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Committee advances bill altering PERS post‑retirement death benefits to floor
Summary
Senate Bill 852, which modifies post‑retirement death‑benefit rules for multiple PERS membership tiers, was advanced to the House floor with a due‑pass recommendation and will be carried by Vice Chair Elmer.
The committee advanced Senate Bill 852 to the House floor after a brief work session on April 23. Committee staff summarized four substantive changes affecting post‑retirement death benefits within the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS):
• For members of the Individual Account Program (IAP) who elect installment payments and die before their entire account is paid out, the remaining account balance would be paid as a lump sum.
• When an additional monthly death benefit payable to surviving spouses or children of specified police officers and firefighters is less than $200 per month, the beneficiary would receive an actuarial lump‑sum equivalent in lieu of the monthly amount.
• The bill removes a provision allowing an Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP) member to change from a survivorship benefit to a single‑life option after retirement when the relationship to the beneficiary is terminated after retirement.
• It permits a surviving spouse of a tier 1 or tier 2 PERS member who is the member’s beneficiary to elect certain statutory options and designate themselves as beneficiary in circumstances where a member attained normal retirement age and retired but died before a statutory deadline to change retirement benefit options.
Erin, the committee staff member, told the committee the bill had minimal fiscal impact and no revenue impact and reported the Senate vote (27 aye, 1 no, 2 excused). Vice Chair Munoz moved the bill to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation. Desi called the roll; the record shows Representative Bossard Davis was excused and the motion passed. Vice Chair Elmer volunteered to carry the bill on the House floor.
Motion: Vice Chair Munoz moved Senate Bill 852 to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation.
Vote (recorded in transcript): Representative Bossard Davis — excused; Representative Ragland — yes; Representative Nelson — yes; Representative Sharp — yes; Vice Chair Elmer — yes; Vice Chair Munoz — yes; Chair Graber — yes. The motion passed.
