2014 -- S 2773 SUBSTITUTE A

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LC005210/SUB A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES - GENERAL POWERS - RETIREMENT OF

MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES

     

     Introduced By: Senators Goodwin, Jabour, Pichardo, and Miller

     Date Introduced: March 18, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 45-21 of the General Laws entitled "Retirement of Municipal

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Employees" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     45-21-61.1. Payment of pension during incarceration - Prohibited. – Notwithstanding

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any other provision of law, no retired municipal member of the employees' retirement system of

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Rhode Island, any locally administered plan, or any plan established by a municipality for its

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employees, who is convicted of any offense punishable by life in prison, shall be entitled to a

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public pension or annuity during the member's period of incarceration. However, the retirement

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board or any body or authority governing any locally-administered plan, or any plan established

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by a municipality for its employees, may, in its discretion, and after taking into consideration the

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financial needs and resources of any innocent spouse or domestic partner, dependents and/or

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designated beneficiaries of the retired municipal member, order that some or all of the suspended

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pension benefit or annuity payments be paid to any innocent spouse or domestic partner,

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dependent or beneficiary as justice may require.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES - GENERAL POWERS - RETIREMENT OF

MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES

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     This act would prevent any retired municipal employee convicted of any offense

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punishable by life in prison from collecting a public pension or annuity during his or her period of

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incarceration. This act would also permit the retirement board to make certain exceptions for the

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financial needs of an innocent spouse, domestic partner, dependents and/or designated

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beneficiaries.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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