§ 17-127 — Financing; revenues for the Fund

(a) The revenues for the Fund shall consist of: (1) amounts paid into the Fund by contributors thereto and from employer contributions and State appropriations in accordance with this Article; (2) amounts contributed to the Fund by an Employer; (3) amounts contributed to the Fund pursuant to any law now in force or hereafter to be enacted; (4) contributions from any other source; and (5) the earnings on investments. (b) The General Assembly finds that for many years the State has contributed to the Fund an annual amount that is between 20% and 30% of the amount of the annual State contribution to the Article 16 retirement system, and the General Assembly declares that it is its goal and intention to continue this level of contribution to the Fund in the future. (c) Beginning in State fiscal year 1999, the State shall include in its annual contribution to the Fund an additional amount equal to 0.544% of the Fund's total teacher payroll; except that this additional contribution need not be made in a fiscal year if the Board has certified in the previous fiscal year that the Fund is at least 90% funded, based on actuarial determinations. These additional State contributions are intended to offset a portion of the cost to the Fund of the increases in retirement benefits resulting from this amendatory Act of 1998. (d) In addition to any other contribution required under this Article, including the contribution required under subsection (c), the State shall contribute to the Fund the following amounts: (1) For State fiscal year 2018, the State shall contribute $221,300,000 for the employer normal cost for fiscal year 2018 and the amount allowed under paragraph (3) of Section 17-142.1 of this Code to defray health insurance costs. Funds for this paragraph (1) shall come from funds appropriated for Evidence-Based Funding pursuant to Section 18-8.15 of the School Code. (2) Beginning in State fiscal year 2019, the State shall contribute for each fiscal year an amount to be determined by the Fund, equal to the employer normal cost for that fiscal year, plus the amount allowed pursuant to paragraph (3) of Section 17-142.1 to defray health insurance costs. (e) The Board shall determine the amount of State contributions required for each fiscal year on the basis of the actuarial tables and other assumptions adopted by the Board and the recommendations of the actuary. On or before November 1 of each year, beginning November 1, 2017, the Board shall submit to the State Actuary, the Governor, and the General Assembly a proposed certification of the amount of the required State contribution to the Fund for the next fiscal year, along with all of the actuarial assumptions, calculations, and data upon which that proposed certification is based. On or before January 1 of each year, beginning January 1, 2018, the State Actuary shall issue a preliminary report concerning the proposed certification and identifying, if necessary, recommended changes in actuarial assumptions that the Board must consider before finalizing its certification of the required State contributions. (f) On or before January 15, 2018 and each January 15 thereafter, the Board shall certify to the Governor and the General Assembly the amount of the required State contribution for the next fiscal year. The certification shall include a copy of the actuarial recommendations upon which it is based and shall specifically identify the Fund's projected employer normal cost for that fiscal year. The Board's certification must note any deviations from the State Actuary's recommended changes, the reason or reasons for not following the State Actuary's recommended changes, and the fiscal impact of not following the State Actuary's recommended changes on the required State contribution. For the purposes of this Article, including issuing vouchers, and for the purposes of subsection (h) of Section 1.1 of the State Pension Funds Continuing Appropriation Act, the State contribution specified for State fiscal year 2018 shall be deemed to have been certified, by operation of law and without official action by the Board or the State Actuary, in the amount provided in subsection (c) and subsection (d) of this Section. (g) For State fiscal year 2018, the State Board of Education shall submit vouchers, as directed by the Board, for payment of State contributions to the Fund for the required annual State contribution under subsection (d) of this Section. These vouchers shall be paid by the State Comptroller and Treasurer by warrants drawn on the amount appropriated to the State Board of Education from the Common School Fund in Section 5 of Article 97 of Public Act 100-21. If State appropriations for State fiscal year 2018 are less than the amount lawfully vouchered under this subsection, the difference shall be paid from the Common School Fund under the continuing appropriation authority provided in Section 1.1 of the State Pension Funds Continuing Appropriation Act. (h) For State fiscal year 2018, the Board shall submit vouchers for the payment of State contributions to the Fund for the required annual State contribution under subsection (c) of this Section. Beginning in State fiscal year 2019, the Board shall submit vouchers for payment of State contributions to the Fund for the required annual State contribution under subsections (c) and (d) of this Section. These vouchers shall be paid by the State Comptroller and Treasurer by warrants drawn on the funds appropriated to the Fund for that fiscal year. If State appropriations to the Fund for the applicable fiscal year are less than the amount lawfully vouchered under this subsection, the difference shall be paid from the Common School Fund under the continuing appropriation authority provided in Section 1.1 of the State Pension Funds Continuing Appropriation Act.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.)