2022 legislation summary at ForwardWithFPPA.org

• House Bill 20-1044 (Link to Colorado General Assembly Website)
• 2020 legislation summary at ForwardWithFPPA.org

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 18-1056

Statewide Health History Form

• Allows FPPA to implement an electronic statewide health history form.
• Closes gap on preexisting conditions omitted from completed health history form.

House Bill 18-1031

FPPA Defined Benefit System - Reentry

• Allows an employer to enroll new employees in the FPPA defined benefit system.
• Simplifies statutory process for local money purchase department to join FPPA.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 17-020

Voting Requirements for Reentry

Current law specifies that an employer in a statewide pension plan administered by the fire and police pension association may modify its status in the plan through a vote of the members of the plan. In some cases, a modification must be approved by 65% of the members employed by the employer, and in other cases, a modification must be approved by 65% of the members employed by the employers who vote in the election for the modification. The bill creates a uniform approval standard by requiring that any modifications be approved by 65% of the members employed by the employer who vote in the election for the plan modification.

Senate Bill 17-013

Multi-Employer 457 Plan

To assist fire and police pension association (FPPA) employers in establishing a deferred compensation plan, the FPPA board of directors (board) is currently authorized to develop a master deferred compensation plan document for use by employers to establish individual plans. The bill authorizes the board to develop a multi-employer deferred compensation plan document to allow employers to join a multi-employer plan.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 16-1028

Concerning the Statewide Death and Disability Plan

If a member of the fire and police pension association (FPPA) has a temporary disability and returns to work or retires and receives contributions to the member's normal retirement plan for the member's time on temporary disability, the amount of the contribution to the member's normal retirement plan will be an amount that is equal to the employer and employee contribution rate to the member's normal retirement plan at the time of disability, rather than 16% of the member's monthly base salary (pensionable earnings). The amount of the contribution for the time the member was on temporary disability will not exceed 16% of the member's monthly base salary (pensionable earnings). 

A newly hired FPPA member is required to complete a statewide standard health history form within 30 days of the newly hired member's first day of employment and then submitted to FPPA within 60 days. 

House Bill 16-1038

Concerning optional affiliation with the FPPA by certain County Sheriff Departments

County sheriff departments that do not participate in social security are allowed to affiliate with the fire and police pension association. 

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 15-025

Distinction for Service Awarded Due to Plan-to-Plan Transfers from Service Credit Purchases under the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan

• The current law requires that plan–to-plan transfers be treated as service credit purchases in the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan. This bill authorizes a separate process for member to be granted service credit for additional service upon the qualified transfer of funds from an eligible pension plan in order to exhaust the member’s balance in that plan.

Senate Bill 15-026

Participation in the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan after a Merger or Consolidation

• Members employed by a predecessor department and who begin participation in the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan as a result of a merger or consolidation would pay the continuing rate of contribution assessed for members who have re-entered the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan.

Senate Bill 15-027

Board Authority Legislation

• The bill centralizes the authority for FPPA to assess interest for late payments and draft consistent rules for the waiver of interest across all plans.

• This bill authorizes the Board to find certain employer costs incurred due to regulatory compliance to be de minimis and paid from plan assets or to be assessed against the employer.

Senate Bill 15-028

Participation in the Statewide Death & Disability Plan

• The Department Fire Chief and Police Chief are allowed to opt out of participation in the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan into an alternative pension plan under current law. This bill clarifies that the alternative plan must be the Statewide Hybrid Plan, the Statewide Money Purchase Plan or a locally administered money purchase plan.

• This bill further provides that chiefs who opt out may participate in the Statewide Death and Disability Plan if the alternative pension plan has a contribution rate of at least 16%.

• Beginning in 2017, this bill requires any department that participates in the Statewide Death and Disability Plan Social Security Supplemental Plan to also participate in the Statewide Defined Benefit Social Security Supplemental Plan.

Senate Bill 15-029

Study of Volunteer Pension Plans in the State of Colorado

• The bill proposes a study of volunteer plans. Upon receipt of the study the state auditor, FPPA, and DOLA are to work collectively to develop recommendations for the legislature regarding changes to the system of volunteer firefighter pension plans.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 14-024

Concerning the responsibilities of certain entities in managing volunteer firefighter pension plans that are affiliated with the Fire and Police Pension Association

• Allow for direct distribution by the Department of Local Affairs of state assistance to volunteer firefighter pension plans to FPPA on behalf of FPPA-affiliated plans.
• Enumerate the responsibilities of the FPPA and of the participating departments with regard to the administration and management of the volunteer firefighter pension plans affiliated with FPPA.

Senate Bill 14-031

Concerning modifications to the administration of the Old Hire Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Pension Plans

• Modify authority to purchase annuities to wind down an old hire plan
• Repeal sections of the statute implementing state assistance to old hire plans.
• End level dollar employer contributions for state assisted plans which began in 1994. Beginning in 2015, require that contributions be made in an amount determined as required by the plan’s actuary.
• Clarify that the amortization period for old hire plans not fully funded to not exceed the lesser of twenty years or the number of years equal to the average remaining life expectancy of the pension fund’s members.
• Enumerate the responsibilities of FPPA and of the participating departments with regard to the administration and management of the old hire pension plans affiliated with FPPA.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 13-011

• While not limited to same-sex partnerships, this law provides for those in civil unions to be recognized as a spouse under Colorado law.
• The Act specifically recognizes those who enter in to a civil union to have the same benefits provided for spouses under pension and death and disability plans provided for firefighters and police officers

Senate Bill 13-080

This law provides that FPPA and the plans it administers do not have liability for benefits if an employer fails to properly enroll a potential member in a plan.

Senate Bill 13-240

This law allows FPPA to amend the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan upon approval of 65% of those members voting in the election and 50% of those employers voting in the election.

Senate Bill 13-234

In 2014, the State made its final contribution to assist Old Hire Pension Plan funding with a contribution of over $142 million dollars.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 12-1031

• This bill gives the FPPA Board authority to make plan amendments to the SWDB plan, the CSNHP plan, the SWH plan, the SWMP plan, and the SWD&D plan as necessary to make the administration of the plans consistent and uniform. It does not permit changes to the normal benefit or changes that have an actuarial cost.
• This bill enables FPPA to more efficiently manage the many different plans it is responsible for administering.

House Bill 12-1018

• This bill repeals language regarding the former plan that was replaced in 2007.
• This bill also provides for employers participating in the Statewide Defined Benefit supplemental social security plan to also participate in the Statewide Death and Disability plan

House Bill 12-1077

• This bill broadens the scope of the type of private investments that are covered under the statutory protections of confidential and proprietary information from public disclosure. Maintains transparency by requiring that the name of investment vehicles, the amount invested and the rate of return on the investment must be reported annually.
• The protections are required in order to provide greater transparency to FPPA fiduciaries regarding investments. With the protections in place, FPPA will be allowed by investment managers to participate in private alternative investments.
• This amendment is necessary as FPPA has broadened its asset allocation to include a wider range of private alternative investments.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 10-022

• Authorizes the Board to hold an election of the members and employers, to approve an increase in the member contribution rate in the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan.
• If an increase in the member contribution rate is approved, it would not affect the employer contribution rate.
• The increase in the member contribution rate shall not be subject to negotiation for payment by the employer.
• Approval process would follow the procedure for plan amendments. Member and employer approval are required.
• Provides a potential source to accrue funds for future ad hoc cost-of-living-adjustments (COLAs) for retirees.
• In the unlikely event that benefit rollbacks would otherwise be required due to adverse financial markets, allows member to choose the alternative of increased member contributions.
• The passage of this bill alone does not change the member contribution rate.
• This legislation grants authority to conduct an election and implement a member contribution rate increase if approved.

Senate Bill 10-023

• Empowers FPPA to address the situation when a member retires from the FPPA Defined Benefit System and then subsequently returns to work for an employer as an FPPA “Member”.
• Authorizes the Board to adopt rules to suspend the pension benefits of a member who participates in the defined benefit system, separates from service, elects a retirement, and subsequently returns to work with an FPPA Defined Benefit System employer.
• Authorizes but does not require the Board to adopt rules allowing a member who has reached normal retirement age, separated from service, elected a retirement benefit under the FPPA Defined Benefit System, and subsequently returns to work to continue receiving distribution of benefits and earn additional retirement benefits in an alternate money purchase plan.

Senate Bill 10-024

• Repeals a statutory provision that is currently obsolete.
• Eliminates the ability of local money purchase plans to affiliate with the Fire and Police Pension Association solely for investment and administration. Currently there are no such affiliated local money purchase plans. (Previous FPPA affiliated local money purchase plans have joined the FPPA Defined Benefit System.)
• Local money purchase plans would continue to able to merge into the Statewide Money Purchase Plan or to re-enter the FPPA Defined Benefit System.

House Bill 10-016

• Extends the term of the retired firefighter or police officer serving as a member of the FPPA Board of Directors from 4 years to 6 years.
• Currently the “retiree” representative on the FPPA Board alternates between a retired police officer and a retired firefighter every 4 years. Because of this rotation this board member cannot be reappointed for a consecutive term; unlike the other 8 members.
• The FPPA Board feels that an extended term for the rotating membership would be of more value to FPPA because of the learning curve required for board participation.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 09-017

• Repeals the earned income offset for occupational disability benefits.
• Repeals the dependent child eligibility requirements with regard to education for dependent children between the ages of 19 and 23.
• Repeals the termination of benefits upon remarriage for survivors of members awarded total disability benefits prior to January 1, 2000, and clarifies the termination statute.
• Repeals the board’s authority to implement the supplemental disability benefit program.
• Includes an offset for statewide defined benefits for a member or survivor who subsequently receives a disability or survivor benefit from the Statewide Death and Disability plan.
• Includes the requirement for payment by the employer of the excess contribution over sixteen percent rate for members in the FPPA defined benefit system (for those members paying the re-entry rate) who are found temporarily disabled and subsequently receive a normal retirement benefit.
• Clarifies the applicability of on-duty status for temporary occupational benefits and permanent occupational benefits.
• Repeals obsolete language allowing totally disabled members to elect a new survivor benefit upon the implementation of the flat benefit in 2000.

House Bill 09-1030

• Gives the boards of the Statewide Defined Benefit System, Old Hire, and Volunteer pension plans for firefighters and police officers authority to adopt provisions necessary for compliance with IRS code qualification requirements.
• Permits the FPPA to create a master old hire plan document and seek IRS qualification approval for the document. Local old hire boards could elect, but would not be required, to adopt the document. Permits the FPPA to amend the master old hire plan document as necessary to comply with IRS code.
• The requirement that the plans meet the qualification requirements of section 401 of the IRS code remains, but eliminates itemized requirements that were intended to ensure that plans meet the IRS qualification requirements.

Senate Bill 09-227

• Defers state assistance for old hire plan funding to resume in 2012.
• Modifies the way the annual employer contribution amount is calculated for Old Hire Plans that are affiliated with the Fire and Police Pension Association and that are not receiving contributions.
• Previously, the Section 31-30.5.404 required that the liability of unfunded past service be amortized over a period ending December 31, 2021.
• The legislation now allows the liability of unfunded past service to be amortized over a period not to exceed the lesser of twenty years or the number of years equal to the average remaining life expectancy of the pension fund’s members.
• In most cases, this modification will significantly lengthen the period over which the amortization is calculated, thereby reducing the required annual contributions. Additionally, the amortization now is calculated over a rolling twenty year period instead of a fixed period.
• For those plans which have a shorter average remaining life expectancy, the amortization requirements appropriately ensure adequate contributions to fund the plan through the expected remaining period of benefit payments.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 08-1070

• This legislation modifies how the FPPA Board of Directors may increase the COLA benefits in the SWDB plan. While COLAs remain at the discretion of the FPPA, the new maximum COLA is the higher of the CPI for urban wage earners or 3%.

Senate Bill 08-009

• This legislation establishes penalties related to benefits paid to a Member who, otherwise required by law, fails to submit to a medical examination or fails to provide pertinent information to the FPPA Board of Directors under the Statewide Death and Disability Plan.
• Permits the FPPA Board to review benefits to determine if there has been fraud, an overpayment, an error, or a mistake. Authorizes the Board to take action based on the findings of the review.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 07-1024

Concerning a property tax exemption for property of the Fire and Police Pension Association.

• The legislation recognizes that property owned and used by FPPA is exempt from real and personal property taxes as FPPA is a political subdivision of the State of Colorado.
• Property owned by FPPA and leased to third parties is to be assessed property tax.

House Bill 07-1030

Concerning the timing of contribution deposits for plans administered by the Fire and Police Pension Association

• The legislation requires employers to remit payment of contributions within 10 days of the date of payment of salary for FPPA plans.

House Bill 07-1028

Concerning police officers’ and firefighters’ pension options for new hire members who have a change in marital status after retiring unmarried.

• For members who are single when they retire under the SWDB or are awarded a disability benefit and choose a single life annuity and who subsequently marry and who wish to choose a new benefit option, the legislation requires that the member to do so within six months of the date of marriage.
• It also sets a deadline for any such existing retired members who were initially single at retirement and subsequently became married; who have not chosen a new benefit option, of January 1, 2008 or the option is lost.
• The bill also requires that a retiree to survive for 6 months after the date of marriage when an option change is made in order for the survivor benefit to be payable.

House Bill 07-1029

Concerning disability and survivor benefits for members of the Fire and Police Pension Association

• The legislation provides for an offset for any member or survivor who becomes eligible for a death and disability benefit and who also receives a benefit from a defined benefit plan.
• The legislation changes how the income offset is calculated for permanent occupational disabilities. The base salary (pensionable earnings) to be used is the previous base salary (pensionable earnings) multiplied by the change in CPI each year instead of the actual base salary (pensionable earnings) used by the department over time.

House Bill 07-1184

Concerning divestment action by certain governmental entities against companies financially involved with the government of Sudan, and requiring a post-enactment review of the implementation of this Act.

• Requires FPPA and certain other governmental to develop a monitoring and divestment scheme regarding certain types of investments in Sudan.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 06-1059

Concerning the structure of trust funds and investment funds in the administration of assets for the benefit of firefighters and police officers.

• Statutory amendments are necessary to align FPPA defined benefit system with current IRS requirements and pending approvals.
• Separates assets into trust funds and investments funds for simplified financial reporting.

House Bill 06-1068

Concerning the creation of a Social Security supplemental plan by the Board of Directors of the Fire and Police Pension Association that will allow employers that cover employees under the Federal “Social Security Act” to provide a defined benefit retirement plan.

• Converts current Social Security supplemental plan into a more modern defined benefit plan.
• Eliminates Social Security offset. Provides for 1⁄2 of the standard Statewide Defined Benefit Plan (SWDB) benefit based on 1⁄2 of the SWDB contribution rate.
• Reduces staff and actuarial costs in calculating individual benefits.
• Benefits become calculable for members prior to retirement.
• Existing members vest in benefits earned prior to conversion. Existing members receive a combination of old and new benefits at retirement.
• Contribution rates for employers and members become fixed and predictable from year to year.
• Contribution rates and benefits do not change based on any future changes made to Social Security.

Senate Bill 06-039

Concerning the partial entry into the Fire and Police Pension Association Defined Benefit System by members of Money Purchase Plans where all future eligible employees are required to participate in the Defined Benefit System.

• Allows a department with a local money purchase plan to put members hired after effective date in either the Statewide Hybrid Plan or the Statewide Defined Benefit plan and allows existing members in the local money purchase plan to individually elect participation either the local money purchase plan or the FPPA Defined Benefit System.
• The option to remain in a local money purchase plan is offered at the discretion of the Employer.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 05-043

This Bill clarified a previous exemption from participation in the FPPA Statewide Defined Benefit Plan and the Statewide Death and Disability Plan. Departments participating in Social Security prior to August 11, 2005 are exempt from participating in Statewide Defined Benefit Plan and the Statewide Death and Disability Plan.

House Bill 05-1002

This Bill exempts from disclosure under the Colorado Open Records Act investment information that has not been otherwise publicly disseminated which could cause an investment manager or an entity in which an investment may be made significant competitive harm. It requires the FPPA Board to publish a report of its investments at least annually.

Senate Bill 05-008

This Bill allows retired members of an old hire fire pension plan to vote for pension board members, to serve as pension board members, and to vote regarding plan amendments.

Senate Bill 05-067

This Bill allows alternate exempt plans (the Colorado Springs New Hire Fire Plan and the Colorado Springs New Hire Police Plan) to be merged into the FPPA defined benefit system upon agreement between the FPPA and the employer.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 04-198

This bill accomplishes the transfer of the responsibilities of administering the state matching funds program for the volunteer fire department pension plans from FPPA to the Division of Local Affairs (DOLA).  FPPA continues to work with those volunteer departments who are affiliated on completing the required actuarial studies. 

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 03-056

This bill accomplishes the following:

• The definition of member may include part-time fire and police officers beginning August 5, 2003.
• Part-time members would have the option to be in the Statewide Money Purchase Plan or a local money purchase plan.
• Clerical or other personnel employed by a fire protection district, fire authority, or county improvement district, whose services are auxiliary to fire protection may participate in the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan or the Statewide Money Purchase Plan.
• County sheriffs are eligible to participate in the FPPA supplemental social security plan for defined benefits or for death and disability.
• Public safety members of the PERA plan are not eligible to participate in the Statewide Death and Disability Plan because they have disability coverage under PERA.

Senate Bill 03-057

This bill creates two new defined benefit plan alternatives for police and fire departments with money purchase plans.  These departments may re-enter the existing Statewide Defined Benefit Plan or alternatively enter a new Statewide Hybrid Plan.  The new Statewide Hybrid Plan offers a combination defined benefit and defined contribution benefit.  Existing members of departments re-entering the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan pay an increased contribution rate in order to prevent adverse actuarial impact to existing Statewide Defined Benefit Plan members.  This bill also decreased the vesting period for the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan to five years in order to bring a consistent vesting period to the statewide plans and facilitate the reentry of members from money purchase plans.  The cost of lowering the vesting period to 5 years was 0.04% of payroll.

House Bill 03-1009

This bill accomplishes the following:

FPPA is authorized to create a defined benefit plan to provide assistance in paying health care costs after retirement.

• The plan benefits would be based on years of service.
• A task force would be created to recommend terms of the plan.
• The plan would be implemented if 65% of members in the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan, the Statewide Money Purchase Plan, and/or the Statewide Hybrid Plan vote in favor of adopting the plan. The plan would then be mandatory for all participants in the statewide plans electing coverage. If less than the majority of a department's members vote in favor of adopting the plan, the employer may elect not to participate in the plan.
• Member contributions would be 1% of pay. Employers could “pick-up” the contribution.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 02-026

This bill accomplishes the following:

• Creation of a “permanent occupational disability” with a flat 50% of base salary (pensionable earnings) benefit with:
  • No reexamination
  • No prognosis for improvement
• Regular offsets for SRA and Money Purchase balances and for earned income
  • Creation of a “temporary occupational disability” with a flat 40% of base salary (pensionable earnings) benefit with:
  • Periodic reexamination required
  • Board may require treatment, counseling or therapy
  • Burden on the member to show compliance with Board direction and continuing disabling condition
  • 5 year maximum benefit
  • May be upgraded to permanent occupational or total disability
  • No SRA or Money Purchase offsets for benefit
  • Family is eligible for survivor benefits if member dies while on temporary occupational disability
  • If the disability ceases to exist and the member is restored
    to active service, FPPA will transfer from the death and disability fund the contribution required to fund the defined contribution plan or to fund service credit under the defined benefit plan for period of time the member was on temporary occupational disability (16% per year maximum). If a defined contribution plan’s normal contribution amount is above 16%, the employer will make up the difference.
  • If the member reaches age and service, including time on disability, under a defined benefit plan or 25 years of service and age 55 under a defined contribution plan while on temporary occupational disability, FPPA will transfer from the death and disability fund the final contributions necessary for member to earn full service credit and the member will be granted a normal retirement in lieu of continued disability retirement (16% per year maximum). If a defined contribution plan’s normal contribution amount is above 16%, the employer will make up the difference.
• Family option on total and permanent occupational disability to specifically include adult dependent incapacitated children
• Determination of disability can include consideration of any relevant evidence by Board
• Annual cost of living adjustments up to 3 % to be determined by the Board with no consumer price index limitation for occupational disability and survivor benefits and an automatic 3 % benefit increase for total disability
• Offsets for local SRAs for total and permanent occupational disability benefits and survivor benefits
• Permanent occupational disability benefit payment options would be the same as total disability benefit payment options
• Statute of Limitations for applying for a disability benefit would be 180 days from the last day on the payroll
• Member can waive their right to reinstatement during application process
• Employers submit statement of reason for service termination with application
• Employers submit statement of additional basis for disability with application
• No earned income offset for total disability
• Five year window for upgrade from occupational disability to total disability begins from date of disablement (last day on payroll)
• Definition of “assigned duties” tightened
• Authority for Board to provide death and disability benefits to members on military service. Costs to be assessed, term of benefits, and offsets for military benefits to be established by rule.
• Line-of-duty death benefit increased to flat 70% of base salary (pensionable earnings). Supplemental benefit for members eligible for retirement to increase total survivor benefits for line-of-duty death to 70% of base salary (pensionable earnings).

House Bill 02 - 1032               

This bill accomplishes the following:

• Allow purchase of service credit for any public service
• Allow purchase of service credit for private sector service of up to five years, after five years of service credit are earned
• Ease the process for granting service credit for funds rolled over from other eligible retirement plans

House Bill 02 - 1036 

This bill accomplishes the simplifying of the method of calculating state matching contribution without changing actual contribution for local volunteer plans

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 01-1011

This bill clarifies certain statutes, expedites processes, standardizes treatment of members, and conforms to state and federal law. Specific changes are as follows:

General

• Amends the definition of employer to include “fire authority”.
• Allows the pension boards of local affiliated plans to obtain the names and addresses of retirees from FPPA.

Statewide Defined Benefit Plan

• Clarifies that normal retirement eligibility is age fifty-five with 25 years of service.
• Reduces the penalty for retiring early.
• Allows the designated beneficiary of a member eligible for normal retirement to receive a pension in the event the member dies before electing a payment option.
• Treats electronic fund transfers the same as cashing a check.
• Allows members to defer receipt of benefits to avoid taxation for early withdrawal.
• Provides that a vested single member’s estate shall receive the member’s separate retirement account, earnings, and member contributions if there is no designated beneficiary.

Statewide Money Purchase Plan

• Expedites the process for participating in the Statewide Money Purchase Plan.

Affiliated Plans

• Clarifies that employers with multiple plans can exercise affiliation options on an individual plan basis.

Statewide Death and Disability Plan

• Eliminates off-sets and reporting requirements for disability recipients for income earned after the calendar year in which a member attains age 55
• Continues benefits for dependent children who have reached age 19 to age 23 if they are in high school or college.
• Allows an incapacitated child who marries to continue to receive benefits.
• Clarifies that all members who become eligible for normal retirement or who reach its age and service equivalent are ineligible for benefits under the plan, and therefore, are not required to contribute to the plan.
• Requires that actuarial reports be generated annually.
• Authorizes the Board to establish rules for the administrative approval of disability applications in order to shorten the processing times.

457 Deferred Compensation Plan

• Authorizes administrative support staff to participate in this supplemental plan as allowed by the IRS.

House Bill 01-1008

This bill provides a method for calculating the last year’s payments made by the state and an employer to each state-assisted old hire pension plan. It also requires an annual actuarial study.

House Bill 01-1027

This bill increases survivor benefits for a spouse, child or a spouse and child to forty percent. The bill also clarifies the division of benefits between survivors who live in separate households.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 00-1006

This bill eliminates the possibility of reducing the Separate Retirement Accounts ("SRAs") of members of the SWDB Plan in order to make transfers to the Death and Disability Account for the Statewide Death and Disability Plan (D&D Plan). Such transfers are no longer needed, because the D&D Plan is now fully funded.

House Bill 00-1022

This bill creates options for increasing contribution rates under the Statewide Money Purchase Plan above the statutory rates of eight percent from the employer and eight percent from the employee.

House Bill 00-1018

This bill clarifies the standard of care applicable to the FPPA Board with respect to the administration, investment and management of the Fire and Police Members’ Money Purchase Plan Benefit fund. The Bill recognizes that the Board was governed by the Uniform Prudent Investor Act only with respect to assets allocated to the Fire and Police Members’ Benefit fund, which is an investment alternative for Fire and Police Member’s Money Purchase Plan Benefit.

House Bill 00-1005

This bill gives the FPPA Board discretion to waive the interest charge on delinquent contributions for new accounts in hardship cases.

House Bill 00-1017

This bill restores the relocated sections of law relating to the FPPA Defined Benefit Plan to statutes addressing the Death and Disability Plan.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 99-5

This bill mandates that each deferred compensation plan’s assets be held for the exclusive benefit of the plan participants. This protection was enacted on the federal level as a part of the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996. Senate Bill 5 also establishes minimum requirements for ensuring that appropriate investment options are made available to deferred compensation plan participants.

House Bill 99-1022

This bill updates provisions needed to maintain police and fire pension plans as "qualified plans" under the Internal Revenue Code. These amendments were required by federal tax law in order for employers and employees to continue to benefit from the favorable tax treatment available under these pension plans.

Senate Bill 99-114

This bill authorizes parties in domestic relations actions to use additional methods for dividing public employee retirement benefits on divorce, legal separation, or declaration of invalidity of marriage.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 98-1024

This bill authorizes survivors of police and fire members of the Statewide Death and Disability Plan to seek relief from state and federal income taxes when the plan member’s death was in the line of duty or the result of an occupational disease. Also, survivors of members who died prior to the effective date of the bill were granted a two-year period to apply to the Board for a “death-in-the-line-of-duty” determination.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 97-1213

This bill authorizes FPPA to offer a supplemental disability benefit program to members of the Statewide Death and Disability Plan.

House Bill 97-1006

This bill applies the provisions of the Uniform Prudent Investor Act to FPPA with respect to the investment of assets in the Fire and Police Members’ Benefit Fund.

House Bill 97-1022

This bill extends an employer’s authority to use excess funds in its old hire fire or police pension plan for other pension and public safety purposes. The bill now permits an employer to utilize excess funds if there are no active members of the plan and the employer takes certain steps to guarantee payment to persons still receiving benefits from the fund.

House Bill 97-1111

This bill authorizes local boards to increase pension benefits for volunteer firefighters who are already retired.

Senate Bill 97-81

This bill amends the statute providing for the division of public employees’ retirement benefits upon divorce to clarify which legal actions are subject to the statute.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 96-1016

This bill establishes a separate statutory condition under the Statewide Death and Disability Plan for those members whose disabilities are the result of an on-duty injury or occupational disease.

House Bill 96-1370

This bill addresses the future funding of benefits provided under the Statewide Death and Disability Plan. It provides that the state will fund the benefits of members hired prior to January 1, 1997, through the payment of a one-time lump sum amount of $39,000,000. For those members hired on or after January 1, 1997, the bill requires funding by the members and/or their employers. On the benefit side, the bill provides a guaranteed cost of living adjustment for those members who are found to be totally disabled. The bill permits an employer, within a limited time window, to withdraw from the Statewide Death and Disability Plan and establish its own disability and survivor benefit plan.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 95-1012

This bill increases the time from three years to five years within which FPPA may investigate a member retired for disability from the Statewide Death and Disability Plan.

Senate Bill 95-12

This bill grants the FPPA Board the authority to adopt procedural rules in regard to local employers having money purchase plans for their police officers or firefighters and who wish to terminate those plans and cover their members under the Statewide Money Purchase Plan administered by FPPA. Any such election is voluntary and requires the approval of the employer and at least 65% of the members of the local money purchase plan.

Senate Bill 95-228

This bill accelerates the payments by state and local governments to those “old hire” plans currently receiving state assistance for unfunded accrued liabilities. The bill increases the state’s contribution to these plans and establishes a level dollar employer contribution projected to pay off the unfunded liabilities by the year 2009.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 93-142

This bill amends several aspects of the Statewide Death and Disability Plan including clarifying responsibilities of employers to employees found not disabled by the FPPA Board, and lengthens the reexamination and redetermination of disability period from three to five years.

House Bill 93-1243

This bill authorizes FPPA to establish a Statewide Money Purchase Plan as an alternative to the Statewide Defined Benefit Plan for departments meeting certain criteria.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 91-1015

This bill grants FPPA the authority to modify statewide pension plan benefits and service requirements for normal retirement without prior approval from the legislature. Any modifications must be approved by 65 percent of the active members in the plan and more than 50 percent of the employers having active members covered by the plan.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

House Bill 89-1196

This bill grants FPPA the authority to administer 457 Deferred Compensation Plans; and House Bill 1033 grants FPPA the authority to administer and manage money purchase plan funds.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 87-18

This bill establishes a Stabilization Reserve Account, gives FPPA the ability to negotiate group retiree health insurance, and makes other miscellaneous changes to Part 10.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 83-64

This bill gives the FPPA Board of Directors authority to lower the statewide plan retirement age to 55 if actuarially supportable, and makes other miscellaneous changes to Part 10.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 79-79

This bill results from the activities of the Policemen’s and Firemen’s Pension Reform Commission created the previous year. S.B. 79 establishes the Fire and Police Pension Association, and creates a new statewide pension plan and the new Statewide Death and Disability Plan.

(Full bill summaries may be found on the Colorado General Assembly website.)

Senate Bill 78-46

This bill enacted, adopting the Policemen’s and Firemen’s Pension Reform Act and creating the Policemen’s and Firemen’s Pension Reform Commission. It also freezes old hire plan provisions.