SB 154

This bill modifies the conditions under which a Wisconsin Retirement System

(WRS) participant may receive creditable service under the WRS for military service.

Under current law, a participating employee in the WRS may receive one year

of creditable service under the WRS for each year of military service, up to a

maximum of four years of military service credit, at the time of retirement in either

of the following ways:

1. If the participant left employment covered under the WRS to enter military

service and returned to the same employer within 180 days after being discharged,

the participant may receive one year of military service credit for each year of

military service.

2. If the participant's military service was performed before 1974, the

participant may receive up to one, two, three, or four years of military service credit

if the participant has at least five, ten, fifteen, or twenty years, respectively, of

creditable service (not counting previously granted military service credit).

This bill provides that a participating employee in the WRS who was an

employee of the Department of Corrections for at least five years and who terminates

covered service on or after the effective date of the bill may receive creditable military

service for active military service performed at any time. The requirements and

standards of item 2. apply to such a grant of creditable military service.

The bill provides that, for the purposes of item 2., the participant may receive

military service credits under the WRS for military service that is also used for the

purpose of establishing entitlement to a retirement benefit that is paid by the federal

government.

The bill provides that, for the purpose of item 1., the participant need not return

to employment with the same WRS employer, but may return to employment with

any WRS employer.

The bill requires that DOC make additional contributions as determined by the

actuary and agreed to by the Employee Trust Funds Board to cover the costs of

granting the additional military service credits authorized under 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.