Sec. 14.

(1) The funding objective of the retirement system is to establish and receive contributions during each fiscal year that are sufficient to fully cover the actuarial cost of benefits likely to be paid on account of services rendered by members during the fiscal year, the normal cost requirements of the retirement system, and finance the unfunded actuarial costs of benefits likely to be paid on account of service rendered before the fiscal year, the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the retirement system, and health, dental, and vision insurance.

(2) Subject to subsections (5) to (7), the annual level percentage of payroll contribution rate must be actuarially determined using experience assumptions and level percent of payroll actuarial cost methods adopted by the retirement board and the department pursuant to an annual actuarial valuation, which must be sufficient to finance benefits being provided and to be provided by the retirement system.

(3) Subject to subsections (5) to (7), for differences occurring in fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2001, a minimum of 20% of the difference between the estimated and the actual aggregate compensation and the estimated and the actual contribution rate described in subsection (2), if any, may be submitted in the executive budget to the legislature for appropriation in the next succeeding state fiscal year and a minimum of 25% of the remaining difference must be submitted in the executive budget to the legislature for appropriation in each of the following 4 state fiscal years, or until 100% of the remaining difference is submitted, whichever first occurs. In addition, interest must be included for each year that a portion of the remaining difference is carried forward. The interest rate must equal the actuarially assumed rate of investment return for the state fiscal year in which payment is made.

(4) For each fiscal year that begins on or after October 1, 2003, if the actuarial valuation prepared under this section for each fiscal year demonstrates that as of the beginning of a fiscal year, and after all credits and transfers required by this act for the previous fiscal year have been made, the sum of the actuarial value of assets and the actuarial present value of future normal cost contributions exceeds the actuarial present value of benefits, the amount based on the annual level percent of payroll contribution rate under subsections (1) and (2) may be deposited into the health advance funding subaccount created by section 42.

(5) Beginning with the state fiscal year ending September 30, 2022 until the pension and retiree health care payroll growth assumption rate is zero, the payroll growth assumption rate must be reduced by 50 basis points. Beginning with the state fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, the office of retirement services within the department of technology, management, and budget and the retirement board may agree to reduce the rate described in this subsection by any number of additional basis points.

(6) Beginning with the state fiscal year ending September 30, 2019 and for each subsequent fiscal year, the normal cost contribution rate must not be less than the normal cost contribution rate in the immediately preceding fiscal year. Additionally, the employer portion of the contribution rate must not be less than the employer portion of the contribution rate in the immediately preceding fiscal year.

(7) Subject to this subsection, beginning with the state fiscal year ending September 30, 2019 and for each subsequent fiscal year until the unfunded actuarial accrued liability is paid off, the unfunded actuarial accrued liability contribution sum and due payable must not be less than the unfunded actuarial accrued liability contribution sum and due payable in the immediately preceding fiscal year. The unfunded actuarial accrued liability must be paid off no later than September 30, 2038. Additionally, the employer portion of the unfunded actuarial accrued liability contribution sum and due payable must not be less than the employer portion of the unfunded actuarial accrued liability contribution sum and due payable in the immediately preceding fiscal year.

(8) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, if the retirement board establishes an arrangement and fund as described in section 6 of the public employee retirement benefit protection act, 2002 PA 100, MCL 38.1686, the benefits that are required to be paid from that fund must be paid from a portion of the employer contributions described in this section or other eligible funds. The retirement board shall determine the amount of the employer contributions or other eligible funds that must be allocated to that fund and deposit that amount in that fund before it deposits any remaining employer contributions or other eligible funds in the pension fund.

History: 1986, Act 182, Eff. Oct. 1, 1986 ;-- Am. 1989, Act 191, Imd. Eff. Aug. 25, 1989 ;-- Am. 2000, Act 374, Imd. Eff. Jan. 2, 2001 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 50, Eff. Apr. 22, 2004 ;-- Am. 2018, Act 674, Imd. Eff. Dec. 28, 2018