I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3389
To reduce the unfunded liability of the teachers’, firefighters’, police officers’,
and judges’ pension funds of the District of Columbia by increasing
and extending the contributions of the Federal Government to such
funds, increasing employee contributions to such funds, and establishing
a single annual cost-of-living adjustment for annuities paid from such
funds, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 2, 1996
Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
A BILL
To reduce the unfunded liability of the teachers’, fire-
fighters’, police officers’, and judges’ pension funds of
the District of Columbia by increasing and extending
the contributions of the Federal Government to such
funds, increasing employee contributions to such funds,
and establishing a single annual cost-of-living adjustment
for annuities paid from such funds, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘District of Columbia
Pension Liability Funding Reform Act of 1996’’.
TITLE I—FEDERAL CONTRIBU-
TION TO DISTRICT OF CO-
LUMBIA PENSION FUNDS
SEC. 101. INCREASE IN AND EXTENSION OF FEDERAL CON-
TRIBUTION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 144(a) of the District of
Columbia Retirement Reform Act (sec. 1–724(a), D.C.
Code) is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by
striking ‘‘2004—’’ and inserting ‘‘2036 the following
amounts:’’;
(2) in paragraph (1)—
(A) by striking ‘‘as’’ and inserting ‘‘As’’,
and
(B) by striking ‘‘Fund, the sum’’ and all
that follows and inserting the following:
‘‘Fund—
‘‘(A) for each fiscal year through fiscal
year 1996, the sum of $34,170,000, reduced by
the amount of any reduction required under
section 145(c); and
‘‘(B) for fiscal year 1997 and each subse-
quent fiscal year, the sum of $193,579,000, re-
duced by the amount of any such reduction.’’;
(3) in paragraph (2)—
(A) by striking ‘‘as’’ and inserting ‘‘As’’,
and
(B) by striking ‘‘Fund, the sum’’ and all
that follows and inserting the following:
‘‘Fund—
‘‘(A) for each fiscal year through fiscal
year 1996, the sum of $17,680,000; and
‘‘(B) for fiscal year 1997 and each subse-
quent fiscal year, the sum of $100,152,500.’’;
and
(4) in paragraph (3)—
(A) by striking ‘‘as’’ and inserting ‘‘As’’,
and
(B) by striking ‘‘Fund, the sum’’ and all
that follows and inserting the following:
‘‘Fund—
‘‘(A) for each fiscal year through fiscal
year 1996, the sum of $220,000; and
‘‘(B) for fiscal year 1997 and each subse-
quent fiscal year, the sum of $1,268,500.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—The District of
Columbia Retirement Reform Act is amended—
(1) in section 142(b)(1) (sec. 1–722(b)(1), D.C.
Code), by striking ‘‘2004’’ each place it appears in
subparagraphs (A) and (D) and inserting ‘‘2036’’;
(2) in section 142(b)(2) (sec. 1–722(b)(2), D.C.
Code), by striking ‘‘2005’’ and inserting ‘‘2037’’;
(3) 
in 
section 
142(c)(1)(A) 
(sec. 
1–
722(c)(1)(A), D.C. Code), by striking ‘‘2003’’ and
inserting ‘‘2035’’;
(4) in section 144(e) (sec.1–724, D.C. Code)—
(A) by striking ‘‘2004’’ in paragraph (1)
and inserting ‘‘2036’’, and
(B) by striking paragraph (2);
(5) in section 145 (sec. 1–725, D.C. Code), by
striking ‘‘2004’’ each place it appears in subsections
(a)(1) and (c)(1) and inserting ‘‘2036’’; and
(6) in section 162(d) (sec. 1–732(d)(1), D.C.
Code), by striking paragraph (5).
TITLE II—CHANGES IN
RETIREMENT BENEFITS
Subtitle A—Police Officers’ and
Fire Fighters’ Contribution
SEC. 201. INCREASE IN CONTRIBUTION.
The first sentence of subsection (d)(1) of the Police-
men and Firemen’s Retirement and Disability Act (sec.
4–612(a), D.C. Code) is amended by inserting after ‘‘per
centum’’ the following: ‘‘(or, with respect to a member who
is an officer or member of the Metropolitan Police force
or the Fire Department of the District of Columbia, 8 per
centum for each pay period which begins on or after Octo-
ber 1, 1996)’’.
SEC. 202. ESTABLISHMENT OF SINGLE ANNUAL COST-OF-
LIVING ADJUSTMENT.
Subsection (m) of the Policemen and Firemen’s Re-
tirement and Disability Act (sec. 4–624, D.C. Code) is
amended—
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘the Mayor
shall’’ and all that follows and inserting the follow-
ing: ‘‘on January 1 of each year (or within a reason-
able time thereafter), the Mayor shall determine the
per centum change in the price index for the preced-
ing year by determining the difference between the
index published for December of the preceding year
and the index published for December of the second
preceding year.’’; and
(2) by amending paragraph (3) to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘(3) If (in accordance with paragraph (2)) the Mayor
determines in a year (beginning with 1997) that the per
centum change in the price index for the preceding year
indicates a rise in the price index, each annuity having
a commencing date on or before September 1 of the year
shall, effective September 1 of the year, be increased by
an amount equal to—
‘‘(A) in the case of an annuity having a com-
mencing date on or before September 1 of such pre-
ceding year, the per centum change computed under
paragraph (2), adjusted to the nearest 1⁄10 of 1 per
centum; or
‘‘(B) in the case of an annuity having a com-
mencing date after September 1 of such preceding
year, a pro rata increase equal to the product of—
‘‘(i) 1⁄12 of the per centum change com-
puted under paragraph (2), multiplied by
‘‘(ii) the number of months (not to exceed
12 months, counting any portion of a month as
an entire month) for which the annuity was
payable before the effective date of the increase,
adjusted 
to
the nearest 1⁄10 of 1 per centum.’’.
SEC. 203. EQUALIZATION OF CONTRIBUTION RULES FOR
FORMER RETIREES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 209(a)(2)(B) of the Dis-
trict of Columbia Retirement Reform Act (sec. 4–625(2),
D.C. Code) is amended by striking ‘‘having a commencing
date after the effective date of such amendment.’’.
(b) REPEAL OF RELIEF ALLOWANCE OR COMPENSA-
TION INCREASE.—Section 301 of the District of Columbia
Police and Firemen’s Salary Act of 1953 (sec. 4–605,
D.C. Code) is repealed.
Subtitle B—Teachers’ Contribution
SEC. 211. INCREASE IN CONTRIBUTION.
The first sentence of section 1 of the Act entitled ‘‘An
Act for the retirement of public-school teachers in the Dis-
trict of Columbia’’, approved August 7, 1946 (sec. 31–
1221(a), D.C. Code), is amended by inserting after ‘‘per
centum’’ the following: ‘‘(or, with respect to each pay pe-
riod which begins on or after October 1, 1996, 8 per cen-
tum)’’.
SEC. 212. ESTABLISHMENT OF SINGLE ANNUAL COST-OF-
LIVING ADJUSTMENT.
Section 21(b) of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act for the re-
tirement of public-school teachers in the District of Co-
lumbia’’, approved August 7, 1946 (sec. 31–1241(b), D.C.
Code) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The Mayor
shall—’’ and all that follows and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘On January 1 of each year (or within a
reasonable time thereafter), the Mayor shall deter-
mine the per centum change in the price index for
the preceding year by determining the difference be-
tween the index published for December of the pre-
ceding year and the index published for December of
the second preceding year.’’; and
(2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘(2) If (in accordance with paragraph (1)) the Mayor
determines in a year (beginning with 1997) that the per
centum change in the price index for the preceding year
indicates a rise in the price index, each annuity having
a commencing date on or before September 1 of the year
shall, effective September 1 of the year, be increased by
an amount equal to—
‘‘(A) in the case of an annuity having a com-
mencing date on or before September 1 of such pre-
ceding year, the per centum change computed under
paragraph (1), adjusted to the nearest 1⁄10 of 1 per
centum; or
‘‘(B) in the case of an annuity having a com-
mencing date after September 1 of such preceding
year, a pro rata increase equal to the product of—
‘‘(i) 1⁄12 of the per centum change com-
puted under paragraph (1), multiplied by
‘‘(ii) the number of months (not to exceed
12 months, counting any portion of a month as
an entire month) for which the annuity was
payable before the effective date of the increase,
adjusted to the nearest 1⁄10 of 1 per centum.’’.
Subtitle C—Judges’ Contribution
SEC. 221. INCREASE IN CONTRIBUTION.
(a) AMOUNT OF WITHHOLDING.—The first sentence
of section 11–1563(a), D.C. Code, is amended by inserting
after ‘‘per centum’’ the following: ‘‘(or, with respect to
each pay period which begins on or after October 1, 1996,
41⁄2 per centum)’’.
(b) COMPUTATION OF RETIREMENT SALARY.—Sec-
tion 11–1564(d)(1), D.C. Code, is amended by inserting
after ‘‘United States Code,’’ the following: ‘‘with respect
to services performed before October 1, 1996, and equal
to 41⁄2 per centum of such salary, pay, or compensation
with respect to services performed on or after October 1,
1996,’’.
TITLE III—EFFECTIVE DATE
SEC. 301. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect
October 1, 1996.
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