SB605: Law Officers' Retirement System; conservation officers of Department of Conservation & Recreation.

SENATE BILL NO. 605
Offered January 11, 2006
A BILL to amend and reenact § 51.1-212 of the Code of Virginia, relating to membership in the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System.
Patron-- Puller

Referred to Committee on Finance

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 51.1-212 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 51.1-212. Definitions.

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Employee" means any (i) member of the Capitol Police Force as described in § 30-34.2:1, (ii) campus police officer appointed under the provisions of Chapter 17 (§ 23-232 et seq.) of Title 23, (iii) game warden in the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries appointed under the provisions of Chapter 2 (§ 29.1-200 et seq.) of Title 29.1, (iv) special agent of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control appointed under the provisions of Chapter 1 (§ 4.1-100 et seq.), (v) law-enforcement officer employed by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission as described in § 9.1-101, (vi) correctional officer as the term is defined in § 53.1-1, and including correctional officers employed at a juvenile correction facility as the term is defined in § 66-25.3, (vii) any parole officer appointed pursuant to § 53.1-143, and (viii) any commercial vehicle enforcement officer employed by the Department of State Police, and (ix) conservation officer of the Department of Conservation and Recreation appointed pursuant to § 10.1-115.

"Member" means any person included in the membership of the Retirement System as provided in this chapter.

"Normal retirement date" means a member's sixtieth birthday.

"Retirement System" means the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System.

2. That the present value of benefits accrued on behalf of members of the Virginia Retirement System (§ 51.1-124.1 et seq. of the Code of Virginia) who become members of the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System (§ 51.1-211 et seq. of the Code of Virginia) on the effective date of this act shall be transferred from the assets of the Virginia Retirement System to the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System.

3. That any conservation officer of the Department of Conservation and Recreation appointed pursuant to § 10.1-115 of the Code of Virginia who becomes a member of the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System on or after July 1, 2006, shall be eligible only for those retirement benefits under such system that are provided to employees who commence employment or reemployment on or after July 1, 2001.

4. That the provisions of this act shall not increase, decrease, or affect in any way the retirement allowance or retirement benefit of any person who retired prior to July 1, 2006, under any retirement system administered by the Virginia Retirement System.