SB527: Bill Text

LRB-4463/1

RAC:cmh&kjf:rs

2005 - 2006 LEGISLATURE

2005 Senate BILL 527

January 26, 2006 - Introduced by Senator Grothman, cosponsored by Representative Jeskewitz. Referred to Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, Military Affairs, Small Business and Government Reform.

SB527,1,5 An Act to repeal 13.51 and 20.765 (2); to amend 13.093 (2) (a), 13.50 (6) (am), 20.765 (3) (e) (title) and 601.415 (1); to repeal and recreate 13.50 (4); and to create 13.91 (1) (d) and 20.765 (3) (ec) of the statutes; relating to: transferring the functions of the office of retirement research director to the Legislative Council Staff and eliminating the Retirement Research Committee.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the cochairpersons of the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems (JSCRS) may employ a research director and staff to perform the duties of JSCRS. JSCRS is responsible for reviewing and preparing a report on any bill or amendment that creates or modifies any retirement system for public employees 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 employees. The retirement research director and staff are also required to assist the Retirement Research Committee (RRC) in the performance of its functions.

This bill eliminates the authority of JSCRS to hire a research director and staff and also abolishes the RRC. Instead, under the bill, the Legislative Council Staff must provide legal and research staff services to JSCRS; prepare fiscal estimates on bills referred to JSCRS; facilitate communication between the legislature and participants in the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) on issues relating to public employee retirement systems; every two years, prepare a comparative study of major public employee retirement systems in the United States; and, in consultation with groups representing participants in the WRS, suggest to the cochairpersons of the Joint Legislative Council any feasible subjects for study or investigation of public employee retirement issues.

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:

SB527, s. 1 Section 1. 13.093 (2) (a) of the statutes, as affected by 2005 Wisconsin Act 89, is amended to read:

SB527,3,9 13.093 (2) (a) Any bill making an appropriation, any bill increasing or decreasing existing appropriations or state or general local government fiscal liability or revenues, and any bill that modifies an existing surcharge or creates a new surcharge that is imposed under ch. 814, 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. The estimate shall also indicate whether any increased costs incurred by the state under the bill can be mitigated through the use of contractual service contracts let in accordance with competitive procedures. 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 or this paragraph, 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 legislative council staff shall prepare the fiscal estimate with respect to the provisions of any bill referred to it the joint survey committee on retirement systems which create or modify any system for, or make any provision for, the retirement of or payment of pensions to public officers or employees. The director of state courts shall prepare the fiscal estimate with respect to the provisions of any bill that modifies an existing surcharge or creates a new surcharge that is imposed under ch. 814. When a fiscal estimate is prepared after the bill has been introduced, it shall be printed and distributed as are amendments.

SB527, s. 2 Section 2. 13.50 (4) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

SB527,3,13 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 assistance outside the classified service.

SB527, s. 3 Section 3. 13.50 (6) (am) of the statutes, as affected by 2005 Wisconsin Act 25, is amended to read:

SB527,4,2 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).

SB527, s. 4 Section 4. 13.51 of the statutes is repealed.

SB527, s. 5 Section 5. 13.91 (1) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

SB527,4,7 13.91 (1) (d) Provide staff services to assist the legislature in identifying and responding to issues relating to the Wisconsin Retirement System. In the performance of these duties, the legislative council staff shall:

SB527,4,9 1. Provide legal and research staff services to the joint survey committee on retirement systems under s. 13.50.

SB527,4,11 2. Prepare fiscal estimates on bills referred to the joint survey committee on retirement systems.

SB527,4,14 3. Facilitate communication between the legislature and participants in the Wisconsin Retirement System on issues relating to public employee retirement systems.

SB527,4,16 4. Every 2 years, prepare a comparative study of major public employee retirement systems in the United States.

SB527,4,20 5. In consultation with groups representing participants in the Wisconsin Retirement System, suggest to the cochairpersons of the joint legislative council any feasible subjects for study or investigation of public employee retirement issues with respect to which committees may be appointed under s. 13.82.

SB527, 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

SB527, s. 7 Section 7. 20.765 (2) of the statutes is repealed.

SB527, s. 8 Section 8. 20.765 (3) (e) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB527,5,4 20.765 (3) (e) (title) Joint legislative council; execution of functions, conduct of research, development of studies, and the provision of assistance to committees.

SB527, s. 9 Section 9. 20.765 (3) (ec) of the statutes is created to read:

SB527,5,9 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 and for actuarial opinions ordered under s. 13.50 (6) (am).

SB527, s. 10 Section 10. 601.415 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB527,5,15 601.415 (1) Joint survey committee on retirement systems and retirement research committee. The commissioner or an experienced actuary in the office designated by the commissioner shall serve as a member of the joint survey committee on retirement systems under s. 13.50 and the retirement research committee under s. 13.51.

SB527, s. 11 Section 11. Nonstatutory provisions.

SB527,6,3 (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.

SB527,6,4 (End)