2001 House Bill 4605 ↩

Senate Roll Call 1089: Passed

To provide enhanced pension benefits to approximately 120 executive branch political appointees, legislative staffers, and gubernatorial employees who retire in December 2002. Employees who have worked for government at least 20 years and have a combined age and years of government employment of at least 65 would qualify for retirement with enhanced benefits. For those who have worked less than 20 years in government the combined age/service total must be 75. The bill boosts pension benefits by approximately 16 percent. The bill would also require that Department of Corrections employees transferred from “covered” positions requiring the supervision or custody of prisoners to non-covered positions due to a prison closure between August 1, 1999 and August 1, 2000 remain eligible for early retirement and supplementary benefits. In addition, it transfers $58.2 million from the State Employee Retirement Health Advance sub account, intended to eventually pre-pay state employee pension health benefits, to the general fund, for purposes of shoring up current spending levels, given lower-than-expected revenues.