120-113. Duties and functions of Fiscal Research Division.

(a) The Fiscal Research Division of the Legislative Services Commission of the General Assembly shall have authority to evaluate on a continuing basis all aspects of any State, municipal, or other retirement system, funded in whole or in part out of public funds, and all aspects of any program of hospital, medical, disability, or related benefits provided for teachers and State employees, funded in whole or in part by State funds, as to actuarial soundness. The Fiscal Research Division shall make periodic detailed reports to the General Assembly specifically setting forth the findings of such evaluations. In conducting its evaluations the division shall have complete access without charge to all books, accounts, and personnel of the retirement systems, and to all books, accounts, and personnel of agencies and contractors charged with providing programs of hospital, medical, disability, or related benefits for teachers and State employees.

(b) No provision of this Article shall be deemed or in any way construed to preclude the authority of any retirement system funded in whole or in part out of public funds to hire an actuary for any such retirement system. No provision of this Article shall be deemed or in any way construed to preclude the authority of any program of hospital, medical, disability, or related benefits provided for teachers and State employees, funded in whole or in part by State funds, to hire an actuary for any such program.

(c) The Fiscal Research Division shall, in addition to the powers and functions conferred by this Article, render such assistance as the Legislative Services Commission may require with respect to any other matter requiring actuarial evaluations.