for up to the balance of the service credit remaining to be purchased prior to transferring, subject to the limitations of section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code. The lump-sum payment, unless made by a rollover pursuant to 19-2-708, must be made with after-tax dollars.

(c)        If a member who files an election to transfer membership fails to complete or terminate the contract for purchase of service credit by the end of the member's 12-month election window, the board shall terminate the service purchase contract and credit the member with the prorated amount of service credit purchased under the contract."

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2023.