Employer

Update

Please distribute this publication to all Administrative, Payroll, and Human Resource Personnel

As previously reported, effective July

1, the employer contribution rate will

increase for the Public Employees'

Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS)

from 14.26 percent to a fixed rate

of 15.75 percent. (See table below.)

Employers using a vendor or third party

to manage payroll should alert the

appropriate entity to the rate change as

soon as possible.

The rate increase is in conjunction

with the PERS Board of Trustees revised

funding policy that establishes a fixed

employer contribution rate and sets a

goal for PERS to be more than 80 percent

funded by 2042.

Under the funding policy, contribution

rates will no longer be established

annually based on a rolling 30-year

amortization period. The focus will be

on the long-term funded status of the

plan and minimizing the volatility in the

contribution rate.

Quarterly Publication w Spring 2013

In this Issue

Legislation 2

Regulatory Changes 2

Holiday Office Closings 2

Agency Joinder Agreement 3

Attorney General Opinions 3

PERS Q&A 3

Disability Retirement Guide 3

Online Forms Updates 4

Board News 4

Reminder:

Employer Contribution Rate to Increase July 1Retirement Education restructured for employer convenience

Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS) and Optional Retirement Plan (ORP)

Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Retirement System (MHSPRS)

Supplemental Legislative Retirement Plan (SLRP)

2013 14.26% 9.00% $250,000 $50,000

2014 15.75% 9.00% $255,000 $51,000

Fiscal Year Employer Employee Maximum Annual ORP Annual 415 July 1 - June 30 Covered Earnings Contribution Limit

2013 37.00% 7.25% **

2014 TBD* TBD* **

2014 7.40% 3.00% Same as PERS

* To

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Employer and Employee Contribution Rates

Employer eUpdates

are a convenient

way to get

important PERS news fast! Visit

PERS online, www.pers.state.

ms.us, to sign up today.

PERS eUpdates

Beginning April 1, employers will be

able to schedule a visit from PERS to

best suit their organization's needs and

convenience.

PERS representatives provide your

organization's staff on-site presentations

about retirement procedures, use of

forms, and the effect of legislation on

retirement law, policy, and regulations.

They also offer one-on-one sessions, as

needed.

These representatives will now be

centralized in Jackson and available

by appointment to accommodate each

employer's schedule.

To arrange a visit from a representative,

call 601-359-3589 or 800-444-7377 or

e-mail PMailAccount@pers.ms.gov.

Page 2 - Employer Update - Spring 2013

Regulation 35 (amended)

Filing an Application for Monthly Benefits and

Establishing an Effective Date of Retirement

Effective date February 1, 2013

• Amended § 101.2.b to incorporate the changes

to the names and numbers of the forms

that comprise the Application for Disability

Retirement;

• Added §§ 101.3.f, 101.3.g, 101.3.i, and 101.3.j

to incorporate certain existing rules relative

to the payment of dependent child survivor

benefits; and

• Added § 101.3.h to:

1. terminate the dependent child survivor

benefit when a child is no longer enrolled

as a full-time student (i.e., similar to the

rule that is already in place relative to a

child who marries);

2. cease the long-standing practice of

suspending and subsequently reinstating

dependent child survivor benefits when

a child withdraws from school and later

reenrolls; and

3. grant the executive director the

discretionary authority to approve the

reinstatement of the dependent child

survivor benefits in certain limited

circumstances.

PERS 2013 Legislative Update

These amendments to existing regulations were

recently approved by the PERS Board of Trustees.

To see all PERS Board of Trustees Regulations,

visit PERS online at www.pers.state.ms.us/

employerservices/selectedregulations.html.

PERS Board of Trustees Regulatory Changes

Approved by Governor House Bill 990, (Huddleston 15th) Approved March 21.

This legislation clarifies the investments section of the

law so that it is consistent with the current investment

environment and updates the investment opportunity set

to allow PERS to take advantage of additional investment

options.

House Bill 1174 (Currie) Approved March 20. This

legislation amends the definition of earned compensation

to: prospectively exclude the value of maintenance from

earned compensation effective July 1, 2013; grandfather

those who have maintenance reported to PERS as earned

compensation as of June 30, 2013; prospectively exclude

performance-based incentive payments from earned

compensation effective July 1, 2013; and clarify that

in-kind benefits are not reportable to PERS as earned

compensation.

Pending - As of March 22 House Bill 1015 (Smith 39th) March 18, the House

declined to concur with the Senate amendments to the

bill; so, the House has invited conference. This bill,

if enacted, would increase the amount of the driver’s

license reinstatement fee from $25 to $100 with $25

of the increased fee used for funding the Mississippi

Highway Safety Patrol Retirement System (MHSPRS) and

another $25 used for funding PERS. No revenue estimates

are known; however, this measure would provide

additional revenue for MHSPRS and for PERS.

House Bill 1623 (Frierson) March 20, the House declined

to concur with the Senate amendments to the bill; so,

the House has invited conference. This is PERS’ FY 2014

appropriation (budget) bill.

Senate Bill 2405 (Blount) March 22, the Senate

concurred with amended version of bill. Bill now goes to

Governor. If enacted, this bill would authorize counties

at their discretion to pay to PERS the required employer

contributions on the net fee income for constables.

PERS to close for holidays

Confederate Memorial Day .............. April 29

National Memorial Day/Jefferson Davis' Birthday ..................May 27

www.pers.state.ms.us - Page 3

August 3, 2012 - Dillard

No authority exists for a community hospital to

pay for retiree health coverage unless the retirees

are reemployed pursuant to Miss. Code Ann.

§ 25-11-127, or such coverage is provided by way

of a retirement plan authorized in Miss. Code Ann.

§ 41-13-35(5)(b).

November 27, 2012 - Polles

Section 49-1-13 of the Mississippi Code authorizes

the executive director of the Mississippi

Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks to

reemploy retired conservation officers as contract

workers, for the limited purpose of performing

seasonal law enforcement duties. Such

reemployed retirees would, however, be subject

to the limitations and restrictions set out in Miss.

Code Ann. § 25-11-127.

Q. One of our employees is retiring and does not

have a copy of his beneficiary's birth certificate.

Does he have to have this certificate to name this

beneficiary with PERS?

A. While a birth certificate is preferred, PERS

will accept a copy of a beneficiary's passport or

valid driver's license if the certificate cannot be

obtained.

Attorney General Opinions

PERS Q&A

PERS has created a new guide to help members and

employers navigate the disability retirement process.

The PERS Disability Retirement Guide, which can be

downloaded from www.pers.state.ms.us, provides insight

to the retirement process for individuals making a disability

retirement claim. Along with giving details about duty-

related and non-duty-related disability, the guide outlines

the application process and lists roles and responsibilities for

the applicant, the employer, and the PERS benefit analyst.

The guide also details each of the 11 forms used in the

disability retirement application process and provides insight

to both the Medical Board process and the appeals process.

Finally, the guide gives a what-to-expect overview to

applicants as they go through the disability application

process, as well as once they complete the process.

A similar guide for service retirement is being planned for

online publication later this year.

These documents are both new, so PERS welcomes input from

members and employers as to how we can improve them.

Please let us know how we can better serve you.

PERS Disability Retirement Guide now available online

Disability Retirement Guide

Providing Benefits for Life

Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi

Disability retirement benefits available

through the Public Employees' Retirement

System of Mississippi (PERS) provide

you with a secure income if you become

permanently sick or injured while employed

in a PERS-covered position and can no

longer perform the job's essential duties.

If you are an inactive member, disability

retirement coverage is only extended to

you upon proof that the qualifying disability

occurred within six months of termination

and that the disability was a direct cause

for termination from covered employment.

Your membership is considered inactive if

you are no longer working in any PERS-

covered position and have not retired or

received a refund of your contributions.

PERS provides two types of disability

retirement benefits: non-duty-related and

duty-related.

Non-Duty-Related Disability

To qualify for non-duty-related disability

retirement, you must meet the vesting

requirement for your Retirement Tier.

Members are covered for non-duty-related

disability retirement in one of two plans:

• Age-Limited Disability Plan -

Applicable to members employed

before July 1, 1992, who did not

elect the Tiered Disability Plan and

who have not received a refund of

contributions since July 1, 1992 (See

page 6.)

• Tiered Disability Plan - Applicable

to members employed before July 1,

1992, who elected the Tiered Disability

Plan; offered as sole plan selection to

new members who enter PERS on or

after July 1, 1992 (See page 7.)

If you are an inactive member who returns

to covered employment then applies for

non-duty-related disability retirement within

six months, you must be vested at the time

of application and must prove that you

were physically capable of performing the

job at the time of hire.

Duty-Related Disability

You may be eligible for duty-related

disability retirement if you become disabled

as a direct result of a physical injury

sustained from an accident or traumatic

event caused by external violence

or physical force that occurred in the

performance of official job duties. This

coverage begins on the first day of PERS-

covered employment. Duty-related disability

benefits are the higher of either 50 percent

of average compensation (tax-exempt) or

the non-duty-related disability amount.

Joinder AgreementsTown of MetcalfeSocial Security and retirement coverage for all

employees with the effective dates of December 31,

2012, and January 1, 2013, respectively.

West Rankin Utility AuthoritySocial Security and retirement coverage for all

employees with the effective dates of February 28,

2013, and March 1, 2013, respectively.

Page 4 - Employer Update - Spring 2013

Providing Benef its for Life

PERS Board of Trustees

Contact PERS800.444.7377 or 601.359.3589

PERS Employer Hotline601.359.2090

www.pers.state.ms.us

Disclosure This newsletter contains general information about your retirement system and is not a legal reference. For detailed explanations about all PERS retirement systems, call the PERS office or visit us online.

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDJackson, MS

Permit No. 531429 Mississippi StreetJackson, MS 39201-1005

Board Chairman & Public Schools and Community/ Junior Colleges Representative Lee Childress

Retirees Representatives Virgil F. Belue Richard C. Miller

County Employees Representative Bill Benson

State Treasurer Lynn Fitch

Institutions of Higher Learning Representative Cecil L. Hill

Municipal Employees Representative Tom Lariviere

State Employees Representatives Susan M. Harris H.S. “Butch” McMillan

Gubernatorial Appointee Jack Wilson

The PERS online Forms Library has been updated in recent

months.

Our forms have been reformatted to improve efficiency and

accuracy in both completing and processing. Plus, we are

working to make our online forms interactive to better serve

our customers and improve staff workflow.

Furthermore, several forms have been added to the Forms

Library, including the recently reformatted disability

retirement application (forms DSBL 1 through DSBL 6), the

Notice of Appeal, the Public Information Request, and the

Employer Request for Member Information. These additional

forms are interactive, as well.

We urge you to bookmark the Forms Library page on our

website so that you can easily access it when you need a PERS

form. Using the forms PERS posts online ensures you are always

using the most up-to-date version of our forms.

We will continue making updates to the Forms Library during

the next several months, and we hope that you will find the

updates convenient and helpful. Please let us know if you have

any suggestions for us as we work to improve the library.

Online Forms Library updated

PERS mailed ballots, biographical information, and

candidate statements March 12 to eligible voters

for a runoff election to determine the new PERS

Board of Trustees retiree representative.

The candidates in the runoff are Dr. Randy D.

McCoy of Tupelo and Samuel (Sam) W. Valentine,

of Carthage. Votes must be cast by mail, phone,

or online by 5 p.m. April 11. Instructions on the

voting process are on the ballot that will be

mailed to PERS retirees.

The election schedule and a sample ballot are

available on the PERS website, www.pers.state.

ms.us, through April 11.

Board News

Retiree Runoff Election