Arkansas HB 1154: TO ENACT THE ARKANSAS TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM'S GENERAL OMNIBUS; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.

Bill Text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law. 
Act 222 of the Regular Session 
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State of Arkansas     1 
   A Bill     2 
Regular Session, 2025  HOUSE BILL 1154 3 
 4 
By: Representative Warren 5 
By: Senator K. Hammer 6 
 7 
For An Act To Be Entitled 8 
AN ACT TO ENACT THE ARKANSAS TEACHER RETIREMENT 9 
SYSTEM'S GENERAL OMNIBUS; TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING 10 
RECOGNITION OF FEDERAL RETIREMENT PROGRAMS, 11 
CONTRIBUTORY AND NONCONTRIBUTORY MEMBERSHIP STATUS, 12 
TEMPORARY WAIVERS FOR ELECTRONICALLY REPORTING AND 13 
PAYING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ARKANSAS TEACHER 14 
RETIREMENT SYSTEM, OPTION A AND OPTION B ANNUITY 15 
ELECTIONS AND DISTRIBUTIONS UNDER THE ARKANSAS 16 
TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM, THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF 17 
SURVIVOR BENEFITS UNDER THE ARKANSAS TEACHER 18 
RETIREMENT SYSTEM, RESIDUE DISPOSITIONS UNDER THE 19 
ARKANSAS TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM, ELIGIBILITY TO 20 
PARTICIPATE IN A PSHE PLAN, AND OTHER VARIOUS 21 
PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO THE ARKANSAS TEACHER 22 
RETIREMENT SYSTEM; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR 23 
OTHER PURPOSES. 24 
 25 
 26 
Subtitle 27 
TO ENACT THE ARKANSAS TEACHER RETIREMENT 28 
SYSTEM'S GENERAL OMNIBUS; AND TO DECLARE 29 
AN EMERGENCY. 30 
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 32 
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 SECTION 1.  Arkansas Code § 24-1-107(b)(1)(B)(i), concerning the 34 
recognition of federal retirement programs, is amended to read as follows: 35 
   (B)(i)  A member of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System 36 

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shall receive credit for the member's federal service upon the payment of the 1 
cost of service under § 24-7-502(b) and as actuarial equivalent of the 2 
member's benefits to the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System and the 3 
fulfillment of all other requirements as may be prescribed by the Board of 4 
Trustees of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System. 5 
 6 
 SECTION 2.  Arkansas Code § 24-7-406(e)(1)(C)(iii), concerning 7 
contributory and noncontributory status under the Arkansas Teacher Retirement 8 
System, is amended to read as follows: 9 
    (iii)  Effective July 1, 2021, From July 1, 2021, to 10 
June 30, 2025, regardless of an earlier election to be a noncontributory 11 
member of the system, an active member whose status later changes from 12 
nonteacher status to administrator or teacher status under a contract for one 13 
hundred eighty-five (185) days or more shall become a contributory member of 14 
the system otherwise provided for in this section. 15 
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 SECTION 3.  Arkansas Code § 24-7-411(f), concerning temporary waivers 17 
for electronically reporting and paying contributions to the Arkansas Teacher 18 
Retirement System, is repealed. 19 
 (f)(1)  An employer shall submit a written request for a temporary 20 
waiver to the board by July 1, 2022, when the employer is unable to: 21 
   (A)  Report contributions electronically through the 22 
system; or 23 
   (B)  Pay contributions to the system by electronic 24 
transfer. 25 
  (2)  A request for a temporary waiver submitted under subdivision 26 
(f)(1) of this section shall include a timeline for when the employer will be 27 
able to comply with the payment and reporting requirements under this 28 
section. 29 
 30 
 SECTION 4.  Arkansas Code § 24-7-706(a)(4)(B)(iii), concerning the 31 
distribution of an Option B annuity under the Arkansas Teacher Retirement 32 
System, is amended to read as follows: 33 
    (iii)  Upon the death of a retiree, if more than one 34 
(1) dependent child is designated as the retiree's Option B beneficiary and a 35 
spouse is not designated as the retiree's Option B beneficiary, the retiree's 36 

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reduced annuity one-half (1/2) of the retiree's reduced annuity shall be paid 1 
in equal shares to each dependent child designated as the retiree's Option B 2 
beneficiary. 3 
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 SECTION 5.  Arkansas Code § 24-7-706(d)(3), concerning a residue 5 
beneficiary's eligibility to elect an Option A annuity under the Arkansas 6 
Teacher Retirement System, is amended to read as follows: 7 
  (3)  The election form must be received by the system within one 8 
hundred twenty (120) days of the death of the retiree by the end of the 9 
fourth full calendar month following the retiree's death. 10 
 11 
 SECTION 6.  Arkansas Code § 24-7-706(g), concerning the effective date 12 
of survivor benefits under the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, is 13 
repealed. 14 
 (g)  A retiree's effective retirement date and the date when survivor 15 
benefits under this section are payable shall be determined by the law in 16 
effect at the time of the retiree's death. 17 
 18 
 SECTION 7.  Arkansas Code § 24-7-709(a)(4), concerning the disposition 19 
of retiree residue under the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, is repealed. 20 
  (4)  If all designated beneficiaries predecease the retiree, the 21