Bills · 2017-2018 Regular Session
Relating to: increasing the minimum retirement age under the Wisconsin Retirement System and determining final average earnings for the purpose of calculating Wisconsin Retirement System annuities. (FE)
Legislature — Retirement systems, joint survey committee on Retirement — Protective service Retirement system, wisconsin
- Introduced, stopped here
- Passes Senate, not reached
- Passes Assembly, not reached
- Governor signs, not reached
- Law, not reached
Unfamiliar terms? Glossary
What this bill does
Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau
For individuals who first become participating employees in the Wisconsin
Retirement System on or after the effective date of this bill, this bill increases the
minimum retirement age for general participants from age 55 to age 60 and for
protective occupation participants from age 50 to age 52. The bill does not change
the minimum retirement age for an individual who was a participating employee in
the WRS before the effective date of the bill.
For individuals who first become participating employees in the WRS on or
after the effective date of this bill, this bill modifies the formula method for
calculating a participant's retirement annuity by calculating the participant's final
average earning using the participant's five highest annual earning periods rather
than three highest annual earning periods. Under current law, when a WRS
participant terminates covered employment and becomes eligible for an annuity, the
Department of Employee Trust Funds calculates the participant's annuity amount
using two methods and pays the participant an annuity using whichever method
results in a higher amount. The first method, known as the formula method, is based
on the participant's final average earnings, the participant's number of years of
creditable service, and a percentage multiplier. Under current law, a participant's
final average earnings is a monthly rate of earnings calculated based on the three
annual earnings periods in which the participant's earnings were highest. The
second method is to calculate the amount of a money purchase annuity, which is
determined based on the sum of a participant's accumulated required and additional
contributions plus an amount that equals the participant's accumulated required
contributions. This bill does not change the formula method for calculating a
participant's annuity if the participant was a participating employee in the WRS
before the effective date of the bill.
Because this bill relates to public employee retirement or pensions, it may be
referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems for a report to be
printed as an appendix to the bill.
What it would cost
Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs
Sponsors
Full history
- Apr 20, 2017 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Stroebel, Moulton, Kapenga, Nass and Marklein; cosponsored by Representatives August, Hutton, Allen, Duchow, Gannon, Knodl and Steffen
- Apr 20, 2017 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection
- Apr 21, 2017 · Senate
Senator LeMahieu added as a coauthor
- Apr 24, 2017 · Senate
Report of Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems requested
- May 1, 2017 · Senate
Senator Craig added as a coauthor
- May 3, 2017 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Oct 18, 2017 · Senate
Representative Rohrkaste added as a cosponsor
- Mar 28, 2018 · Senate
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1