6. Proposal for plan design or amendment. The advisory committee shall or the retirement system staff may present to the board proposals for the consolidated retirement plan and amendments to the plan. Passage of any resolution or any other action by the advisory committee relating to proposals for the consolidated retirement plan or proposed amendments to the consolidated retirement plan requires 8 affirmative votes of a simple majority of the quorum or, if greater, of the voting members present.

SUMMARY

The bill makes the definition of Consumer Price Index that applies to judges consistent with the definition that applies to all other Maine State Retirement System members.

The bill brings state law into compliance with federal law with respect to the period of time that a member may continue to earn creditable service while on a leave of absence in order to serve in the military.

The bill extends rehabilitation services to additional disability retirement recipients and makes optional the participation in rehabilitation services designed to assist their return to substantially gainful activity. A disability recipient under this change could request rehabilitation services and, upon meeting certain criteria, receive them.

The bill repeals the discontinuance of disability retirement benefits to recipients who decline to participate in the rehabilitation services program.

The bill clarifies 2 subsections of the Maine Revised Statutes by combining them and makes the withdrawal of contributions optional when a member who is covered by the Social Security Act elects to cease contributing to Maine State Retirement System.

The bill makes the withdrawal of contributions from the Maine State Retirement System optional when a member who is covered by an employer-provided retirement plan elects to cease contributing to the Maine State Retirement System.