To increase the pension benefits of state employees who have 30 years of “service credits” and choose to retire between July 1, 2010 and Sept. 30, 2010 by 6.7 percent. Eligible employees who do not retire at this time would lose their post-retirement vision and dental insurance benefit. They would also have to pay an additional 3 percent of their salary into the pension fund, but would accumulate no further pension-increasing “service credits” under it, instead receiving contributions to a 401K-type account (as is the case for state employees hired after 1996).   Official Text and Analysis.

With the recommendation that the substitute (S-5) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that does not include an early retirement pension incentive, does require additional pension contributions from state employees, but also eliminates cost-saving reforms originally proposed by Gov. Granholm, including ending post-retirement dental and vision coverage for those who retire after Sept. 30, 2010. The new 3 percent contribution will save $35 million in the next fiscal year, but comes after failed attempts by Senate Republicans to achieve consensus within their caucus on a substitute with additional reforms that would have saved around $104 million (including cutting the retiree vision and dental benefits).

To require state employees to pay an additional 3 percent of their salary into their pension fund. This will save some $35 million in the next fiscal year and $304.5 million over 10 years. The measure applied to state employees hired before 1997 who have defined benefit pensions; those hired since have 401K-type defined contribution pensions.

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that does not require state employees to contribute an additional 3 percent to the cost of their pension benefits.

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that does phases in over three years a requirement that state employees contribute an additional 3 percent to the cost of their pension benefits.

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that does not require state employees to contribute an additional 3 percent to the cost of their pension benefits.

To only require state employees to contribute an additional 3 percent to the cost of their pension benefits for the next three years.

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that requires state employees to contribute an additional 3 percent to the cost of their pension benefits, but only for the next three years.

To require state agencies to ensure as much as they can that the 3 percent employee contributions be applied for any tax credits or reductions under provision of the new federal health care law.

To strip out the provision that requires state employees to contribute an additional 3 percent to the cost of their pension benefits for the next three years.

To tie-bar the bill to House Bill 6425, meaning this bill cannot become law unless that one does also. HB 6425 would to create a contractual right of state employees to post-retirement health benefits covered by the segregated trust fund created by House Bill 4073, now Public Act 77 of 2010. Although the state and local governments have said over the years that they would pay these benefits, courts have ruled that these are not enforceable obligations in the manner that pensions are, and until HB 4073 became law, no funding was set aside to pay them.

To increase by 13.2 percent the cash pension benefits of certain state employees who retire in 2010, rather than by 6.6 percent.

To increase by 6.7 percent the pension benefits of high-seniority state employees who retire this year. Also, to increase by 3 percent contributions remaining state employees make to their post-retirement benefits, but only for three years. The money would not bolster underfunded pension funds, but go to retiree health benefits. The bill would also prohibit a "double dipping" scheme where "retired" state employees collect pensions and also get paid as a contract employee.