[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6025118,"mediaKeyId","5756429-2617a88d9717887e979a672a9329b732","parentId",5756429,"title","URS previews technical administrative bill to clarify definitions and membership council roles","audioSeconds",329,"startMs",5152000,"endMs",5481000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5756429-2617a88d9717887e979a672a9329b732&start=5152&end=5481","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5756429-2617a88d9717887e979a672a9329b732/thumbnail_5152000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6025118/Utah/URS-previews-technical-administrative-bill-to-clarify-definitions-and-membership-council-roles","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6025118-732218b9df28d00483dd9b17d8f416cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770861528&Signature=Sjp9EJ2gH4BfhtGsvbvxTffSvN2W8-RaTjp3bzSc1Up-rvhNq7xTtpMHKnS9gbAeUbX9fzGTlQfRrwOVjX-otVnm~Ct~RIvRHFmDv6XHvJFyTDnQjiYd0CcHmRtewmW6edqokenQHqLCu9Gd9Ak21Q0EEgfD4x4Fla8bZYj4U6htlP7AB5hMblFoMyeWsCt4wrCMygD2WnO95MrscDvMKXLLnrmSyOTgQkciJ6-AIsPpKCNiop0zZWy4nJ54-xX5VOvfepfaQjPyBKxXI3XrWiZ8K7ZFreY40SXJ8hDHVWZREDVo9nx0OaIXLZdzds1Ouzf5VFXQycfpVH-Q9mF2LQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Utah State Legislature","date","2025-09-09T00:00:00Z","article","URS general counsel Dee Larson told the committee about an annual bill URS plans to bring that will make technical and administrative clarifications to retirement law, including standardized definitions, membership council adjustments and other non‑substantive code cleanups.

The matter is informational for the committee because proposed statutory clarifications affect administration of retirement benefits and governance and may be considered in the legislative session as technical amendments.

Larson said the bill will propose moving common definitions (for example, bona fide determination of employment/separation of service) into a central chapter so the terminology is consistent across defined‑benefit and defined‑contribution provisions. Larson said the change is intended to be non‑substantive — a uniform terminology rather than a policy change — and would cover references such as the judges’ retention of tier‑1 status and conversion rules where members change tiers.

Larson said the membership council, a stakeholder advisory group formed in the 1980s to give employers and employee groups a voice while preserving the board’s investment‑focused composition, had asked to engage additional employer representatives such as the superintendent/school boards association and an executive‑branch representative because the state is the single largest employer. Larson said the membership council received the proposal positively at its recent meeting and that URS staff is working with stakeholders and drafting attorneys on the language.

Other items cited for the technical bill include a title change for the former deputy director position to the managing director of retirement (to align statute with current titles), an attorney‑general request for parity on certain senior staff exclusions, and a statutory clarification to reflect federal tax law limitations around a member’s permanent relinquishment of tax‑deferred benefits (Larson said federal law restricts members from relinquishing certain tax‑deferred retirement benefits, though beneficiaries may have different options). Larson said the bill is being drafted and URS will bring it back to the committee for review.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Retirement and Independent Entities Interim Committee - September 09, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","URS general counsel outlined planned technical and administrative changes to retirement statutes, including standardized definitions of separation/termination, clarifications for judges and conversions between tier statuses, and a request to expand membership council representation for employer stakeholder groups.","taxTitle","2025 Utah Legislature, Utah Legislature, Utah Legislative Branch, Utah","taxId",78171,"location","Utah","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6025123,"URS outlines ARIAS modernization plan, targets March 30, 2026 go‑live and $47M all‑in cost",528,4605000,5133000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5756429-2617a88d9717887e979a672a9329b732&start=4605&end=5133","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5756429-2617a88d9717887e979a672a9329b732/thumbnail_4605000.jpg","/articles/6025123/Utah/URS-outlines-ARIAS-modernization-plan-targets-March-30-2026-golive-and-47M-allin-cost","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6025123-ee0a6d13ab4f188eb6770f2d06cd44a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770861528&Signature=R4jaSvmgGRVk0Q-UfNPHbflezcPWTuzNEipKEdXZZ4GTPJjP2X4-j-ZakPubawX8n8ov1xLXjMmbRjh5KTjFXX8K5YNa-49e97F4XnehI21duQCMDXf7t7s-tSx0IsBMEa8JG0kbQFTKF~FOlcasBIeYPJCU6wUkcY5WRgBNNPo7KQnvd8CqpOQ--uYKDhBnr2IYh2f-jYsHg~iN9QC2AOTqrgu6cEdosf3VxNC4RgdVENcW7O3XAbmDT~-Rgh68riNVnScRdYYTyWQSDX4QBsomGiBajCw6BntXFco7B9fNG2nZ0AYaSR5hDNMNpRhRKHrYWkyuUhrSCVIo4e11MQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Utah Retirement Systems gave the committee an update on its multi‑year ARIAS modernization project, saying the new system aims to replace legacy recordkeeping, enable straight‑through processing for many transactions and improve member and employer service when it goes live March 30, 2026.

The project matters because URS manages retirement records and benefit payments for tens of thousands of public employees and retirees; a modern system is intended to reduce manual work, speed benefits processing and improve data security.

Dan Anderson, URS executive director, said the legacy system had supported the agency for about 40 years but used a programming language and data formats no longer supported. URS selected a vendor, Sagitec, to implement the new system and has focused substantial effort on data conditioning and conversion. Anderson said URS improved its data‑error rate (from about 0.04% to about 0.02% of records) but described the final fraction of problematic historic records as the “killer” portion of the project and one of the main reasons the effort took longer than initially planned.

Dee Larson and other URS staff described the workstreams: employer training, security vulnerability assessments, user training for staff, member outreach and extensive testing. Anderson said URS decided to target a spring 2026 go‑live rather than an end‑of‑year cutover to avoid layering implementation risk on top of end‑of‑year tax reporting and other year‑end activities.

When asked about cost, URS staff said the all‑in cost (vendor licensing, implementation, consulting and internal staff costs) is approximately $47,000,000, fully contained within URS’s budget and amortized under accounting rules. URS said it expects a period of post‑implementation updates and a punch list of items to address after go‑live, consistent with large IT projects.

Committee members asked whether the system ties into state systems; URS said ARIAS is URS’s system and that URS receives reports from the state but operates an independent system as an independent state agency. URS pledged to continue employer training and to brief the committee on progress as the project approaches the March 2026 go‑live date.

","URS described progress on the ARIAS upgrade to automate recordkeeping, noted significant data‑conversion work to clean decades of records, and said the all‑in project cost is about $47 million contained in URS’s budget.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6025128,"URS reports strong investment returns but rising payrolls push tier‑2 contribution rates up",502,4328000,4830000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5756429-2617a88d9717887e979a672a9329b732&start=4328&end=4830","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5756429-2617a88d9717887e979a672a9329b732/thumbnail_4328000.jpg","/articles/6025128/Utah/URS-reports-strong-investment-returns-but-rising-payrolls-push-tier2-contribution-rates-up","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6025128-8ae5fd3b4593a9b7a6a88ecd35468b68/orig.mp4?Expires=1770861528&Signature=SyWyl4EBYhqJ-HJlFY~14cAP6OYhNzKnF3~Y-eIV-w3mJTXYZvvhlrys90o2e7JZLRRryWpl2t8zH7pCcGhmQME61nHCiqeShGwuKoBJu-rkC7xhxsoBXsdvAN6e7z-up3VXnFGMpZWOk7sJil-aBbnSshxX76otb6Y43ulbF5pDl5nf07gyvbOtm~VN-vPkHAI7JLJ1EDJRwfYWlhPfgiPQJZfplhsSUQU7lpMimD~O-AWcYyk1fgs0XL2GZ1SSrEM-110BmQ19wIu5ebY5g46T-fJIL3m7ZBixOJkvj7No538iusJjYMm7jNT~hMjXGgDVjfRvFpawxz4M-KP5Eg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Utah Retirement Systems officials told the committee the pension fund posted positive investment returns and a funded ratio in the mid‑90s, but salary growth since 2022 raised liabilities for the newer tier‑2 plan and led to a modest contribution rate increase targeted at stabilizing funding over the long term.

The update matters because contribution rate changes affect employee paychecks and employer payroll costs across state, education and local government budgets; the committee was briefed on the board’s contribution‑rate management approach and the rationale for both increases and reductions across risk pools.

Dan Anderson, URS executive director, said the defined‑benefit fund had about $48 billion as of Dec. 31, 2024, and a year‑to‑date market value near $51 billion. URS reported approximately 82,000 beneficiaries. Anderson described the funded ratio as “in the mid‑nineties” on actuarial metrics and said investment returns are a substantial component of long‑term benefit funding.

Dee Larson, general counsel, and URS staff walked the committee through why tier‑2 contribution rates rose while some tier‑1 and other risk pool amortization rates were lowered under the board’s contribution rate management plan. URS presented actuarial data showing expected payroll increases versus actual payroll increases for 2024: for several employer groups, actual payroll growth materially exceeded actuarial assumptions (examples cited: expected educator payroll growth 5.3% vs. actual 9.2% in 2024). That greater‑than‑expected payroll growth increases projected future benefit liabilities because retirement benefits are tied to salary history.

As a result the preliminary tier‑2 public employee contribution rate for fiscal 2026–27 was shown as 11.38% (an increase of about 0.49 percentage points) and URS said that increase is charged to members because employer liability for tier‑2 is statutorily capped. URS said it added a 30 basis‑point contingency to the actuarial result to guard against additional payroll growth that might be recognized in the near term.

URS staff emphasized that the contribution rate management plan adopted under statute smooths reductions and prevents a sudden drop in amortization rates that would create volatility. The board approved preliminary rates; URS said these remain subject to statutory changes and routine actuarial review. URS staff said some risk pools (local government) qualified for amortization rate decreases that free ongoing payroll dollars for employers; state/school pools had a smaller decrease because payroll growth in those pools was larger.

Legislators asked about the timeframe to reach 100% funding for tier‑2 and whether the current rate would be sufficient; URS said earlier projections suggested roughly 7 years but cautioned the timeline is a moving target and depends on future payroll and investment experience. URS said the agency’s actuarial review cycle (annual tuning and a deeper triennial review) will continue to refine assumptions and rates.

","URS reported 2024 fund values, strong returns and a mid‑nineties funded ratio but said unusually high payroll growth in recent years increased liabilities for the newer tier‑2 plan, prompting a 0.49 percentage‑point increase to an 11.38% tier‑2 contribution rate for fiscal 2026–27.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6025133,"Utah Retirement Systems says backlog nearly cleared after staffing and process changes",244,1376000,1620000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5756429-2617a88d9717887e979a672a9329b732&start=1376&end=1620","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5756429-2617a88d9717887e979a672a9329b732/thumbnail_1376000.jpg","/articles/6025133/Utah/Utah-Retirement-Systems-says-backlog-nearly-cleared-after-staffing-and-process-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6025133-4cc0284fa79f2cd619f6a7e441a7edc7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770861528&Signature=HmrlZd8hgujFs-0riHkFPg2w1RWmx3rJMlvSYAdr74HBuyCyVmsJsNlNwKnN1eIwMd0f3KwRSKH3n1LT1APcrQ0G3NPVtFYLGziIZi-adbJHT35F9A1qlEMUUoiTUwwd5zXO7KpzM9Up0igBsgVKW8qLVf0qr8XitYkqLNpNc-ibxa6MeHrFtFTTING0Gzn330-35gQtbUqh1EA11e-lkTFPhRRsE23dQRD5~ARLZnN8g5JSJZrPDJzvhWS1aHRoxkELjERmRGihNIf-aKxEYeK313cJOom5TLDuE4GCynego9V9Q8sfVj-Hmy2n9A2PTxoziw0JO3k43RWsL6af4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Utah Retirement Systems (URS) told the Retirement and Independent Entities Committee it has reduced a backlog in initial retirement payments by addressing staffing shortages, reassigning employees from an IT project and improving employer and member data collection.

The update matters because delayed initial retirement payments affect retirees’ household finances and public confidence in benefit administration; URS described corrective measures and set expectations for further improvements when a new system goes live.

Dan Anderson, executive director of URS, said the retirement application, calculation and payment process is largely manual today and URS has been implementing a new system intended to enable more straight‑through electronic processing. Anderson said URS chose not to expand the benefits department while the IT project was underway and that staff reallocations and departures left the department short-handed during a critical phase. “We will get to here in a minute the new system that we're in the process of implementing,” Anderson said. “We immediately started to address the situation” by hiring new staff, reassigning employees back to benefits work and bringing in other departments.

Anderson said URS had at one point been “maybe 300 applicants beyond the 90 days,” a level he described as unacceptable; by the time of the committee meeting URS reported about 16 applicants remaining beyond the 90‑day target. He noted common causes for extended timelines include incomplete employer or member information and unresolved domestic relations orders related to divorce.

Committee members asked how retirees were notified and how URS communicated progress. Anderson said URS sent letters to applicants when cases exceeded 90 days and that the letters prompted follow-up conversations. Representative Kristofferson asked for a step‑by‑step explanation of the current retirement process; Anderson described the process at a high level: members may request estimates during their careers; they may apply up to 90 days before or after the final day of work; URS reviews hire and termination dates and earnings and performs multiple manual checks before payment runs at the end of the month.

On automation, Anderson said the new system will provide more timely status information to applicants and noted a planned go‑live for the new system of March 30, 2026. Representative Thurston asked for confirmation that the system will improve automation; Anderson said it will and scheduled a more detailed update on March 30. URS staff said they are monitoring metrics regularly and will intervene if delays recur; Kendall Grama (managing director of retirement) and Dustin Seeley (manager of retirement calculations) were named as operational leads overseeing the recovery and monitoring effort.

Committee members requested improved advance notice to legislative staff if service issues recur, so lawmakers can respond quickly to constituent inquiries. URS agreed to keep the committee informed of material reversals in progress.

","URS officials told the committee a multi-year manual process and an IT modernization project created a backlog in retirement application processing; new hires, reassignments and employer coordination reduced the count from hundreds beyond the 90‑day target to about 16 cases.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6025137,"Utah Dairy Commission and Dairy West outline farmer programs, school and retail partnerships",0,2786000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5756429-2617a88d9717887e979a672a9329b732&start=2786&end=2786","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5756429-2617a88d9717887e979a672a9329b732/thumbnail_2786000.jpg","/articles/6025137/Utah/Utah-Dairy-Commission-and-Dairy-West-outline-farmer-programs-school-and-retail-partnerships","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6025137-e95174977439a2373cd625db52200ff4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770861528&Signature=ihpQGBS~h9NYcZ2-qOPzB7MsSuWow0X17OtRYUWSK-YpJfeWLK0fVWoly2yrwRkXKa9ow1~ZOK-OW35d9M0A4ovUfNVxrYgxt4ZPuLZY8-3hTt4ZaiGhcy300-KHTl-8BtCELPB0ymrEcOfPgWQYmKn44ofUD2bMExjDx6T069b7XvmS~4eJnCfHONchGq9LAMRJw0MKny5V0X684ah42ohwVttd7ooC0oOfwbHh4kvu63k6Nik9dzVHINVxTL2eezka-I1y4AGJTuPGEu92-rUuN0rlLdS3b7V6GFR8KkzmIUtvx-cf24VI6UkKq0mVgB1aoaMmOCuqmdVDtQxduA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Utah Dairy Commission leaders and Dairy West representatives told the Legislature’s Retirement and Independent Entities Committee about programs that promote Utah milk, support farmers and work in school nutrition and retail partnerships. The presentation included the commission’s funding structure and recent regional partnerships.

The report matters because the commission is a state-recognized independent entity that uses industry check‑off funds to market dairy products, run farmer-support programs and collaborate with schools and retailers that serve Utah families.

David Roberts, chair of the Utah Dairy Commission and a Beaver, Utah dairyman, said the commission was formed in 1953 and became an independent entity in 2016. “We are funded by the 15¢ check off. 10¢ of that check off stays here locally and 5¢ is used nationally,” Roberts said. He described a nine-member board composed primarily of dairymen, with two nonvoting advisory members including a state university dean and a commissioner representative.

Anne Lacuta, who works from Dairy West’s Draper office and oversees innovation and insights, described Dairy West’s mission to “inspire trust, build demand and foster innovation for a thriving dairy industry.” She said Dairy West supports school nutrition programs, sports nutrition partnerships with teams and institutions, and growing retail efforts including promotions with retail partners and e-commerce collaborations.

Lacey Papageorge, farmer relations manager at Dairy West and a fourth-generation dairy farmer, said Utah has about 100 dairy farms, 98% family owned, roughly 90,000 dairy cows producing about 2,100,000,000 pounds of milk annually, and that farms support rural jobs. She described farmer-facing programs: 23 scholarships awarded annually across Utah and Idaho, a farmer ambassador program that connects producers with board members and partners, bilingual safety training for managers, and an annual ice cream festival at the Utah State Fair that raised funds for the food bank.

Committee members asked whether federal funding changes to school nutrition had affected Dairy West’s work. Lacuta said the organization’s school nutrition specialist works directly with school directors and that school budgets are strained; she said the cutbacks committee members referenced were not directly reducing Dairy West’s funding but are creating budget challenges for school partners.

On check‑off accounting and voluntary producer contributions, the commission explained the flow of funds: the 15¢ check‑off per hundredweight includes a 5¢ national portion and a 10¢ state portion; a $0.25 diversion from the national portion to a state dairy producer organization was described as layered inside that 5¢; separate voluntary assessments for producer organizations were described as independent of the mandatory 15¢ check‑off. Michael (legislative representative for dairy producers, name as spoken) clarified that the mandatory 5¢ funds national advertising and education (policy work is prohibited with mandatory funds), while voluntary producer organizations fund policy and advocacy.

Committee members thanked the presenters and noted the commission’s periodic reports are part of the committee’s oversight of independent entities that receive state recognition or support. The commission representatives said they perform annual audits, contract annually with Dairy West for regional marketing, and meet four to six times a year in open meetings.

The presentation concluded with staff noting Dairy West’s ongoing measurement of program impact through consumer perception tracking, sales-lift analysis and partner and farmer feedback.

The committee moved on after the presentation to the next agenda items.

","At a Retirement and Independent Entities Committee meeting, the Utah Dairy Commission and Dairy West described their funding model, farmer programs, school-meal support and retail initiatives; committee members asked about school meal budget pressures and check‑off accounting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

URS previews technical administrative bill to clarify definitions and membership council roles

URS outlines ARIAS modernization plan, targets March 30, 2026 go‑live and $47M all‑in cost

URS reports strong investment returns but rising payrolls push tier‑2 contribution rates up

Utah Retirement Systems says backlog nearly cleared after staffing and process changes

Utah Dairy Commission and Dairy West outline farmer programs, school and retail partnerships