TITLE 51.1. PENSIONS, BENEFITS, AND RETIREMENT.

§ 51.1-124.22 amended.
Virginia Retirement System; overpayments. Permits the Virginia Retirement System ("VRS") to recoup overpayments of benefits paid under programs administered by VRS, from benefits paid under the VRS Group Insurance Plan. HB 200; CH. 80.

§ 51.1-126.5 amended.
Virginia Retirement System; defined contribution plan. Permits an employee who moves from a position covered under the Virginia Retirement System's ("VRS") defined contribution plan to a position covered under a different VRS retirement program to use his own funds to purchase service time in the new program if the amount in his defined contribution plan account is insufficient to pay the actuarial cost of the total time worked in the prior position. SB 540; CH. 206.

§§ 51.1-138, 51.1-205, and 51.1-216 amended.
Retirement; law-enforcement officers. Provides that law-enforcement officers in service on June 30, 2002, and July 1, 2002, with five or more years of creditable service are not required to serve at least five years as a member under a specific retirement system in order to receive maximum retirement benefits. The five-year requirement for service as a member under a specific retirement system was enacted by the 2002 Session of the General Assembly. HB 334; CH. 83 (effective 3/12/04).

§ 51.1-139 amended.
Virginia Retirement System; employer in default. Clarifies the process to occur when an employer becomes financially unable to make contributions to the Virginia Retirement System on behalf of its employees. SB 541; CH. 207.

§§ 22.1-79 and 51.1-155 amended; § 22.1-70.3 added.
Rehiring of retired teachers; designation of critical need areas. Directs local school boards to annually survey their respective divisions to identify critical shortages of teachers and administrative personnel by subject matter, and report such critical shortages to the Superintendent of Public Instruction and to the Virginia Retirement System (VRS). The school board may delegate this duty to the division superintendent. Retired persons rehired as teachers and administrators for such identified shortage positions may elect to continue to receive VRS benefits.
Under current law, only the Superintendent of Public Instruction is empowered to identify the critical shortage areas; this authority expires on July 1, 2005. Similarly, additional enactment clauses create a corresponding July 1, 2005, sunset for this measure. HB 1171; CH. 563 (effective 4/12/04).

§ 51.1-164 amended.
Virginia Retirement System benefits; payment to successor of decedent by affidavit. Permits benefits to be paid to a person claiming to be the successor of a deceased member upon his filing an affidavit certifying, among other things, that the value of the entire personal probate estate does not exceed the maximum value of such estate allowed to be processed by affidavit under the Virginia Small Estate Act (currently $15,000). Under current law Virginia Retirement Benefits cannot be paid under such conditions if the value of the entire personal probate estate exceeds $10,000. HB 201; CH. 81.

§ 51.1-206 amended.
Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System. Classifies service rendered as an employee under the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System as service rendered in a hazardous position for purposes of retirement benefits under or pursuant to the State Police Officers' Retirement System. The bill applies to persons retiring on or after October 1, 1999. SB 311; CH. 687.

§ 51.1-303 amended.
Judicial Retirement System; technical correction. Makes a technical correction to the maximum credit that a former judge may transfer to the Virginia Retirement System when he accepts a nonjudicial position covered by the Virginia Retirement System. SB 174; CH. 672.

§ 51.1-505 amended.
Group life and accident insurance for state and local employees. Provides an employee who has at least 20 years of creditable service with life insurance benefits equal to twice the amount of his highest annual salary, and provides a retiree, who retired with at least 20 years of creditable service, and then returns to work in a covered position, with life insurance equal to the greater of twice his highest salary or the amount he would have been eligible for had he remained retired. The bill does not apply to eligible employees who retired or retire on or after July 1, 1999, provided that such employees are alive on or after July 1, 2004. HB 199; CH. 102.

§ 51.1-602 amended.
Government Employees Deferred Compensation Plan Act; collection of administrative fees by political subdivisions. Permits participating political subdivisions to collect administrative fees imposed by the Virginia Retirement System from participating employees. HB 551; CH. 86.

§ 22.1-199.1 amended; §§ 51.1-617 and 51.1-618 added.
Enhanced compensation and retirement benefits for certain employees of local public school boards. Authorizes local school boards to employ turnaround specialists to address conditions at a public school that may impede educational progress and effectiveness and academic success. The bill also authorizes local school boards to offer increased retirement benefits and compensation to turnaround specialists and licensed instructional personnel teaching in a subject matter in grades six, seven, or eight under a middle school critical shortage program adopted by the State Board of Education. HB 576; CH. 436.

§§ 51.1-1000 through 51.1-1003 amended; § 51.1-1004 added.
State and local retirement systems; electronic communication. Permits the Virginia Retirement System and certain local retirement systems to communicate required information to members and beneficiaries through electronic media. SB 599; CH. 209.

§ 51.1-1103 amended.
Virginia Sickness and Disability Program; suspension of eligibility. Clarifies that an employee is ineligible to participate in the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program during any period of nonpay status due to suspension pending investigation or outcome of employment-related court action. HB 700; CH. 186.

§ 51.1-1110 amended.
Virginia Sickness and Disability Program. Precludes payment of short-term disability benefits for elective medical procedures, including surgery, during an initial six-month probationary period without approval of the employer. The employee shall give reasonable advance notice to his immediate supervisor and the employer shall not unreasonably withhold authorization for such medically necessary absences. Current law provides such coverage beginning the first day of employment. The provisions do not apply to short-term disability benefits for which payment began prior to July 1, 2004. SB 628; CH. 1019.

§ 51.1-1112 amended.
Virginia Sickness and Disability Program; long-term disability benefits; state employees. Requires employees, as a condition to receiving long-term disability benefits under the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program, to apply for Social Security disability benefits unless they are otherwise directed. HB 699; CH. 96.

§§ 51.1-1113 and 51.1-1124 amended.
Sickness and Disability Program for state employees. Clarifies that when an employee receives long-term disability benefits and returns to active employment in any position, not just the same position he previously held, then any succeeding period of disability shall constitute a new period of disability. HB 701; CH. 97.

§ 51.1-1114 amended.
Virginia Sickness and Disability Program; collection of disability overpayments. Permits the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Retirement System to collect overpayments of disability benefits from any payments due the disabled member's survivor and beneficiaries. Under current law the Board is authorized to make such collections from payments due directly to the disabled member. HB 703; CH. 99.

§§ 51.1-1117, 51.1-1123, and 51.1-1133 amended.
Virginia Sickness and Disability Program; actuary. Clarifies that the actuary authorized to recommend certain benefit adjustments is the actuary of the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program, instead of the actuary of the Virginia Retirement System. HB 702; CH. 98.

§ 51.1-1400 amended.
Retirement health insurance credits. Clarifies that retirees under the state optional and alternative retirement plans are eligible for the health insurance credits provided to state retirees. HB 163; CH. 79.

§ 51.1-1401 amended.
Retirement; health insurance credits for retired school superintendents. Provides that school superintendents who retire pursuant to the alternative defined contribution plan shall receive the same health insurance credit benefits afforded to retired teachers. HB 356; CH. 84.