E RSGA Serving those who serve Georgia Employees' Retirement System of Georgia For the Week of: February 27 - March 2, 2012 Legislative Days: 26 - 28 Employees' Retirement System of Georgia Legislative Update March 2, 2012 Page 1 Inside This Update 1 Legislative Log For More Information on Legislation, please visit: www.ers.ga.gov Contact Us Jim Potvin Executive Director, ERSGA 404-603-5605 jim.potvin@ers.ga.gov Kelly L. Moody Legislative Liaison and Assistant Director, ERSGA 404-603-5646 kelly.moody@ers.ga.gov Danise Thaxton Executive Assistant to the Director, ERSGA 404-603-5602 danise.thaxton@ers.ga.gov Legislative Log Monday, February 27, 2012 HB 250 - Georgia Judicial Retirement System; revised survivor's benefit option; provisions Currently, JRS members must elect spousal coverage upon becoming a member of the Judicial Retirement System (JRS) or upon marriage. The member pays an additional 2.5% each year for 16 years for this coverage. This bill allows for new members as of July 1, 2012, to pay normal employee contributions as required by the actuary, and then at retirement, elect an option to cover a spouse by taking a reduced retirement allowance. Such a change allows for equity to the current Employees' Retirement System (ERS) spousal coverage. Current JRS members that have at least ten years of service, who at time of enrollment rejected spousal benefits, may pay the full actuarial cost for these benefits and may choose to cover their spouse according to the previous plan design. HB 250 received a DO PASS from the full House of Representatives by a vote of 149 - 2. HB 944 - Official Code of Georgia; retirement and pensions; revise, modernize, and correct errors or omissions This bill is a clean-up bill to correct typographical, stylistic, and other errors and omissions in Title 47. HB 944 received a DO PASS from the House Rules Committee and was placed on the House Debate Calendar for 2/28/12. March 2, 2012 Legislative Log (continued) Tuesday, February 28, 2012 Page 2 HB 944 - Official Code of Georgia; retirement and pensions; revise, modernize, and correct errors or omissions This bill is a clean-up bill to correct typographical, stylistic, and other errors and omissions in Title 47. HB 944 received a DO PASS from the full House of Representatives by a vote of 159 - 1. Wednesday, February 29, 2012 No action was taken on retirement bills today. Thursday, March 1, 2012 No bills were considered today due to the General Assembly being in recess. Friday, March 2, 2012 No bills were considered today due to the General Assembly being in recess.