Enacted 2017 PERS legislation

Introduction

The Oregon State Legislature enacted eight bills impacting PERS in 2017.

SB 41

OPSRP Member Data
Provides statutory authority for Employment Department to share OPSRP member data with PERS; codifies current practice.

Text of SB 41

SB 200

Uniformed Services Full-Cost Purchase
Allows members who served in the United States Public Health Service or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to make full-cost purchases at retirement for time served in uniformed services.

Text of SB 200

SB 201

OPSRP University Employees
Provides that remuneration paid to certain OPSRP employees of public universities who reside and perform service in the United States is deemed includable in the employees’ taxable income during a continuous period of employment with a public university. Only impacts OPSRP members who were hired in a qualifying position by a university with a governing board on or after August 29, 2003, and on or before December 31, 2016.

Text of SB 201

SB 214

Post-Doctoral Scholars
Provides that individuals hired into positions classified by the universities as post-doctoral scholar positions are not considered “employees” or “eligible employees” for PERS purposes and therefore are ineligible for membership. Impacts employees of public universities or OHSU hired on or after January 1, 2018.

Text of SB 214

SB 701

Federal Tax Reconnect
Updates connection date to federal Internal Revenue Code and other provisions of federal tax law.

Text of SB 701

SB 712

Workers’ Compensation for OPSRP Members
Provides hours of service credit for vesting purposes and retirement credit to OPSRP members who receive workers’ compensation disability payments and are subsequently reemployed by any participating public employer.

Text of SB 712

SB 1067

Employer Side Accounts
Adds flexibility for employers to establish side accounts or make deposits more frequently; limits Contingency Reserve to $50 million and removes PERS Board discretion for its use; requires Unfunded Actuarial Liability to be reported with side accounts.

Text of SB 1067

SB 5534

PERS Budget
Provides funding for administrative and operating expenses.

Text of SB 5534