Senate Committee Unanimously Approves Military Service Credits Bill
(5/23/07)

MADISON – On May 23, 2007, the Senate Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs, Biotechnology and Financial Institutions unanimously voted to approve Senate Bill 19. Under current law, employees participating in the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) who began their public employment after serving in the military do not receive WRS credit for their military service if it occurred after 1974. SB 19 would eliminate the arbitrary 1974 limitation and credit military service that occurs at any time. This legislation is not retroactive, meaning that it would only apply to public employees who terminate their WRS covered employment after the bill becomes law.

SB 19 is the senate companion bill for Assembly Bill 43, which was approved by the Assembly Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs on March 7. SB 19 will soon join AB 43 when it is referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Wisconsin Retirement Systems in the next few weeks. Before that committee can consider the bill, an actuarial study must be completed to assess the costs the measure would create for the Wisconsin Retirement System. The Joint Committee on Finance must specifically authorize the funding necessary to conduct the study.

WPPA Members are encourage to contact the following members of the Joint Committee on Finance and urge them to support funding for an actuarial study of SB 19/AB 43. The members of that committee can be reached at the links listed below:

YOUR EFFORTS CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE!!

For more information about Senate Bill 19, go to http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2007/data/SB-19.pdf. Anyone with questions or comments regarding this legislation is also welcome to contact WPPA Assistant Executive Director Jim Palmer, either by telephone at 1.800.362.8838, or by e-mail at palmer@wppa.com.