_____________ bill NO. _____________

INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REVISING LAWS RELATED TO THE RETENTION OF BALLOTS; REVISING THE DUTIES OF THE STATE ADMINISTRATION AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS INTERIM COMMITTEE; AMENDING SECTION 5-5-228, MCA; and PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."

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

Section 1. Section 5-5-228, MCA, is amended to read:

"5-5-228. State administration and veterans' affairs interim committee. (1) The state administration and veterans' affairs interim committee has administrative rule review, draft legislation review, program evaluation, and monitoring functions for the public employee retirement plans and for the following executive branch agencies and, unless otherwise assigned by law, the entities attached to the agencies for administrative purposes:

(a)        department of administration, except:

(i)         the state compensation insurance fund provided for in 39-71-2313, including the board of directors of the state compensation insurance fund established in 2-15-1019;

(ii)         the Montana tax appeal board established in 2-15-1015;

(iii)        the division of banking and financial institutions; and

(iv)        the office of state public defender;

(b)        department of military affairs; and

(c)        office of the secretary of state.

(2)        The committee shall:

(a)        consider the actuarial and fiscal soundness of the state's public employee retirement systems, based on reports from the teachers' retirement board, the public employees' retirement board, and the board of investments, and study and evaluate the equity and benefit structure of the state's public employee retirement systems;

(b)        establish principles of sound fiscal and public policy as guidelines;

(c)        as necessary, develop legislation to keep the retirement systems consistent with sound policy principles; and

(d)        publish, for legislators' use, information on the public employee retirement systems that the committee considers will be valuable to legislators when considering retirement legislation; and

(e)        form a subcommittee to review all election materials from all previous elections that are still available and propose legislation to the next legislature about which materials to retain and which to destroy. The subcommittee must be comprised of five members from the state administration and veterans' affairs interim committee, with three members from the majority party and two members from the minority party.

(3)        The committee may:

(a)        specify the date by which retirement board proposals affecting a retirement system must be submitted to the committee for the review pursuant to subsection (1); and

(b)        request personnel from state agencies, including boards, political subdivisions, and the state public employee retirement systems, to furnish any information and render any assistance that the committee may request."

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.