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June 3 Retirement bill
Updated On: Jun 160, 2017
PFFNH Executive Board & Council, PFFNH Local Presidents;
Please be advised the House and Senate have concurred on language for HB 1645.  The full House and Senate will meet tomorrow to formally agree upon the committee of conference report and then it the bill is off to the Governor’s Office for signature. 
 
We mitigated a lot of damage to the pension benefits as we know them.  This battle was a tremendous one and it was a team effort.   We could not have arrived where we did without truly unbelievable work on the part of the PFFNH Executive Board & Council, Local Presidents, Local members, our International, the New Hampshire Retirement Security Coalition and the experts we hired (lawyers, actuaries, public relations).  So again let us say thank you for your attendance at hearings and Press Conferences, your phone calls and emails to legislators, your hard work in your communities on and off the job, and your confidence in the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire. 
 
  Here is what the bill will do.    
 
1.      1. Exclude other compensation from the definition of earnable compensation and for the first time they will be charging the communities to fund the special buy outs that some of us find in our contracts. These charges will almost assuredly be the death knell for many current benefits.
2.       2.Allow members to leave their money in the system after separation of employment before achieving vested status. (The first steps toward a defined contribution plan)
3.       3.Freeze the medical subsidy at the current rate for the next 4 years and then apply a 4% escalator to this benefit.
4.       4.Transfer $250 million dollars from the special account to lower the employers contribution
5.      5. Change the funding methodology for the medical subsidy from the current 25% of employer contribution to the solvency rate or the lesser of the two. (designed to lower the employer contribution again)
6.      6. Create a retiree health care commission
7.      7. No change to the board of trustees composition; however raise the requirements on all members to include more financial and business qualifications
8.       8. Change the Investment Committee to include 5 members 3 outside members appointed by Governor and Council and two members from the Board of Trustees
9.     9.  Require a higher fiduciary duty of the trustees from prudent person rule to prudent expert rule
1010.   Create a new audit committee
1111.   Retiree COLA’s
a.       1.5% COLA for the first $30,000 of a pension -one year- terminally funded (added to your base rate)
b.       $1,000 for a retiree receiving under $20,000 who has at least 15 years of service - one year
c.       $500 for every retiree that retired before 1/1/93 - one year
d.       Medical subsidy offset of $1000 for a two person medical subsidy and $500 for a single - four years - (Medicare recipients will receive 60% of the offset)
1212. COLA Commission
a.       No Employee Representation
b.       Duties as outlined in Senate version
1313.NHRS Board of Trustee Chair right to vote
1414. IRS suggested fixes
1515. No Change in age requirement Group 2
1616.Pension Commission every 10 years
1717.Charge the cities and towns for all buyouts over 125% on base pay including severance and longevity
1818.   Pension for new hires can not exceed $120,000

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PFFNH
6 Loudon Rd, Ste 506
Concord, NH 03301
  603-223-3304


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