Arkansas 2025 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1211 Draft / Bill

Filed 01/23/2025

                    Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law. 
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State of Arkansas     1 
95th General Assembly A Bill     2 
Regular Session, 2025  	HOUSE BILL 1211 3 
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By: Representative Warren 5 
By: Senator Gilmore 6 
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8 
AN ACT TO MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFY 9 
LANGUAGE FOR THE PROPER ADMINISTRATION OF BENEFITS 10 
UNDER THE ARKANSAS PUBLIC EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT 11 
SYSTEM; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12 
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Subtitle 15 
TO MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS AND 16 
CLARIFY LANGUAGE FOR THE PROPER 17 
ADMINISTRATION OF BENEFITS UNDER THE 18 
ARKANSAS PUBLIC EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT 19 
SYSTEM. 20 
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22 
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 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 24-4-101(12)(B), concerning the meaning of 24 
recurring remuneration in the definition of "compensation" under the Arkansas 25 
Public Employees' Retirement System, is amended to read as follows: 26 
 (B)  The following are recurring remuneration for personal 27 
services for the purposes of determining retirement benefits: 28 
 (i)  Career service recognition payments paid to a 29 
member under § 21-5-106; 30 
 (ii) Payments made to a member under § 21 -5-1101, 31 
including without limitation a lump -sum payment; 32 
 (iii)(a)  Except as provided in subdivision 33 
(12)(B)(iii)(b) of this section, payments made to a member under § 14-14-34 
1206(a), including without limitation a bonus or lump -sum payment. 35 
 (b)  The maximum amount of the bonus or lump -36    	HB1211 
 
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sum payment that will be considered to be compensation during the last year 1 
of a member's employment is the lesser of five percent (5%) of the current 2 
year's salary or the amount of the bonus or lump -sum payment that was 3 
received by the member during the previous year of employment; 4 
 (iv)(a)  Except as provided in subdivision 5 
(12)(B)(iv)(b) of this section, a bonus or lump -sum payment made to a 6 
municipal employee as provided in the municipality's annual budget under § 7 
14-42-308. 8 
 (b)  The maximum amount of the bonus or lump -9 
sum payment that will be considered to be compensation during the member's 10 
last year of employment is the lesser of five percent (5%) of the current 11 
year's salary or the amount of the bonus or lump -sum payment that was 12 
received by the member during the previous year of employment; and 13 
 (v)  Lump-sum payments made to a member under § 21 -5-14 
211 and §21-5-219 [repealed]; 15 
 (vi)  Lump-sum payments made to a member under § 21 -16 
5-227; and 17 
 (vii)  Bonus payments made to a member under § 21 -5-18 
228. 19 
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 SECTION 2.  Arkansas Code § 24 -4-110 is repealed. 21 
 24-4-110. Failure to terminate — Commencement of annuity payments — 22 
Election to retire. 23 
 A retirant shall not begin receiving annuity payments until all 24 
requirements for terminating qualified employment are satisfied. 25 
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 SECTION 3.  Arkansas Code § 24 -4-111 is repealed. 27 
 24-4-111. Failure to meet termination requirements — Member's 28 
retirement election. 29 
 The failure to meet termination requirements does not revoke a member's 30 
retirement election. 31 
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 SECTION 4.  Arkansas Code § 24 -4-520(d), regarding forfeiture of 33 
benefits until termination requirements under the Arkansas Public Employees' 34 
Retirement System are met, is amended to read as follows: 35 
 (d)(1) Persons failing A member or former member in the system who 36    	HB1211 
 
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fails to meet termination requirements shall forfeit their benefits until 1 
requirements are met. 2 
 (2)  A retirant shall not begin receiving annuity payments until 3 
all requirements for terminating qualified employment are satisfied. 4 
 (3)  The failure to meet termination requirements does not revoke 5 
a member's retirement election. 6 
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