Current Legislation Bills Affecting UGA Employees

Legislation proposed and listed on Louise McBee's committee consists of 7 separate Bills affecting separate areas of the Retirement System. The Bills are as follows along with the summary's provided by the House of Representatives. Each of us needs to familiarize ourselves with these bills, and then write to Louise McBee expressing our support or disagreement with each of these provisions.:

1. HB198: A bill to amend Areticle 5 of Chapter 3 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to service creditable toward retirement in the TRS so as to provide for creditable service for forfeited annual and sick leave for certain memebes of such retirement system (must have at least 6 mos. accumulated sick/annual or 960 hours - 10 years sick leave or a combination thereof which would yield 6 mos. of service additional; would be effective after July 1, 1998 using leave accrued after that date).
2. HB199: A Bill to amend Code Section 47-3-120 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to allowance on service retirement in the TRS so as to provide that memebers of such sustem may retire with 28 years of creditable servie without penalty; and for other purposes ( would be phased in over the next 3 years and fully effective as of July 1, 2000 (FY2001).
3. HB 200: A Bill to amend Chapter 3 of Title 47 of the Offical Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the TRS so as to provide that a emember os such retirement system who has a t leasst 37 years of creditable servie and who ceases to be employed in a position which makes him or her eligibile for such membership may nevertheless continue active membership in such retirement systemt (would allow people with 25 yearss of creditable servie to retire immediately upon paymnent of the full actuarial costs - pay in additional 5 of employer and employee contributions based on the salary earned when the person left. Would also be available July 1, 1998 "IF IT IS DETERMINED TO BE CONCURENTLY FUNDED" )
4. HB201: A Bill to amend Code Section 47-3-120 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to allowance on service retirement in the TRS so as to reduce the penalty for early retirement. (Current penalty is 7 percent for each month by which age at the time of retirement is below 60. It would change the penalty to 4 percent).
5. HB202: A Bill to amend Article 5 of Chapter 3 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to sevice creditable toward retirment in TRS, so as to provide for creditable servie for forfeited annual and sick leave (same as 198 but allows leave accrued prior to 7/01/98 to also be used to satirsfy the six months accumulation)
6. HB 203: A Bill to amend Article 5 of Chapter 3 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to sevice creditable toward retirement in the TRS so as to provide for creditable servie for forfeited annual and sick leave (provides that if an employer authorizes leave accruals in excess of code amount authorized, then excess leave used shall be deducted from the maximum amount of leave authroized for that year by the codes section. nothing in the code will require any emplooyer to grant any certain amount of annual and sick leave)
7. HB223: A bill to amend Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotasted, relating to benefits under the TRS so as to provide for a postretirement benefit adjustment and for a definition relative thereto (provides for a 3 percent retirement benefit increase applicable to persons already retired benefits). Margot Peter "Life is under no obligation to Payroll Office Manager give us what we expect" Room 128 Georgia Center Margaret Mitchell CAMPUS 30602-3603 (706)542-5593

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   Priority:         urgent
   Date sent:                Tue, 27 Jan 1998 14:48:13 EST5EDT
   Send reply to:        UGA Staff List 
   From:                     Linda 
   Organization:     University of Georgia School of Law
   Subject:               [Fwd: legislative alert]
   To:                         UGASTAFF@uga.cc.uga.edu
   

   >    Dan Franklin, AAUP lobbyist, has said the 6% raise is secure, but this
   > may be our best opportunity to get the sick leave for retirement days
   > passed. The Conference is doing an all out press on this one.
   >
   >    HB 203 would allow people retiring July l, l998 or after to use 20 days
   > of unused sick oeave for one month of service. a Senate Bill would allow
   > this for days accrued AFTER July l only. Write your Representative in
   > support of HB 203 NOW!
   >
   >    Letters should go to Representative Bill Cummings, Chair,
   > Retirement Committee, Georgia House of Representatives, Atlanta, Ga. 30303
   >    Representative Calvin Smyre, Chair House University System of Georgia
   > Committee, House of Representatives, Atlanta, Ga. 30303
   >    Senator Jack Hill, Chair, Senate Higher Education Committee, Senate,
   > Atlanta, Ga. 30303
   >
   > DO NOT USE YOUR OFFICE E-MAIL OR LETTERHEAD STATIONARY TO WRITE THESE
   > LETTERS.
   

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   ------- Forwarded Message Follows -------

   Priority:      normal
   Date:          Tue, 27 Jan 1998 16:29:30 EST5EDT
   Reply-to:      UGA Staff List 
   From:          Linda 
   Organization:  University of Georgia School of Law
   Subject:       Re: [Fwd: legislative alert]
   To:            UGASTAFF@uga.cc.uga.edu
   

   The House Bill 203 referred to below applies to TRS only (I just
   checked with Staff Benefits) -- it seems years of service do not
   apply to ORP.  I know little or nothing about these retirement
   plans.
   
   Another clarification -- two bills are referred to below.  The
   first is the house bill, the second is a Senate bill.
   
   Sorry for the confusion.  This came forward from AAUP and I just
   forwarded on.
   
   Linda