HB 297

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Amend KRS 16.582 to clarify that standards for "total and permanent disability" relate to hazardous disability only and make technical changes; amend KRS 61.505 to expand the administrative actions that the Kentucky Public Pensions Authority (KPPA) may take on behalf of the Kentucky Retirement Systems (KRS) and the County Employees Retirement System (CERS), authorize the KPPA to employ no more than 8 unclassified employees to the Office of Investments whose positions are exempt from the personnel system's classified service and related salary limitations, and make technical changes; amend KRS 61.510 to define "instructional staff" for state colleges and universities and define "objective medical evidence" to exclude the testimonial evidence of a person applying for disability benefits; amend KRS 61.520 to reference definition of "instructional staff"; amend KRS 61.565 to add an effective date of July 1, 2022, for shifting to the executive branch the employer's share of the Kentucky Employees Retirement System nonhazardous plan's unfunded liability for contract employees at mental health facilities; amend KRS 61.590, 61.610, 61.615, and 61.665 to allow KPPA the option to send notices and other forms to members on disability retirement using electronic mail or other electronic means; amend KRS 61.610 to allow KPPA to hire or contract for the services of more than one disability fraud investigator; amend KRS 61.615 to allow members in hybrid cash balance plan who are discontinued from disability to apply for reinstatement; amend KRS 61.635 to make technical change; amend KRS 61.637 to specify the circumstances under which an elected official who is reelected but takes office after retirement is deemed as having a prearranged agreement that would void his or her retirement; amend KRS 61.645 to exempt invalid addresses from ballot distribution for trustee elections, specify single certified public accountant to audit KRS and CERS financial reports, and make technical changes; amend KRS 61.661 to make technical changes; amend KRS 61.665 to permit the KPPA to contract for the services of medical examiners, eliminate the requirement that a person applying for disability retirement produce evidence of a request for reasonable accommodation, delete language permitting KRS to order a disabled employee to enroll in vocational rehabilitation, and conform to legislative changes made in 2021; amend KRS 61.702 and 78.5536 to require KRS and CERS to provide health insurance coverage through the Kentucky Employees Health Plan (KEHP) to reemployed retirees over the age of 65 who are Medicare-eligible but impacted by the federal Medicare Secondary Payer Act; amend KRS 61.703 to make technical change; amend KRS 78.510 to define "objective medical evidence" to exclude the testimonial evidence of a person applying for disability benefits and make the definitions of "act in line of duty" and "dependent child" conform with other provisions as the result of legislative changes made in 2021; amend KRS 78.5524 to clarify that standards for "total and permanent disability" relate to hazardous disability only and to conform to other provisions as the result of legislative changes made in 2021; amend KRS 78.5526 and 78.5530 to conform with other provisions as the result of legislative changes made in 2021; amend KRS 78.5540 to specify the circumstances under which an elected official who is reelected but takes office after retirement is deemed as having a prearranged agreement that would void his or her retirement; and amend KRS 78.782 to exempt invalid addresses from ballot distribution for trustee elections, specify single certified public accountant to audit KRS and CERS financial reports, and make technical changes; and make technical changes and conforming amendments as a result of legislative changes made in 2021.