SB235: Bill Text

SB235,1,7 An Act to amend 40.07 (1) (c) and (d); and to create 20.515 (1) (g), 40.02 (29m), 40.02 (39m), 40.03 (2) (im), 40.07 (1) (e), 40.07 (1) (f), 40.07 (1) (g), 40.08 (2e), 40.08 (2m) and 40.08 (2s) of the statutes; relating to: allowing checkoffs of retirement annuities to be paid for membership dues or donations to labor organizations, professional organizations, affiliated retiree organizations and charitable organizations, granting rule-making authority and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, retired employes may not authorize the department of employe trust funds (DETF) to deduct from their retirement annuities any membership dues to a labor organization, professional organization or a retiree organization affiliated with a labor organization or professional organization, or membership dues or donations to a charitable organization.

This bill allows retired employes to authorize DETF to deduct from their retirement annuities these membership dues and donations beginning on January 1, 1999, and grants DETF rule-making authority to provide for the deduction of these membership dues and donations.

This bill will be referred to the joint survey committee on retirement systems for a detailed analysis, which will be printed as an appendix to the bill.

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:

SB235, s. 1 Section 1. 20.515 (1) (g) of the statutes is created to read:

SB235,2,7 20.515 (1) (g) Membership dues and charitable donations checkoff fees. All moneys received from fee payments under ss. 40.07 (1) (e), (f) and (g) and 40.08 (2e), (2m) and (2s) to provide for the checkoff of membership dues and charitable donations and the release of retiree personal information to labor organizations, professional organizations, affiliated retiree organizations and charitable organizations.

SB235, s. 2 Section 2. 40.02 (29m) of the statutes is created to read:

SB235,2,11 40.02 (29m) "Exclusive representative" means an exclusive representative of all employes in a collective bargaining unit, as provided under s. 111.70 (4) (d) 1. or 111.825 (4).

SB235, s. 3 Section 3. 40.02 (39m) of the statutes is created to read:

SB235,2,14 40.02 (39m) "Labor organization" means a labor organization, as defined in s. 111.70 (1) (h) or 111.81 (12).

SB235, s. 4 Section 4. 40.03 (2) (im) of the statutes is created to read:

SB235,2,23 40.03 (2) (im) Shall promulgate all rules required for the deduction of labor organization membership dues, professional organization membership dues, affiliated retiree organization membership dues or charitable organization membership dues or donations from a retired employe's retirement annuity under s. 40.08 (2e), (2m) and (2s). The department shall submit the proposed rules allowing for the deduction of these membership dues or donations beginning on January 1, 1999, to the legislative council staff, under s. 227.15 (1), no later than January 1, 1998.

SB235, s. 5 Section 5. 40.07 (1) (c) and (d) of the statutes are amended to read:

SB235,3,3 40.07 (1) (c) The information is required to be disclosed under a court order duly obtained upon a showing to the court that the information is relevant to a pending court action; or

SB235,3,6 (d) The information is required to be disclosed for the proper administration of the department or to assist in locating participants or beneficiaries the department is otherwise unable to contact.;

SB235, s. 6 Section 6. 40.07 (1) (e) of the statutes is created to read:

SB235,3,13 40.07 (1) (e) The information is requested by a labor organization or an affiliated retiree organization for the purpose of mailing membership applications to those retired employes who were at any time employed in a collective bargaining unit in which the labor organization was the exclusive representative, and the labor organization or affiliated retiree organization pays a fee to cover the costs incurred by the department in providing the individual personal information;

SB235, s. 7 Section 7. 40.07 (1) (f) of the statutes is created to read:

SB235,3,18 40.07 (1) (f) The information is requested by a charitable organization for the purpose of mailing membership applications or soliciting charitable donations, and the charitable organization pays a fee to cover the costs incurred by the department in providing the individual personal information; or

SB235, s. 8 Section 8. 40.07 (1) (g) of the statutes is created to read:

SB235,3,25 40.07 (1) (g) The information is requested by a professional organization or an affiliated retiree organization for the purpose of mailing membership applications to those retired employes who were at any time eligible to join the professional organization, and the professional organization or affiliated retiree organization pays a fee to cover the costs incurred by the department in providing the individual personal information.

SB235, s. 9 Section 9. 40.08 (2e) of the statutes is created to read:

SB235,4,13 40.08 (2e) Professional organization membership dues deductions. Beginning on January 1, 1999, the secretary shall permit a retired employe who was at any time eligible for membership in a professional organization to have the department deduct from the retired employe's retirement annuity membership dues in the professional organization or a retiree organization affiliated with the professional organization. The secretary shall promulgate rules under s. 40.03 (2) (im) to establish the amounts of membership dues that may be authorized, the schedule of payments and the procedures for authorization and for designating the professional organizations and affiliated retiree organizations that are eligible to receive the membership dues. The department shall charge a professional organization or affiliated retiree organization a fee to cover the costs incurred by the department in deducting these dues from a retired employe's annuity.

SB235, s. 10 Section 10. 40.08 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:

SB235,5,2 40.08 (2m) Labor organization membership dues deductions. Beginning January 1, 1999, the secretary shall permit a retired employe who was at any time eligible for membership in a labor organization, recognized as the exclusive representative of the employes in the collective bargaining unit in which the retired employe was employed, to have the department deduct from the retired employe's retirement annuity membership dues in the labor organization or a retiree organization affiliated with the labor organization. The secretary shall promulgate rules under s. 40.03 (2) (im) to establish the amounts of membership dues that may be authorized, the schedule of payments and the procedures for authorization and for designating the labor organizations and affiliated retiree organizations that are eligible to receive the membership dues. The department shall charge a labor organization or affiliated retiree organization a fee to cover the costs incurred by the department in deducting these dues from a retired employe's annuity.

SB235, s. 11 Section 11. 40.08 (2s) of the statutes is created to read:

SB235,5,14 40.08 (2s) Charitable deductions. Beginning on January 1, 1999, the secretary shall permit a retired employe to have the department deduct from the retired employe's retirement annuity membership dues or donations to a charitable organization. The secretary shall promulgate rules under s. 40.03 (2) (im) to establish the amounts of membership dues and donations that may be authorized and the schedule of payments and, after consulting with the department of administration and the department of regulation and licensing, rules limiting the number of and designating the charitable organizations that are eligible to receive the membership dues or donations. The department shall charge a charitable organization a fee to cover the costs incurred by the department in deducting these dues or donations from a retired employe's annuity.

SB235,5,15 (End)