2017 -- H 5071

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LC000046

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT BENEFITS

     Introduced By: Representatives Amore, Cunha, Craven, Kazarian, and Marshall

     Date Introduced: January 11, 2017

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-16-26 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-16 entitled "Teachers'

Retirement [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby

amended to read as follows:

     16-16-26. Spouse's or domestic partner's benefits. -- (a) Spouse's and domestic

partner's benefits are payable following the decease of a member as provided in §§ 16-16-25

through 16-16-38. (b) The spouse or domestic partner shall be entitled to benefits upon attaining

the age of sixty (60) years. (c) The spouse or domestic partner was living with the deceased

member at the time of the member's death. A spouse or domestic partner is deemed to have been

living with the deceased member if they were both members of the same household on the date of

the deceased member's death, or the spouse or domestic partner was receiving regular

contributions from the deceased member toward support on that date, or the deceased member

had been ordered by a court to contribute to the spouse's or domestic partner's support. (d)

Remarriage of the spouse or domestic partner or establishment of a domestic partnership shall

render him or her ineligible to receive current or future benefits under this section. (e) The

spouse or domestic partner of a member, as defined in this section, shall be entitled to monthly

benefits payable in accordance with the following table:

Highest Annual Salary Spouse's or Domestic Partner's Monthly Minimum Benefit

$17,000 33,000 or less $750 1,267

$17,001 33,001 to $25,000 40,000 875 $1,425

$25,001 40,001 to $33,000 50,000 1,000 $1,583

$33,001 to $40,000 1,125

$40,001 50,001 and over 1,250 $1,900

     (f) A yearly cost-of-living adjustment for spouse's or domestic partner's benefits shall be

based on the annual social security adjustment. On January 1 of each year, the minimum benefit

amount provided by this section shall be annually adjusted for cost-of-living using the previous

year's social security adjustment.

     (g) Adjustments to minimum benefits provided under subsection (f) of this section shall

not be compounded.

     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 EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT BENEFITS

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     This act would increase the monthly minimum benefits of spouses and domestic partners

of retired teachers, and would authorize additional yearly non-compounded adjustments.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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