OLR Bill Analysis
AN ACT EXTENDING HAZARDOUS DUTY RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR CLERICAL WORKERS AT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
This bill gives hazardous duty status for retirement purposes to any Tier I or Tier II employee of a correctional institution who is receiving “unpleasant duty” pay. Currently, Department of Corrections clerks receive unpleasant duty pay, which is an additional percentage of their hourly pay, instead of hazardous duty retirement.
Under hazardous duty retirement, (1) a Tier I employee can retire at age 47 with full benefits after 20 years of service, and (2) a Tier II employee can retire after 25 years regardless of age. Normal state employee retirement does not allow an employee to collect full benefits until he or she reaches age 60 with 25 years of vesting service.
Tier IIA employees are not included in statute, but under a collective bargaining agreement, they receive the same benefits as Tier II employees except they have to make a greater employee contribution.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2008
BACKGROUND
State Retirement Tiers
The state has different tiers for its three primary retirement plans:
1. Tier I, employees hired before July 1, 1984;
2. Tier II, employees hired on or after July 1, 1984 and before July 1, 1997; and
3. Tier IIA, employees hired on or after July 1, 1997.
Related Bill
HB 5117 gives hazardous duty status for retirement purposes to certain employees in the Department of Environmental Protection's Emergency Responses Spill Division. It was reported out to the floor on March 11.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Labor and Public Employees Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea |
9 |
Nay |
0 |
(03/11/2008) |