SB412: Bill Text

SB412,1,5 An Act to repeal 20.765 (2); to amend 13.093 (2) (a), 13.50 (6) (am), 13.51 (1) and 20.765 (3) (e) (title); to repeal and recreate 13.50 (4); and to create 13.91 (1) (d) and 20.765 (3) (ec) of the statutes; relating to: staff support for the joint survey committee on retirement systems and the retirement research committee and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the joint survey committee on retirement systems (JSCRS) is authorized to employ a research director and such staff as is required for the performance of its duties. The JSCRS is responsible for submitting to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature a report on any bill or amendment that creates or modifies any retirement system for public employes in this state. In addition, JSCRS must prepare a fiscal estimate for any bill referred to it that creates or modifies any retirement system for public employes. The JSCRS staff also assists the retirement research committee (RRC) in the performance of its functions. RRC is required to review and study retirement benefits offered to public employes by the state.

This bill eliminates the authority of JSCRS to employ a research director and staff and, instead, requires that the legislative council provide staff to assist JSCRS and RRC in the performance of their functions. In addition, the bill eliminates the requirement that JSCRS prepare a fiscal estimate for any bill referred to it that creates or modifies any retirement system for public employes.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB412, s. 1 Section 1. 13.093 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB412,2,19 13.093 (2) (a) Any bill making an appropriation and any bill increasing or decreasing existing appropriations or state or general local government fiscal liability or revenues shall, before any vote is taken thereon by either house of the legislature if the bill is not referred to a standing committee, or before any public hearing is held before any standing committee or, if no public hearing is held, before any vote is taken by the committee, incorporate a reliable estimate of the anticipated change in appropriation authority or state or general local government fiscal liability or revenues under the bill, including to the extent possible a projection of such changes in future biennia. For purposes of this paragraph, a bill increasing or decreasing the liability or revenues of the unemployment reserve fund is considered to increase or decrease state fiscal liability or revenues. Except as otherwise provided by joint rules of the legislature, such estimates shall be made by the department or agency administering the appropriation or fund or collecting the revenue. The joint survey committee on retirement systems shall prepare the fiscal estimate with respect to the provisions of any bill referred to it which create or modify any system for, or make any provision for, the retirement of or payment of pensions to public officers or employes. When a fiscal estimate is prepared after the bill has been introduced, it shall be printed and distributed as are amendments.

SB412, s. 2 Section 2. 13.50 (4) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

SB412,3,3 13.50 (4) Staff. The legislative council staff shall provide staff to assist the committee in the performance of its functions. The committee may contract for actuarial and technical assistance outside of the civil service.

SB412, s. 3 Section 3. 13.50 (6) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB412,3,15 13.50 (6) (am) The cochairpersons of the joint survey committee on retirement systems or the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance, with respect to any bill or amendment specified in par. (a), or the presiding officer of either house of the legislature, with respect to any bill or amendment specified in par. (a) that is pending in his or her house, may make a determination, based on any available information, that the bill or amendment may have a significant fiscal impact on the costs, actuarial balance or goals of the Wisconsin retirement system and order the attachment of an independent actuarial opinion on such impact. The cochairpersons or presiding officer ordering such an opinion shall direct the staff under sub. (4) to obtain the opinion. The staff shall make payment for the opinion from the appropriation under s. 20.765 (2) (ab) (3) (ec).

SB412, s. 4 Section 4. 13.51 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB412,3,23 13.51 (1) Creation. There is created a broadly representative retirement research committee for the purpose of providing a continuous review and study of the retirement benefits afforded by the state and to allocate adequate study to the complexities of modern retirement programs. The officers and staff of the joint survey committee on retirement systems under s. 13.50 shall be the officers of the retirement research committee. The staff of the joint survey committee under s. 13.50 shall assist the committee in the performance of its functions.

SB412, s. 5 Section 5. 13.91 (1) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

SB412,4,3 13.91 (1) (d) Provide staff to the joint survey committee on retirement systems and the retirement research committee to assist the committees in the performance of their functions.

SB412, s. 6 Section 6. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

SB412, s. 7 Section 7. 20.765 (2) of the statutes is repealed.

SB412, s. 8 Section 8. 20.765 (3) (e) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB412,4,9 20.765 (3) (e) (title) Joint legislative council; execution of functions, conduct of research, development of studies and the provision of assistance to committees.

SB412, s. 9 Section 9. 20.765 (3) (ec) of the statutes is created to read:

SB412,4,15 20.765 (3) (ec) Joint legislative council; contractual studies. For the joint legislative council, biennially, the amounts in the schedule for actuarial studies contracted and approved by the joint survey committee on retirement systems or the retirement research committee and for actuarial opinions ordered under s. 13.50 (6) (am).

SB412, s. 10 Section 10. Nonstatutory provisions.

SB412,4,19 (1) Records. On the effective date of this subsection, all records of the staff of the joint survey committee on retirement systems and the retirement research committee are transferred to the staff of the joint legislative council.

SB412, s. 11 Section 11. Appropriation changes.

SB412,5,7 (1) In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the joint legislative council under section 20.765 (3) (e) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1999, the dollar amount is increased by $49,500 for fiscal year 2000-01 for the purpose of providing staff to assist the joint survey committee on retirement systems and the retirement research committee in the performance of their functions.

SB412, s. 12 Section 12. Effective date.

SB412,5,9 (1) This act takes effect on July 1, 2000.

SB412,5,10 (End)