A bill to amend the District of Columbia Retirement Reform Act.
PL 98-104 (S.1625), enacted 09/30/1983

PUBLIC LAW 98-104—SEPT. 30, 1983 
97 STAT. 727 
Public Law 98-104 
98th Congress 
An Act 
To amend the District of Columbia Retirement Reform Act. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 145 of 
the District of Columbia Retirement Reform Act, approved Novem-
ber 17, 1979 (93 Stat. 866, 882-884), is amended to read as follows: 
"(a)(1) After January 1, and before March 1, of each year begin-
ning with calendar year 1984 and ending with calendar year 2004, 
the enrolled actuary engaged pursuant to section 142 shall, with 
respect to the District of Columbia Police Officers and Fire Fighters' 
Retirement Fund— 
"(A) determine, in accordance with paragraph (2) of this 
subsection, the disability retirement rate for the preceding 
calendar year; and 
"(B) determine if such disability retirement rate for such 
preceding calendar year is greater than eight-tenths of a per-
centage point. 
"(2) For the purposes of clause (A) of paragraph (1) of this subsec-
tion, the disability retirement rate for the applicable calendar year 
shall be an amount equal to a fraction, the numerator of which is 
the number of officers and members of the Metropolitan Police 
Force and the Fire Department of the District of Columbia who first 
became officers or members on or before February 14,1980, and who 
retired on disability during such applicable year under subsection 
(f)(1) or (g)(1) of section 12 of the Policemen and Firemen's Retire-
ment and Disability Act (but such numerator shall not include any 
such officer or member whose retirement is ordered by a court of 
competent jurisdiction), and the denominator of which is the total 
number of such officers and members who were on active duty on 
January 1 of such applicable calendar year. 
"(3) The enrolled actuary shall report the determinations (includ-
ing related documents and information) made under paragraph (1) 
of this subsection to the Board and to the Comptroller General of the 
United States not later than March 1 of each year. 
"(b)(1) The Board and the Comptroller General shall each trans-
mit a copy of each such report by the enrolled actuary under 
subsection (a) to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the 
President pro tempore of the Senate, the chairman of the Committee 
on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the chairman of the Com-
mittee on the District of Columbia of the House of Representatives, 
the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the 
chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
Representatives, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, and the 
Council of the District of Columbia, not later than March 31 of the 
calendar year in which the report is made, and each shall submit 
comments on such report. 
"(2) The Comptroller General shall include in his comments on 
each such report transmitted under paragraph (1) of this subsection 
Sept. 30, 1983 
[S. 1625] 
District of 
Columbia police 
officers and 
fire fighters, 
disability 
retirement rates. 
93 Stat. 877. 
39 Stat. 718. 
Report to Board 
and Comptroller 
General. 
Report copies, 
transmittal to 
Congress, 
Mayor, and D.C. 
Council. 
97 STAT. 728 
PUBLIC LAW 98-104—SEPT. 30, 1983 
Reduced 
amount, 
determination. 
93 Stat. 881. 
Catastrophic or 
unordinary 
events. 
39 Stat. 718. 
Report review by 
Federal 
Emergency 
Management 
Agency. 
a statement as to whether or not the determinations made by the 
enrolled actuary fairly present, in all material respects, the require-
ments of subsection (a) of this section. 
"(3) With respect to each applicable fiscal year, the Comptroller 
General shall make a determmation, as provided for under subsec-
tion (c)(1) of this section of the amount, if any, by which the 
authorization under section 144(a)(1) should be reduced. The results 
of such determination, together with such other data, information, 
and comments as the Comptroller (Jeneral may deem necessary to 
enable the Congress, and the appropriate committees thereof, to 
carry out the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, shall be 
included as a part of his report under paragraph (1) of this 
subsection. 
"(c)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, with 
respect to the fiscal year commencing October 1, 1984, and each 
fiscal year thereafter through the fiscal year commencing October 1, 
2004, the authorization under section 144(a)(1) for each such fiscal 
year shall be deemed, for purposes of such section, to be reduced in 
the amount hereafter provided, if the report, submitted by the 
Comptroller General pursuant to subsection (b) of this section in the 
calendar year in which such fiscal year commences, states that 
the disability retirement rate under subsection (a) of this section for 
the preceding calendar year is greater than eight-tenths of a per-
centage point. The amount of such reduction shall be IVa per 
centum for each whole tenth of a percentage point by which the 
disability retirement rate is greater than eight-tenths of a percent-
age point. 
"(2) There shall be no reduction pursuant to section 144(a)(1) and 
paragraph (1) of this subsection for any such fiscal year, if, in 
computing the disability retirement rate under subsection (a) of this 
section for the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which 
such fiscal year commences, the numerator is less than eight. 
"(3)(A) If the Board determines, on the basis of substantial facts, 
that unordinary circumstances or events of catastrophic magnitude, 
such as a fire or civil disorder, caused or significantly contributed to 
the number of disability retirements under subsection (gXD of sec-
tion 12 of the Policemen and Firemen's Retirement and Disability 
Act during a calendar year covered by the report submitted by the 
Comptroller General pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, it 
shall submit a detailed statement on such circumstances and events 
to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Comptrol-
ler General. Such statement shall be submitted on or before July 1 
of the calendar year next following the calendar year covered by 
such report of the Comptroller General. The statement shall con-
tain, among other matters, data on the total number of disability 
retirements under subsections (f)(1) and (gXD of section 12 of such 
Act for the applicable calendar year, the number of such retire-
ments under subsection (g)(1) of such Act which, in the opinion of 
the Board, were caused or significantly contributed to by such 
circumstances or events, and an explanation as to why the Board 
considers such events or circumstances to be unordinary and of a 
catastrophic magnitude. 
"(B) The Federal Emergency Management Agency shall review 
the Board's report and provide the Board its assessment within sixty 
days of receipt of the Board's report, of the scope, nature, involve-
ment, and impact on District of Columbia police officers and fire-
fighters of the events determined by the Board to be of unordinary 
PUBLIC LAW 98-104—SEPT. 30, 1983 
97 STAT. 729 
and of a catastrophic nature. The Agency shall submit copies of its 
assessment to the Comptroller General, the Board, and the offices 
and officers set forth in subsection (b) of this section. 
"(CXI) The Comptroller General, on the basis of such reports from 
the Board and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall 
determine the extent to which such disability retirements which 
such ^ency determined were caused or contributed to by such 
events and circumstances, caused a reduction in the amount appro-
priated to the Fund as provided under subsection (c) of this section. 
The Comptroller General shall report the amount of such reduction 
so caused to the Board and to the offices and officers set forth in 
subsection (bXD of this section. Such reports shall be submitted on 
or before December 31 of the calendar year in which he receives 
such report of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 
"(2) In addition to the amount authorized to be appropriated to 
the Fund for any fiscal year under section 144(aXl), there is author-
ized to be appropriated for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 
1984, and each fiscal year thereafter, such sum as may be necessary 
to pay to the Fund an amount equal to the amount of any reduction, 
plus interest lost to the Fund because of the reduction, for a fiscal 
year as reported by the Comptroller General to the offices and 
officers of the Congress pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, 
but in no case shall any moneys be appropriated on the basis of the 
authorization pursuant to this paragraph except to the extent that 
any such reduction was actually made.". 
SEC. 2. The amendment made by this Act shall be considered as 
having taken effect as of January 1,1983. 
Approved September 30,1983. 
Agency 
assessment, 
copies. 
Appropriation 
authorization. 
93 Stat. 881. 
Effective date. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1625: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 98-372 (Ck)mm. on the District of Columbia). 
SENATE REPORT No. 98-217 (Comm. on Governmental Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 129 (1983): 
Aug. 3, considered and passed Senate. 
Sept. 26, considered and passed House.