Resolve, Directing the Department of Administrative and Financial Services and the Maine Public Employees Retirement System To Identify Retirees Whose Retirement Benefit Calculations Were Adversely Affected by Certain Pay Freezes and To Calculate Costs Associated with Authorizing Those Retirees To Include Such Lost Wages in Retirement Benefit Calculations
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1677
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: PICKETT, WHITTEMORE, DOORE, GROHMAN, HANINGTON, HANLEY, HERRICK, MARTIN, TURNER, WINSOR

Legislative Document 
No. 1677 
H.P. 1144 
House of Representatives, March 24, 2016 
Resolve, Directing the Department of Administrative and Financial 
Services and the Maine Public Employees Retirement System To 
Identify Retirees Whose Retirement Benefit Calculations Were 
Adversely Affected by Certain Pay Freezes and To Calculate Costs 
Associated with Authorizing Those Retirees To Include Such Lost 
Wages in Retirement Benefit Calculations 
(AFTER DEADLINE) 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205. 
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative PICKETT of Dixfield. 
Cosponsored by Senator WHITTEMORE of Somerset and 
Representatives: DOORE of Augusta, GROHMAN of Biddeford, HANINGTON of Lincoln, 
HANLEY of Pittston, HERRICK of Paris, MARTIN of Sinclair, TURNER of Burlington, 
WINSOR of Norway. 
Preamble. Whereas, the law governing the calculation of member retirement 
benefits was amended by Public Law 2015, chapter 267, Part CCCC, section 1 and 
chapter 385 to allow members of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System who 
retired on or after July 1, 2015 to pay the necessary member contributions to include in 
their retirement benefit calculations wages lost due to merit pay freezes and longevity pay 
freezes; and 
Whereas, equity requires that the law be similarly amended to allow members of the 
Maine Public Employees Retirement System who retired prior to July 1, 2015 to pay the 
necessary member contributions to include in their retirement benefit calculations wages 
lost due to such pay freezes; and 
Whereas, in order to rectify the situation, it is necessary first to determine the 
population of retirees who are potentially affected by this inequity, and then to calculate 
the costs associated with expanding the universe of retirees who are permitted to elect to 
contribute the necessary member contributions to include in their retirement benefit 
calculations wages lost due to such pay freezes; now, therefore, be it 
Sec. 1.  Identification of members.  Resolved:  That the Department of 
Administrative and Financial Services and the Maine Public Employees Retirement 
System shall work together to identify retirees who retired prior to July 1, 2015 and 
whose retirement benefit calculations were adversely affected by merit pay freezes and 
longevity pay freezes in effect in fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13; and be it further 
Sec. 2.  Calculation of costs.  Resolved:  That the Department of Administrative 
and Financial Services and the Maine Public Employees Retirement System shall work 
together to calculate the projected costs associated with authorizing members of the 
Maine Public Employees Retirement System who retired prior to July 1, 2015 to include 
in their retirement benefit calculations wages lost due to merit pay freezes and longevity 
pay freezes in effect in fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13; and be it further 
Sec. 3.  Report.  Resolved:  That, no later than November 2, 2016, the Department 
of Administrative and Financial Services and the Maine Public Employees Retirement 
System shall report their findings pursuant to sections 1 and 2 to the Joint Standing 
Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs.  The joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs may report out to 
the First Regular Session of the 128th Legislature a bill to authorize members of the 
Maine Public Employees Retirement System who retired prior to July 1, 2015 to include 
in their retirement benefit calculations wages lost due to merit pay freezes and longevity 
pay freezes in effect in fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13. 
SUMMARY 
This resolve directs the Department of Administrative and Financial Services and the 
Maine Public Employees Retirement System to work together to identify retirees who 
retired prior to July 1, 2015 and whose retirement benefit calculations were adversely 
affected by merit pay freezes and longevity pay freezes in effect in fiscal years 2011-12 
and 2012-13, and to calculate the projected costs associated with authorizing members of 
the Maine Public Employees Retirement System who retired prior to July 1, 2015 to 
include in their retirement benefit calculations wages lost due to merit pay freezes and 
longevity pay freezes in effect in fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13.  The joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs 
is authorized to report out a bill to the First Regular Session of the 128th Legislature to 
authorize members of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System who retired prior 
to July 1, 2015 to include in their retirement benefit calculations wages lost due to merit 
pay freezes and longevity pay freezes in effect in fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13.