SCS HB 1440 -- REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSIONS; RETIREMENT

This bill specifies that regional planning commissions will be
considered political subdivisions for the purposes of Sections
70.600 - 70.755, RSMo.  Employees of regional planning
commissions are eligible for membership in the Missouri Local
Government Employees' Retirement System once the commission is
considered an "employer" as defined in Section 70.600.  Moneys
owed to any retirement system must be paid prior to the
dissolution of the commission.

The bill renames the Highways and Transportation Employees' and
Highway Patrol Retirement System as the Missouri Department of
Transportation and Highway Patrol Employees' Retirement System.
The bill also:

(1)  Allows time taken without compensation, in accordance with
the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, to be counted as
membership service under the system;

(2)  Revises when a member of the system may retire once normal
retirement age has been reached and allows a member to waive a
monthly annuity or cost-of-living adjustment;

(3)  Allows a uniformed member of the State Highway Patrol to
retire at age 55 once the member has accrued four years of
creditable service.  Uniformed members must retire when reaching
60 years of age;

(4)  Revises certain option elections for members whose
retirement age is 48 years of age and who petition for retirement
on or after August 28, 2004;

(5)  Revises provisions regarding the reversion of retirement
benefits of a current spouse or a former spouse who precedes a
member in death.  This provision pertains to members who retire
on or after July 1, 2000;

(6)  Requires members who are receiving disability benefits
pursuant to subsections 1 and 2 of Section 104.110 be eligible
for a death benefit of $5,000;

(7)  Revises the time of the selection of the chairperson and
vice-chairperson of the board.  The executive director of the
board may execute the necessary documents to carry out all
actions of the board;

(8)  Revises the notice requirements for meetings of the board
and allows the executive director or employees of the system to
receive other compensation;

(9)  Classifies board members, elected employees of the Highways
and Transportation Commission, and elected employees of State
Highway Patrol as persons whose services will be considered
non-separable from employment; and

(10)  Revises a provision regarding surviving spouses who are
eligible to receive benefits.  The retirement application of the
deceased member must be filed prior to August 28, 2004.

Missouri House of Representatives
92nd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 23, 2004 at 11:15 am