Florida Senate - 2011              PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
       Bill No. SB 1128
       
       
       
       
       
                                Barcode 172428                          
       
       585-02296-11                                                    
       Proposed Committee Substitute by the Committee on Governmental
       Oversight and Accountability
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public retirement plans; amending
    3         s. 112.66, F.S.; providing for the calculation of
    4         local government retirement benefits after a certain
    5         date; providing a prohibition on the use of plan
    6         revenues; prohibiting a reduction in certain
    7         contributions to a plan; requiring a plan to provide
    8         disability benefits on or after a certain date;
    9         providing a death benefit for the spouse and minor
   10         children of a member who is a firefighter, police
   11         officer, or correctional officer hired on or after a
   12         certain date who is killed in the line of duty;
   13         amending s. 121.051, F.S.; providing that a plan is
   14         eligible for participation in the Florida Retirement
   15         System if it has no unfunded actuarial liabilities;
   16         amending s. 175.032, F.S.; revising the definition of
   17         the term “compensation” or “salary” for purposes of
   18         firefighters’ pensions; amending s. 175.351, F.S.;
   19         revising provisions relating to benefits paid from the
   20         premium tax by a municipality or special fire control
   21         district that has its own pension plan; conforming a
   22         cross-reference; amending s. 185.02, F.S.; revising
   23         the definition of the terms “compensation” or “salary”
   24         for purposes of police officers’ pensions; amending s.
   25         185.35, F.S.; revising provisions relating to benefits
   26         paid by a municipality that has its own pension plan;
   27         directing the Department of Financial Services to rate
   28         the financial strength of local government defined
   29         benefit plans; specifying the factors for assigning
   30         the ratings; requiring local pension boards, local
   31         governments, the Division of Retirement, and all
   32         relevant entities to cooperate in providing data for
   33         the ratings; requiring the ratings to be posted on the
   34         department’s website; creating the Task Force on
   35         Public Employee Disability Presumptions; providing for
   36         appointment and membership; specifying the issues for
   37         the task force to address; providing for a report to
   38         be submitted to the Governor, Chief Financial Officer,
   39         and Legislature by a certain date; providing for
   40         future expiration; directing the Department of
   41         Financial Services to submit a report on the financial
   42         health of local government pension plans to the
   43         Governor and Legislature by a certain date; specifying
   44         the issues the report must address; providing a
   45         declaration of important state interest; providing an
   46         effective date.
   47  
   48  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   49  
   50         Section 1. Subsections (11) through (15) are added to
   51  section 112.66, Florida Statutes, to read:
   52         112.66 General provisions.—The following general provisions
   53  relating to the operation and administration of any retirement
   54  system or plan covered by this part shall be applicable:
   55         (11) Effective July 1, 2011, for purposes of calculating
   56  retirement benefits, a pension system or plan sponsored by a
   57  local government may not include any overtime in excess of 300
   58  hours per year, or any payments for accrued sick leave or annual
   59  leave. For those members whose terms and conditions of
   60  employment are collectively bargained, this subsection is
   61  effective for the first agreement negotiated on or after July 1,
   62  2011. This subsection does not apply to state-administered
   63  retirement systems or plans.
   64         (12) An actuarial or cash surplus in any system or plan may
   65  not be used for any expenses outside the plan.
   66         (13) A plan or system may not temporarily reduce
   67  contributions required to fund normal cost.
   68         (14) For each member hired on or after July 1, 2011, the
   69  local government shall provide a disability retirement benefit
   70  that meets the following minimum standards:
   71         (a) A member who becomes totally and permanently disabled,
   72  as defined in s. 121.091(4)(b), after completing a specified
   73  amount of service as determined by the local government, is
   74  entitled to a monthly disability benefit.
   75         (b) The local government must specify what constitutes
   76  permanent and total disability, how to determine proof of
   77  disability, provisions related to recovery from disability, and
   78  other necessary components of a disability retirement program.
   79         (15) For each member who is a firefighter, police officer,
   80  or correctional officer hired on or after July 1, 2011, the
   81  local government shall provide a death benefit entitlement and
   82  payments that meet the following minimum standards:
   83         (a) The surviving spouse of a member killed in the line of
   84  duty may receive a monthly pension equal to one-half of the
   85  monthly salary being received by the member at the time of death
   86  for the remainder of the surviving spouse’s life.
   87         (b) If the surviving spouse of a member killed in the line
   88  of duty dies, the monthly payments that would have been payable
   89  to the surviving spouse had such surviving spouse lived shall be
   90  paid for the use and benefit of the member’s children under 18
   91  years of age and unmarried until the 18th birthday of the
   92  member’s youngest unmarried child.
   93         (c) If a member killed in the line of duty leaves no
   94  surviving spouse but is survived by children under 18 years of
   95  age, the benefits normally payable to a surviving spouse shall
   96  be paid for the use and benefit of the member’s children under
   97  18 years of age and unmarried until the 18th birthday of the
   98  member’s youngest unmarried child.
   99  
  100  This subsection does not abrogate other applicable provisions of
  101  state or federal law providing death benefits.
  102         Section 2. Paragraph (g) is added to subsection (2) of
  103  section 121.051, Florida Statutes, to read:
  104         121.051 Participation in the system.—
  105         (2) OPTIONAL PARTICIPATION.—
  106         (g) A local government retirement system or plan, including
  107  a firefighters’ pension plan or a municipal police officers’
  108  retirement plan established in accordance with chapter 175 or
  109  chapter 185, is eligible for membership under this chapter if
  110  the plan has no unfunded actuarial liabilities.
  111         Section 3. Subsection (3) of section 175.032, Florida
  112  Statutes, is amended to read:
  113         175.032 Definitions.—For any municipality, special fire
  114  control district, chapter plan, local law municipality, local
  115  law special fire control district, or local law plan under this
  116  chapter, the following words and phrases have the following
  117  meanings:
  118         (3) “Compensation” or “salary” means, for noncollectively
  119  bargained service earned before July 1, 2011, or for service
  120  earned under collective bargaining agreements in place before
  121  July 1, 2011, the fixed monthly remuneration paid a firefighter.
  122  If; where, as in the case of a volunteer firefighter,
  123  remuneration is based on actual services rendered, as in the
  124  case of a volunteer firefighter, the term means the total cash
  125  remuneration received yearly for such services, prorated on a
  126  monthly basis. For noncollectively bargained service earned on
  127  or after July 1, 2011, or for service earned under collective
  128  baraining agreements entered into on or after July 1, 2011, the
  129  term has the same meaning except that overtime compensation in
  130  excess of 300 hours per year, or payments for accrued sick or
  131  annual leave, may not be included for purposes of calculating
  132  retirement benefits.
  133         (a) A retirement trust fund or plan may use a definition of
  134  salary other than the definition in this subsection but only if
  135  the monthly retirement income payable to each firefighter
  136  covered by the retirement trust fund or plan, as determined
  137  under s. 175.162(2)(a) and using such other definition, equals
  138  or exceeds the monthly retirement income that would be payable
  139  to each firefighter if his or her monthly retirement income were
  140  determined under s. 175.162(2)(a) and using the definition in
  141  this subsection.
  142         (a)(b) Any retirement trust fund or plan that which now or
  143  hereafter meets the requirements of this chapter does shall not,
  144  solely by virtue of this subsection, reduce or diminish the
  145  monthly retirement income otherwise payable to each firefighter
  146  covered by the retirement trust fund or plan.
  147         (b)(c) The member’s compensation or salary contributed as
  148  employee-elective salary reductions or deferrals to any salary
  149  reduction, deferred compensation, or tax-sheltered annuity
  150  program authorized under the Internal Revenue Code shall be
  151  deemed to be the compensation or salary the member would receive
  152  if he or she were not participating in such program and shall be
  153  treated as compensation for retirement purposes under this
  154  chapter.
  155         (c)(d) For any person who first becomes a member in any
  156  plan year beginning on or after January 1, 1996, compensation
  157  for that any plan year may shall not include any amounts in
  158  excess of the Internal Revenue Code s. 401(a)(17) limitation,
  159  (as amended by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993),
  160  which limitation of $150,000 shall be adjusted as required by
  161  federal law for qualified government plans and shall be further
  162  adjusted for changes in the cost of living in the manner
  163  provided by Internal Revenue Code s. 401(a)(17)(B). For any
  164  person who first became a member before prior to the first plan
  165  year beginning on or after January 1, 1996, the limitation on
  166  compensation may shall be not be less than the maximum
  167  compensation amount that was allowed to be taken into account
  168  under the plan as in effect on July 1, 1993, which limitation
  169  shall be adjusted for changes in the cost of living since 1989
  170  in the manner provided by Internal Revenue Code s.
  171  401(a)(17)(1991).
  172         Section 4. Section 175.351, Florida Statutes, is amended to
  173  read:
  174         175.351 Municipalities and special fire control districts
  175  having their own pension plans for firefighters.—For any
  176  municipality, special fire control district, local law
  177  municipality, local law special fire control district, or local
  178  law plan under this chapter, in order for municipalities and
  179  special fire control districts with their own pension plans for
  180  firefighters, or for firefighters and police officers if, where
  181  included, to participate in the distribution of the tax fund
  182  established pursuant to s. 175.101, local law plans must meet
  183  the minimum benefits and minimum standards set forth in this
  184  chapter.
  185         (1) PREMIUM TAX INCOME.—If a municipality or special fire
  186  control district has a pension plan for firefighters, or a
  187  pension plan for firefighters and police officers if, where
  188  included, which in the opinion of the division meets the minimum
  189  benefits and minimum standards set forth in this chapter, all
  190  premium tax revenues received by the municipality or special
  191  fire control district in excess of the adjusted base amount and
  192  all accumulated excess premium tax revenues held in reserve may
  193  be used only once to pay the unfunded actuarial accrued
  194  liabilities of the plan. If the aggregate level cost method is
  195  the actuarial cost method used to fund the plan, the unfunded
  196  actuarial accrued liabilities shall be measured using the entry
  197  age normal cost method. After a one-time application of the
  198  excess premium tax revenues to the unfunded actuarial accrued
  199  liabilities, the board of trustees of the pension plan, as
  200  approved by a majority of firefighters, or firefighters and
  201  police officers, of the municipality or fire control district,
  202  may:
  203         (a) Place the income from the premium tax in s. 175.101 in
  204  such pension plan for the sole and exclusive use of its
  205  firefighters, or for firefighters and police officers if, where
  206  included, where it shall become an integral part of that pension
  207  plan and shall be used to pay extra benefits to the
  208  firefighters, or firefighters and police officers, included in
  209  that pension plan; or
  210         (b) Place the income from the premium tax in s. 175.101 in
  211  a separate supplemental plan to pay extra benefits to
  212  firefighters, or to firefighters and police officers if where
  213  included, participating in such separate supplemental plan.
  214         (2) The premium tax provided by this chapter shall in all
  215  cases be used in its entirety to provide retirement extra
  216  benefits to firefighters, or to firefighters and police officers
  217  if, where included. However, local law plans in effect on
  218  October 1, 1998, must shall be required to comply with the
  219  minimum benefit provisions of this chapter only to the extent
  220  that additional premium tax revenues become available to
  221  incrementally fund the cost of such compliance as provided in s.
  222  175.162(2)(a). If When a plan is in compliance with such minimum
  223  benefit provisions, as subsequent additional premium tax
  224  revenues become available, they must shall be used to provide
  225  extra benefits, except as provided in subsection (1). For the
  226  purpose of this chapter, “additional premium tax revenues” means
  227  revenues received by a municipality or special fire control
  228  district pursuant to s. 175.121 which exceed that amount
  229  received for calendar year 1997, and the term “extra benefits”
  230  means benefits in addition to or greater than those provided to
  231  general employees of the municipality and in addition to those
  232  in existence for firefighters on March 12, 1999. Local law plans
  233  created by special act before May 23, 1939, shall be deemed to
  234  comply with this chapter.
  235         (3)(2)A ADOPTION OR REVISION OF A LOCAL LAW PLAN.—No
  236  retirement plan or amendment to a retirement plan may not shall
  237  be proposed for adoption unless the proposed plan or amendment
  238  contains an actuarial estimate of the costs involved. No Such
  239  proposed plan or proposed plan change may not shall be adopted
  240  without the approval of the municipality, special fire control
  241  district, or, where permitted, the Legislature. Copies of the
  242  proposed plan or proposed plan change and the actuarial impact
  243  statement of the proposed plan or proposed plan change shall be
  244  furnished to the division before prior to the last public
  245  hearing thereon. Such statement must shall also indicate whether
  246  the proposed plan or proposed plan change is in compliance with
  247  s. 14, Art. X of the State Constitution and those provisions of
  248  part VII of chapter 112 which are not expressly provided in this
  249  chapter. Notwithstanding any other provision, only those local
  250  law plans created by special act of legislation before prior to
  251  May 23, 1939, are shall be deemed to meet the minimum benefits
  252  and minimum standards only in this chapter.
  253         (4)(3) Notwithstanding any other provision, with respect to
  254  any supplemental plan municipality:
  255         (a) Section 175.032(3)(a) shall not apply, and A local law
  256  plan and a supplemental plan may continue to use their
  257  definition of compensation or salary in existence on the
  258  effective date of this act.
  259         (b) Section 175.061(1)(b) does shall not apply, and a local
  260  law plan and a supplemental plan shall continue to be
  261  administered by a board or boards of trustees numbered,
  262  constituted, and selected as the board or boards were numbered,
  263  constituted, and selected on December 1, 2000.
  264         (c) The election set forth in paragraph (1)(b) is shall be
  265  deemed to have been made.
  266         (5)(4) The retirement plan setting forth the benefits and
  267  the trust agreement, if any, covering the duties and
  268  responsibilities of the trustees and the regulations of the
  269  investment of funds must be in writing, and copies thereof must
  270  be made available to the participants and to the general public.
  271         Section 5. Subsection (4) of section 185.02, Florida
  272  Statutes, is amended to read:
  273         185.02 Definitions.—For any municipality, chapter plan,
  274  local law municipality, or local law plan under this chapter,
  275  the following words and phrases as used in this chapter shall
  276  have the following meanings, unless a different meaning is
  277  plainly required by the context:
  278         (4) “Compensation” or “salary” means, for noncollectively
  279  bargained service earned before July 1, 2011, or for service
  280  earned under collective bargaining agreements in place before
  281  July 1, 2011, the total cash remuneration including “overtime”
  282  paid by the primary employer to a police officer for services
  283  rendered, but not including any payments for extra duty or a
  284  special detail work performed on behalf of a second party
  285  employer. However, A local law plan may limit the amount of
  286  overtime payments which can be used for retirement benefit
  287  calculation purposes; however, but in no event shall such
  288  overtime limit may not be less than 300 hours per officer per
  289  calendar year. For noncollectively bargained service earned on
  290  or after July 1, 2011, or for service earned under collective
  291  bargaining agreements entered into on or after July 1, 2011, the
  292  term has the same meaning except that overtime compensation in
  293  excess of 300 hours per year, or payments for accrued sick or
  294  annual leave, may not be included for purposes of calculating
  295  retirement benefits.
  296         (a) Any retirement trust fund or plan that which now or
  297  hereafter meets the requirements of this chapter does shall not,
  298  solely by virtue of this subsection, reduce or diminish the
  299  monthly retirement income otherwise payable to each police
  300  officer covered by the retirement trust fund or plan.
  301         (b) The member’s compensation or salary contributed as
  302  employee-elective salary reductions or deferrals to any salary
  303  reduction, deferred compensation, or tax-sheltered annuity
  304  program authorized under the Internal Revenue Code shall be
  305  deemed to be the compensation or salary the member would receive
  306  if he or she were not participating in such program and shall be
  307  treated as compensation for retirement purposes under this
  308  chapter.
  309         (c) For any person who first becomes a member in any plan
  310  year beginning on or after January 1, 1996, compensation for
  311  that any plan year may shall not include any amounts in excess
  312  of the Internal Revenue Code s. 401(a)(17) limitation, (as
  313  amended by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993), which
  314  limitation of $150,000 shall be adjusted as required by federal
  315  law for qualified government plans and shall be further adjusted
  316  for changes in the cost of living in the manner provided by
  317  Internal Revenue Code s. 401(a)(17)(B). For any person who first
  318  became a member before prior to the first plan year beginning on
  319  or after January 1, 1996, the limitation on compensation may
  320  shall be not be less than the maximum compensation amount that
  321  was allowed to be taken into account under the plan as in effect
  322  on July 1, 1993, which limitation shall be adjusted for changes
  323  in the cost of living since 1989 in the manner provided by
  324  Internal Revenue Code s. 401(a)(17)(1991).
  325         Section 6. Section 185.35, Florida Statutes, is amended to
  326  read:
  327         185.35 Municipalities having their own pension plans for
  328  police officers.—For any municipality, chapter plan, local law
  329  municipality, or local law plan under this chapter, in order for
  330  municipalities with their own pension plans for police officers,
  331  or for police officers and firefighters if where included, to
  332  participate in the distribution of the tax fund established
  333  pursuant to s. 185.08, local law plans must meet the minimum
  334  benefits and minimum standards set forth in this chapter:
  335         (1) PREMIUM TAX INCOME.—If a municipality has a pension
  336  plan for police officers, or for police officers and
  337  firefighters if where included, which, in the opinion of the
  338  division, meets the minimum benefits and minimum standards set
  339  forth in this chapter, all premium tax revenues received by the
  340  municipality in excess of the adjusted base amount and all
  341  accumulated excess premium tax revenues held in reserve may be
  342  used only once to pay off the unfunded actuarial accrued
  343  liabilities of the plan. If the aggregate level cost method is
  344  the actuarial cost method used to fund the plan, the unfunded
  345  actuarial accrued liabilities shall be measured using the entry
  346  age normal cost method. After a one-time application of the
  347  excess premium tax revenues to the unfunded actuarial accrued
  348  liabilities, the board of trustees of the pension plan, as
  349  approved by a majority of police officers, or police officers
  350  and firefighters, of the municipality, may:
  351         (a) Place the income from the premium tax in s. 185.08 in
  352  such pension plan for the sole and exclusive use of its police
  353  officers, or its police officers and firefighters if where
  354  included, where it shall become an integral part of that pension
  355  plan and shall be used to pay extra benefits to the police
  356  officers, or police officers and firefighters, included in that
  357  pension plan; or
  358         (b) May place the income from the premium tax in s. 185.08
  359  in a separate supplemental plan to pay extra benefits to the
  360  police officers, or police officers and firefighters if where
  361  included, participating in such separate supplemental plan.
  362         (2) The premium tax provided by this chapter shall in all
  363  cases be used in its entirety to provide retirement extra
  364  benefits to police officers, or to police officers and
  365  firefighters if, where included. However, local law plans in
  366  effect on October 1, 1998, must shall be required to comply with
  367  the minimum benefit provisions of this chapter only to the
  368  extent that additional premium tax revenues become available to
  369  incrementally fund the cost of such compliance as provided in s.
  370  185.16(2). If When a plan is in compliance with such minimum
  371  benefit provisions, as subsequent additional tax revenues become
  372  available, they shall be used to provide extra benefits, except
  373  as provided under subsection (1). For the purpose of this
  374  chapter, “additional premium tax revenues” means revenues
  375  received by a municipality pursuant to s. 185.10 which exceed
  376  the amount received for calendar year 1997, and the term “extra
  377  benefits” means benefits in addition to or greater than those
  378  provided to general employees of the municipality and in
  379  addition to those in existence for police officers on March 12,
  380  1999. Local law plans created by special act before May 23,
  381  1939, shall be deemed to comply with this chapter.
  382         (3)(2)A ADOPTION OR REVISION OF A LOCAL LAW PLAN.—No
  383  retirement plan or amendment to a retirement plan may not shall
  384  be proposed for adoption unless the proposed plan or amendment
  385  contains an actuarial estimate of the costs involved. No Such
  386  proposed plan or proposed plan change may not shall be adopted
  387  without the approval of the municipality or, where permitted,
  388  the Legislature. Copies of the proposed plan or proposed plan
  389  change and the actuarial impact statement of the proposed plan
  390  or proposed plan change shall be furnished to the division
  391  before prior to the last public hearing thereon. Such statement
  392  must shall also indicate whether the proposed plan or proposed
  393  plan change is in compliance with s. 14, Art. X of the State
  394  Constitution and those provisions of part VII of chapter 112
  395  which are not expressly provided in this chapter.
  396  Notwithstanding any other provision, only those local law plans
  397  created by special act of legislation before prior to May 23,
  398  1939, are shall be deemed to meet the minimum benefits and
  399  minimum standards only in this chapter.
  400         (4)(3) Notwithstanding any other provision, with respect to
  401  any supplemental plan municipality:
  402         (a) Section 185.02(4)(a) does shall not apply, and a local
  403  law plan and a supplemental plan may continue to use their
  404  definition of compensation or salary in existence on March 12,
  405  1999 the effective date of this act.
  406         (b) Section 185.05(1)(b) does shall not apply, and a local
  407  law plan and a supplemental plan shall continue to be
  408  administered by a board or boards of trustees numbered,
  409  constituted, and selected as the board or boards were numbered,
  410  constituted, and selected on December 1, 2000.
  411         (c) The election set forth in paragraph (1)(b) is shall be
  412  deemed to have been made.
  413         (5)(4) The retirement plan setting forth the benefits and
  414  the trust agreement, if any, covering the duties and
  415  responsibilities of the trustees and the regulations of the
  416  investment of funds must be in writing and copies made available
  417  to the participants and to the general public.
  418         Section 7. Financial rating of local pension plans.—The
  419  Department of Financial Services shall develop standardized
  420  ratings for classifying the financial strength of all local
  421  government defined benefit pension plans.
  422         (1) In assigning a rating to a plan, the department shall
  423  consider, without limitation:
  424         (a) The plan’s current and future unfunded liabilities.
  425         (b) The plan’s net asset value, managed returns, and funded
  426  ratio.
  427         (c) Metrics related to the sustainability of the plan,
  428  including, but not limited to, the percentage that the annual
  429  contribution is of the participating employee payroll.
  430         (d) Municipal bond ratings for the local government, if
  431  applicable.
  432         (e) Whether the local government has reduced contribution
  433  rates to the plan when the plan has an actuarial surplus.
  434         (f) Whether the local government uses any actuarial surplus
  435  in the plan for obligations outside the plan.
  436         (2) The department may obtain all necessary data to
  437  formulate the ratings from all relevant entities, including
  438  local pension boards, local governments, and the Division of
  439  Retirement, all of which shall cooperate with the department in
  440  supplying all necessary information.
  441         (3) The ratings shall be posted on the department’s website
  442  in a standardized format.
  443         Section 8. Task Force on Public Employee Disability
  444  Presumptions.—
  445         (1) The Task Force on Public Employee Disability
  446  Presumptions is created for the purpose of developing findings
  447  and issuing recommendations on the disability presumptions in
  448  ss. 112.18, 175.231, and 185.34, Florida Statutes.
  449         (2) All members of the task force shall be appointed on or
  450  before July 15, 2011, and the task force shall hold its first
  451  meeting on or before August 15, 2011. The task force shall be
  452  composed of nine members as follows:
  453         (a) Three members appointed by the President of the Senate,
  454  one of whom must be an attorney in private practice who has
  455  experience in the relevant laws; one of whom must be a
  456  representative of organized labor; and one of whom must be from
  457  the Florida Association of Counties.
  458         (b) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
  459  Representatives, one of whom must be an attorney in private
  460  practice who has experience in the relevant laws; one of whom
  461  must be a representative of organized labor; and one of whom
  462  must be from the Florida League of Cities.
  463         (c) A member employed by the Office of the Auditor General
  464  who has experience in local government auditing and finances.
  465         (d) A member employed by the Division of Retirement of the
  466  Department of Management Services who has experience in local
  467  government pension plans, appointed by the Governor.
  468         (e) A member employed by the Department of Financial
  469  Services who has relevant expertise in state risk management,
  470  appointed by the Chief Financial Officer.
  471         (3) The task force shall address issues, including, but not
  472  limited to:
  473         (a) Data related to the operation of the statutory
  474  disability presumptions.
  475         (b) The manner in which other states handle disability
  476  presumptions.
  477         (c) Proposals for changes to the existing disability
  478  presumptions.
  479         (4) The Department of Financial Services shall provide
  480  administrative support to the task force.
  481         (5) Members of the task force shall serve without
  482  compensation while in the performance of their duties, but are
  483  entitled to reimbursement for per diem and travel expenses in
  484  accordance with s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
  485         (6) The task force may obtain data, information, and
  486  assistance from any officer or state agency and any political
  487  subdivision thereof. All such officers, agencies, and political
  488  subdivisions shall provide the task force with all relevant
  489  information and assistance on any matter within their knowledge
  490  or control.
  491         (7) The task force shall submit a report, including
  492  findings and recommendations, to the Governor, the Chief
  493  Financial Officer, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker
  494  of the House of Representatives by January 1, 2012. The report
  495  must include specific recommendations for legislative action
  496  during the 2012 Regular Session of the Legislature.
  497         (8) The task force is dissolved upon submission of its
  498  report.
  499         Section 9. By December 1, 2011, the Department of Financial
  500  Services shall submit a report and recommendations to the
  501  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
  502  House of Representatives on actions to be taken to increase the
  503  visibility and transparency of local government pension plans,
  504  including, but not limited to, those created pursuant to chapter
  505  175 or chapter 185, Florida Statutes, with the goal of
  506  increasing the ability of a taxpayer or policymaker to assess
  507  the financial health of the local plans. The report must include
  508  specific recommendations for legislative action during the 2012
  509  Regular Session of the Legislature. The department shall consult
  510  with the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic
  511  Research in formulating the recommendations, which must address,
  512  but need not be limited to:
  513         (1) Whether and what kinds of local pension plan data
  514  should be included in the financial audit reports required under
  515  s. 218.39, Florida Statutes.
  516         (2) Whether the reporting requirements of ss. 175.261 and
  517  185.221, Florida Statutes, should be supplemented with other
  518  types of financial data in order to give a more complete and
  519  transparent picture of a local government’s financial solvency.
  520         (3) Proposals for a uniform format for providing pension
  521  data, including standard terminology and data and the specific
  522  types of data which should be provided, including funding
  523  ratios, and whether contributions are sufficient to fund
  524  actuarial liabilities.
  525         (4) Whether to require local governments to provide pension
  526  financial data on local public websites.
  527         (5) Other related issues, including insurance benefits,
  528  health care benefits, and postemployment plan benefits.
  529         (6) Proposals related to the composition of local pension
  530  plan boards.
  531         Section 10. The Legislature finds that a proper and
  532  legitimate state purpose is served when employees and retirees
  533  of the state and of its political subdivisions, and the
  534  dependents, survivors, and beneficiaries of those employees and
  535  retirees, are extended the basic protections afforded by
  536  governmental retirement systems that provide fair and adequate
  537  benefits and that are managed, administered, and funded in an
  538  actuarially sound manner as required by s. 14, Article X of the
  539  State Constitution and part VII of chapter 112, Florida
  540  Statutes. Therefore, the Legislature determines and declares
  541  that this act fulfills an important state interest.
  542         Section 11. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.