(1)(a) A member of any state-supported retirement system who retired prior to July 1, 1987, who has not less than 10 years of creditable service, and who is not entitled to the minimum benefit provided for in paragraph (b), upon reaching 65 years of age and upon application to the administrator of his or her retirement system, may have his or her present monthly retirement benefits recomputed and receive a monthly retirement allowance equal to $8 multiplied by the total number of years of creditable service. Effective July 1, 1980, this minimum monthly benefit shall be equal to $10.50 multiplied by the total number of years of creditable service, and thereafter said minimum monthly benefit shall be recomputed as provided in paragraph (5)(a). No present retirement benefits shall be reduced under this computation.

(b) A member of any state-supported retirement system who has already retired under a retirement plan or system which does not require its members to participate in social security pursuant to a modification of the federal-state social security agreement as authorized by the provisions of chapter 650, who is over 65 years of age, and who has more than 15 years of creditable service, upon application to the administrator, may have his or her present monthly retirement benefits recomputed and receive a monthly retirement allowance equal to $8 multiplied by the first 15 years of creditable service and $10 multiplied by every additional year of creditable service thereafter. No present retirement benefits shall be reduced under this computation. The minimum monthly benefit provided by this paragraph shall not apply to any member or the beneficiary of any member who retires after June 30, 1978.

(c) A member of any state-supported retirement system who, during the period July 1, 1975, through June 30, 1976, was on the retired payroll with more than 15 years of creditable service, was over 65 years of age, and was not eligible for the $10 minimum benefit provided by paragraph (b) shall receive the $8 minimum benefit provided by paragraph (a) retroactive to the date such retired person would first have been eligible for the $8 minimum benefit under the provisions of this section, had said section not been amended by chapter 75-242, Laws of Florida. Such retroactive $8 minimum benefit shall also be payable to the beneficiary or surviving spouse of a member who, if living, would have qualified for this retroactive minimum benefit.

(d) A member of any state-supported retirement system who retires on or after July 1, 1987, with at least 10 years of creditable service, having attained normal retirement date shall, upon reaching age 65 and making proper application to the administrator, be eligible to receive the applicable minimum monthly benefit provided by this subsection with the exception that only those years of creditable service accumulated by the member through June 30, 1987, shall be used in the calculation of the minimum monthly benefit amount and that no benefit shall exceed the average monthly compensation of the retiree due to the application of the minimum monthly benefit. All creditable service claimed for periods which occurred prior to July 1, 1987, shall be presumed to have been accumulated as of June 30, 1987, irrespective of the date on which such creditable service is claimed and credited. The minimum monthly benefit provided by this paragraph shall be reduced by the actuarial factor applied to the optional form of benefit under which the benefit is paid. The surviving spouse or beneficiary who is receiving a monthly benefit from a deceased retiree’s account shall be eligible to receive the minimum monthly benefit provided herein at the time the retiree would have been eligible for it had he or she lived, subject to the limitations herein and the appropriate actuarial reductions.

(2)(a) A retired member of any state-supported retirement system who retires prior to July 1, 1987, and who possesses the creditable service requirements contained in paragraph (1)(a) or paragraph (1)(b), or the surviving spouse or beneficiary of said member if such spouse or beneficiary is receiving a retirement benefit, shall, at the time the retiree reaches 65 years of age or would have reached 65 years of age if deceased, and upon proper application to the administrator, have his or her monthly retirement benefit recomputed and may receive a retirement benefit as provided in either paragraph (1)(a) or paragraph (1)(b) and, if a retirement option has been elected by the member, multiplied by the actuarial reduction factor relating to such retirement option and, if the member is deceased, multiplied by the percentage of the benefit payable to the surviving spouse or beneficiary. No present retirement benefits shall be reduced under this computation.

(b) A member of any state-supported retirement system who retires after July 1, 1975, and before July 1, 1987, who is over 65 years of age at the time of his or her retirement may be entitled to the benefit recalculation options provided by either paragraph (1)(a) or paragraph (1)(b).

(3) A member of any state-supported retirement system who has already retired under a retirement plan or system which does not require its members to participate in social security pursuant to a modification of the federal-state social security agreement as authorized by the provisions of chapter 650, who is over 65 years of age, and who has not less than 10 years of creditable service, or the surviving spouse or beneficiary of said member who, if living, would be over 65 years of age, upon application to the administrator, may have his or her present monthly retirement benefits recomputed and receive a monthly retirement allowance equal to $10 multiplied by the total number of years of creditable service. Effective July 1, 1978, this minimum monthly benefit shall be equal to $10.50 multiplied by the total number of years of creditable service, and thereafter said minimum monthly benefit shall be recomputed as provided in paragraph (5)(a). This adjustment shall be made in accordance with subsection (2). No retirement benefits shall be reduced under this computation. Retirees receiving additional benefits under the provisions of this subsection shall also receive the cost-of-living adjustments provided by the appropriate state-supported retirement system for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1977, and for each fiscal year thereafter. The minimum monthly benefit provided by this subsection shall not apply to any member or the beneficiary of any member who retires after June 30, 1978.

(4)(a) Effective July 1, 1980, any person who retired prior to July 1, 1987, under a state-supported retirement system with not less than 10 years of creditable service and who is not receiving or entitled to receive federal social security benefits shall, upon reaching 65 years of age and upon application to the Department of Management Services, be entitled to receive a minimum monthly benefit equal to $16.50 multiplied by the member’s total number of years of creditable service and adjusted by the actuarial factor applied to the original benefit for optional forms of retirement. Thereafter, the minimum monthly benefit shall be recomputed as provided in paragraph (5)(a). Application for this minimum monthly benefit shall include certification by the retired member that he or she is not receiving and is not entitled to receive social security benefits and shall include written authorization for the Department of Management Services to have access to information from the Federal Social Security Administration concerning the member’s entitlement to or eligibility for social security benefits. The minimum benefit provided by this paragraph shall not be paid unless and until the application requirements of this paragraph are satisfied.

(b) Effective July 1, 1978, the surviving spouse or beneficiary who is receiving or entitled to receive a monthly benefit commencing prior to July 1, 1987, from the account of any deceased retired member who had completed at least 10 years of creditable service shall, at the time such deceased retiree would have reached age 65, if living, and, upon application to the Department of Management Services, be entitled to receive the minimum monthly benefit described in paragraph (a), adjusted by the actuarial factor applied to the optional form of benefit payable to said surviving spouse or beneficiary, provided said person is not receiving or entitled to receive federal social security benefits. Application for this minimum monthly benefit shall include certification by the surviving spouse or beneficiary that he or she is not receiving and is not entitled to receive social security benefits and shall include written authorization for the Department of Management Services to have access to information from the Federal Social Security Administration concerning such person’s entitlement to or eligibility for social security benefits. The minimum benefit provided by this paragraph shall not be paid unless and until the application requirements of this paragraph are satisfied.

(c) The minimum benefits authorized by this subsection shall be payable from the first day of the month following the month during which the retired member becomes or would have become age 65.

(d) A member of any state-supported retirement system who retires on or after July 1, 1987, with at least 10 years of creditable service, having attained normal retirement date shall, upon reaching age 65 and making proper application to the administrator, be eligible to receive the applicable minimum monthly benefit provided by this subsection with the exception that only those years of creditable service accumulated by the member through June 30, 1987, shall be used in the calculation of the minimum monthly benefit amount and that no benefit shall exceed the average monthly compensation of the retiree due to the application of the minimum monthly benefit. All creditable service claimed for periods which occurred prior to July 1, 1987, shall be presumed to have been accumulated as of June 30, 1987, irrespective of the date on which such creditable service is claimed and credited. The minimum monthly benefit provided by this paragraph shall be reduced by the actuarial factor applied to the optional form of benefit under which the benefit is paid. The surviving spouse or beneficiary who is receiving a monthly benefit from a deceased retiree’s account shall be eligible to receive the minimum monthly benefit provided herein at the time the retiree would have been eligible for it had he or she lived, subject to the limitations herein and the appropriate actuarial reductions.

(5)(a) Effective July 1, 1981, the dollar factors used in determining the minimum benefits provided by this section shall be adjusted by an amount derived by multiplying said dollar factors by the percentage change in the average cost-of-living index since the previous July 1, not to exceed 3 percent. Each July 1 thereafter, the adjusted dollar factors used in determining the minimum benefits provided by this section shall continue to be adjusted by an amount derived by multiplying the current adjusted dollar factors by the percentage change in the average cost-of-living index since the previous July 1, not to exceed 3 percent for any annual adjustment.

(b) “Average cost-of-living index” as of any July 1 date means the average of the monthly Consumer Price Index figures for the 12-month period from April 1 through March 31 immediately prior to the adjustment date, relative to the United States as a whole, issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor.

(c) Effective July 1, 1987, the adjusted dollar factors used in determining the minimum benefits provided by this section shall be adjusted by a constant 3 percent.

(6) The funds necessary to pay the minimum monthly benefits provided by this section are hereby annually appropriated from the fund from which the original benefits are paid.

(7) A member, or a joint annuitant or other beneficiary, who is receiving a monthly benefit may refuse the application of the minimum benefit adjustment to such benefit.

History.—s. 1, ch. 70-224; s. 1, ch. 72-282; ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 75-242; ss. 1, 2, ch. 76-228; s. 1, ch. 77-241; s. 1, ch. 78-364; s. 6, ch. 79-377; s. 1, ch. 80-242; s. 2, ch. 81-307; s. 3, ch. 85-246; s. 1, ch. 86-137; s. 2, ch. 88-382; s. 711, ch. 95-147; s. 19, ch. 99-255; s. 1, ch. 2000-347; s. 8, ch. 2016-10.