This act creates a new retirement plan for any person who becomes a state employee on or after January 1, 2011. To be eligible for normal retirement under this plan, employees will be required to reach age sixty-seven and have at least ten years of service or reach age fifty-five with the sum of the member's age and service equaling at least ninety, uniformed members of the highway patrol with a mandatory retirement age of sixty will be required to reach age sixty or reach age fifty-five with ten years credited service, members of the general assembly will be required to reach age sixty-two and complete at least three full biennial assemblies or reach age fifty-five with the sum of the member's age and service equaling at least ninety, and statewide elected officials will be required to reach age sixty-two and complete at least four years of service or reach age fifty-five with the sum of the official's age and service equaling at least ninety. Employees, except for uniformed members of the highway patrol, are eligible for early retirement at age sixty-two with ten years of service. Employees must work for the state for ten years to vest in the retirement system. Members of this retirement plan will be required to contribute four percent of their pay to the retirement system. Members will not be able to purchase credit in the retirement plan for their past non-federal full-time public employment, their military service, or transfer credit from other public retirement plans. The employee contribution rate, the benefits under the year 2000 plan, and any other provision of the year 2000 plan may be altered, amended, increased, decreased, or repealed, but such change will only apply to service or interest credits after the effective date of the change. Employees under this plan shall not be eligible for the Backdrop option, which provides a lump sum payment at retirement for those working at least two years beyond normal retirement eligibility. (Section 104.1091)

The act also creates a new retirement plan for any person who first becomes a judge on or after January 1, 2011. Judges will be required to reach age sixty-seven and have at least twelve years of service or reach age sixty-two and have twenty years of service before they are eligible for normal retirement. If a judge retires at age sixty-seven with less than twelve years of service, or at sixty-two with less than twenty years service, their retirement compensation will be reduced proportionately. Judges in this retirement plan will be required to contribute four percent of their compensation to the retirement system. Judges will not be able to purchase credit in the retirement plan for their past non-federal full-time public employment or their military service. Judges under this plan who continue to work after their normal retirement date will not have cost-of-living increases added to their retirement compensation for the period of time between their eligibility for retirement and their actual retirement date. When a retired judge under this plan dies, their beneficiary will not receive an amount equal to fifty percent of the judge's retirement compensation. Instead, judges will make a choice at retirement among the benefit payment options, that includes options for the amount received by the beneficiary. The employee contribution rate, the benefits under the judicial retirement plan, and any other provision of the judicial retirement plan may be altered, amended, increased, decreased, or repealed, but such change will only apply to service or interest credits after the effective date of the change. Retired judges under this new plan who become employed as an employee eligible to participate in the MOSERS retirement plan, are prohibited from receiving their judicial retirement benefits while they are employed. Any judge who serves as a judge while he or she is receiving their judicial retirement is prohibited from receiving their judicial retirement while serving as a judge. A judge who serves as a senior judge or senior commissioner while receiving judicial retirement will continue to receive judicial retirement and additional credit and salary for their service. (Sections 476.521 and 476.529)

EMILY KALMER