AZ Rev Stat § 38-769 (2021)
2021 Arizona Revised Statutes|Title 38 - Public Officers and Employees|§ 38-769 - Maximum retirement benefits; termination; definitions

38-769.  Maximum retirement benefits;  termination;  definitions A. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article,  except as provided in subsection C of this section,  the employer provided portion of a member's annual benefit payable in the form of a straight life annuity,  at any time within a limitation year,  shall not exceed one hundred sixty thousand dollars or a larger amount that is effective as of January 1 of each calendar year,  is prescribed by the board and is due to any cost of living adjustment announced by the United States secretary of the treasury pursuant to section 415(d) of the internal revenue code. The board shall increase the amount pursuant to this subsection as of the effective date of the increase as prescribed by the United States secretary of the treasury. Benefit increases provided in this section resulting from the increase in the limitations of section 415(b) of the internal revenue code as amended by the economic growth and tax relief reconciliation act of 2001 shall be provided to all current and former members who have benefits that are limited by section 415(b) of the internal revenue code and who have an accrued benefit under ASRS immediately before July 1,  2001,  other than an accrued benefit resulting from a benefit increase solely as a result of the increases provided by this section resulting from the increase in the limitations of section 415(b) of the internal revenue code as amended by the economic growth and tax relief reconciliation act of 2001. B. Notwithstanding the limitations of subsection A of this section,  the benefits payable to a member are deemed not to exceed the limitations determined under subsection A of this section if the retirement benefits payable to the member under this article do not exceed ten thousand dollars for the limitation year and if an employer has not at any time maintained a defined contribution plan in which the member has participated. C. The limitations determined under subsection A of this section are subject to the following adjustments: 1. If a member has less than ten years of membership in ASRS,  the maximum dollar limitation determined under subsection A of this section shall be multiplied by a fraction,  the numerator of which is the number of years,  or partial years,  of membership in ASRS and the denominator of which is ten. The reduction provided in this paragraph also applies to the ten thousand dollar floor limitation provided in subsection B of this section,  except that the reduction applies to years of service with an employer rather than to years of membership in ASRS. The reduction in this paragraph does not reduce the limitations determined under subsection A of this section to an amount less than one-tenth of the limitations as determined without regard to this paragraph. 2. If the member's benefit under ASRS commences before the member reaches sixty-two years of age,  the benefit will be limited to: (a) If the annuity starting date is in a limitation year beginning before July 1,  2007,  the annual amount of a benefit payable in the form of a straight life annuity commencing at the member's annuity starting date that is the actuarial equivalent of the dollar limitation under section 415(b)(1)(A) of the internal revenue code as adjusted in subsection A of this section,  with actuarial equivalence computed using whichever of the following produces the smaller annual amount: (i) The interest rate and mortality table or other tabular factor specified by the board for determining actuarial equivalence for early retirement purposes. (ii) A five per cent interest rate assumption and the applicable mortality table. (b) If the annuity starting date is in a limitation year beginning on or after July 1,  2007 and ASRS does not have an immediately commencing straight life annuity payable at both age sixty-two and the age of benefit commencement,  the annual amount of a benefit payable in the form of a straight life annuity commencing at the member's annuity starting date that is the actuarial equivalent of the dollar limitation under section 415(b)(1)(A) of the internal revenue code as adjusted in subsection A of this section,  with actuarial equivalence computed using a five per cent interest rate assumption and the applicable mortality table and expressing the member's age based on completed calendar months as of the annuity start date. (c) If the annuity starting date is in a limitation year beginning on or after July 1,  2007 and ASRS has an immediately commencing straight life annuity payable at both age sixty-two and the age of benefit commencement,  the lesser of: (i) The adjusted dollar limitation determined in accordance with subdivision (b) of this paragraph,  determined without applying the limitations of section 415 of the internal revenue code. (ii) The product of the dollar limitation under section 415(b)(1)(A) of the internal revenue code as adjusted in subsection A of this section,  multiplied by the ratio of the annual amount of the immediately commencing straight life annuity under ASRS at the member's annuity starting date to the annual amount of the immediately commencing straight life annuity under ASRS at age sixty-two,  determined without applying the limitations of section 415 of the internal revenue code. 3. If the retirement benefit under ASRS commences after the member reaches sixty-five years of age,  the dollar limitation under section 415(b)(1)(A) of the internal revenue code as adjusted in subsection A of this section on that benefit is increased to: (a) If the annuity starting date is in a limitation year beginning before July 1,  2007,  the annual amount of a benefit payable in the form of a straight life annuity commencing at the member's annuity starting date that is the actuarial equivalent of the dollar limitation under section 415(b)(1)(A) as adjusted under section 415(d) of the internal revenue code,  with actuarial equivalence computed using whichever of the following produces the smaller annual amount: (i) The interest rate and mortality table or other tabular factor specified by the board for determining actuarial equivalence for delayed retirement purposes. (ii) A five per cent interest rate assumption and the applicable mortality table. (b) If the annuity starting date is in a limitation year beginning on or after July 1,  2007 and ASRS does not have an immediately commencing straight life annuity payable at both age sixty-five and the age of benefit commencement,  the annual amount of a benefit payable in the form of a straight life annuity commencing at the member's annuity starting date that is the actuarial equivalent of the dollar limitation under section 415(b)(1)(A) of the internal revenue code as adjusted in subsection A of this section,  with actuarial equivalence computed using a five per cent interest rate assumption and the applicable mortality table and expressing the member's age based on completed calendar months as of the annuity starting date. (c) If the annuity starting date is in a limitation year beginning on or after July 1,  2007 and ASRS has an immediately commencing straight life annuity payable at both age sixty-five and the age of benefit commencement,  the lesser of: (i) The adjusted dollar limitation determined in accordance with subdivision (b) of this paragraph,  determined without applying the limitations of section 415 of the internal revenue code. (ii) The product of the dollar limitation under section 415(b)(1)(A) of the internal revenue code as adjusted in subsection A of this section,  multiplied by the ratio of the annual amount of the immediately commencing straight life annuity under ASRS at the member's annuity starting date to the annual amount of the immediately commencing straight life annuity under ASRS at age sixty-five,  determined without applying the limitations of section 415 of the internal revenue code. 4. For purposes of applying the limits of section 415 of the internal revenue code,  a retirement benefit that is payable in any form other than a straight life annuity and that is not subject to section 417(e)(3) of the internal revenue code must be adjusted to an actuarially equivalent straight life annuity that equals either: (a) For limitation years beginning on or after July 1,  2007,  the greater of the annual amount of the straight life annuity,  if any,  payable under ASRS at the same annuity starting date,  and the annual amount of a straight life annuity commencing at the same annuity starting date that has the same actuarial present value as the member's form of benefit computed using an interest rate of five per cent and the applicable mortality table under section 417(e)(3) of the internal revenue code. (b) For limitation years beginning before July 1,  2007,  the annual amount of a straight life annuity commencing at the same annuity starting date that has the same actuarial present value as the member's form of benefit computed using whichever of the following produces the greater annual amount: (i) The interest rate and mortality table or other tabular factor specified by the board for adjusting benefits in the same form. (ii) A five per cent interest rate assumption and the applicable mortality table. 5. For the purpose of applying the limits of section 415 of the internal revenue code,  a retirement benefit that is payable in any form other than a straight life annuity to which section 417(e)(3) of the internal revenue code would apply if that section of the internal revenue code were applicable to ASRS must be adjusted to an actuarially equivalent straight life annuity that equals: (a) If the annuity starting date is in a plan year beginning on or after July 1,  2006,  the annual amount of the straight life annuity commencing at the same annuity starting date that has the same actuarial present value as the member's form of benefit,  using whichever of the following produces the greater annual amount: (i) The interest rate and mortality table or other tabular factor specified by the board for adjusting benefits in the same form. (ii) A five and one-half per cent interest rate assumption and the applicable mortality table. (iii) The applicable interest rate under section 417(e)(3) of the internal revenue code and the applicable mortality table,  divided by 1.05. The stability period during which the applicable interest rate remains constant is the plan year. The look-back month that is used to determine the applicable interest rate during the stability period is the third full calendar month preceding the first day of the stability period. For the purposes of this item,  " applicable interest rate"  means the annual interest rate on thirty-year treasury securities as specified by the commissioner of the United States internal revenue service for a month in revenue rulings or notices or another guidance published by the commissioner in the internal revenue bulletin. (b) If the annuity starting date is in a plan year beginning in July 1,  2004 or July 1,  2005,  the annual amount of the straight life annuity commencing at the same annuity starting date that has the same actuarial present value as the member's form of benefit payable,  using whichever of the following produces the greater annual amount: (i) The interest rate and mortality table or other tabular factor specified by the board for adjusting benefits in the same form. (ii) A five and one-half per cent interest assumption and the applicable mortality table. (c) If the annuity starting date is on or after July 1,  2004 and before December 31,  2004,  and ASRS applies the transition rule in section 101(d)(3) of the pension funding equity act of 2005 in lieu of the rule in subdivision (b) of this paragraph,  the annual amount of the straight life annuity commencing at the same annuity starting date that has the same actuarial present value as the member's form of benefit,  determined in accordance with internal revenue service notice 2004-78. 6. When calculating the limitations of paragraph 4 or 5 of this subsection,  the portion of any joint or survivor annuity that constitutes a qualified joint and survivor annuity as defined in section 417 of the internal revenue code shall be disregarded. D. Subsection C,  paragraphs 1 and 2 of this section do not apply to income received from ASRS as a pension,  annuity or similar allowance as a result of the recipient developing a disability by personal injury or sickness or to amounts received from ASRS by beneficiaries,  survivors or the estate of a member as a result of the death of the member. E. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,  the annual benefit payable under this article may be reduced to the extent necessary,  as determined by the board,  to prevent disqualification of ASRS under section 415 of the internal revenue code that imposes additional limitations on the annual benefits payable to members who also may be participating in another tax qualified pension or savings plan of this state. An employer shall not provide employee retirement or deferred benefits if the benefits authorized by this section and as required by federal law result in the failure of ASRS to meet federal qualification standards as applied to public pension plans. The board shall advise affected members of any additional information concerning their annual benefits required by this subsection. All benefits payable pursuant to this subsection shall comply with the limitations of benefits contained in section 415 of the internal revenue code and the final treasury regulations issued under that section. Notwithstanding any provision of this article to the contrary,  if the annual benefits within the meaning of section 415 of the internal revenue code for any member exceed the limits of section 415(b) of the internal revenue code and this section,  ASRS may only correct the excess pursuant to the employee plans compliance resolution system prescribed in internal revenue service revenue procedure 2008-50 or any future guidance by the internal revenue service,  including the preamble of the final treasury regulations issued under section 415 of the internal revenue code. F. If the maximum amount of benefit allowed under section 415 of the internal revenue code is increased after the commencement date of a member's benefit due to any cost of living adjustment announced by the United States secretary of the treasury pursuant to the provisions of section 415(d) of the internal revenue code,  the amount of the monthly benefit payable under ASRS to a member whose benefit is restricted due to the provisions of section 415(d) of the internal revenue code shall be increased by the board as of the date prescribed by the United States secretary of the treasury on which the increase shall become effective. The increase shall reflect the increase in the amount of retirement income that may be payable under this article as a result of the cost of living adjustment. G. In determining the adjustments to the defined benefit dollar limitation authorized by subsection A of this section,  the board shall prescribe a larger defined benefit dollar limitation if prescribed by the United States secretary of the treasury pursuant to section 415(d) of the internal revenue code. An adjustment to the defined benefit dollar limitation prescribed in subsection A of this section is not effective before the first calendar year for which the United States secretary of the treasury publishes the adjustment. After it is prescribed by the board,  the new defined benefit dollar limitation applies to the limitation year ending with or within the calendar year for which the secretary of the treasury makes the adjustment. H. For the purposes of the limitations prescribed by this section,  all member and employer contributions made to ASRS to provide a member benefits pursuant to section 38-771 or 38-771.01 and all member contributions that are not treated as picked up by the employer under section 414(h)(2) of the internal revenue code shall be treated as made to a separate defined contribution plan. I. On termination or partial termination of ASRS,  the accrued benefit of each member is,  as of the date of termination or partial termination,  fully vested and nonforfeitable to the extent then funded. J. If ASRS terminates,  the benefit of any highly compensated employee as defined in section 414(q) of the internal revenue code and any highly compensated former employee is limited to a benefit that is nondiscriminatory under section 401(a)(4) of the internal revenue code and as follows: 1. Benefits distributed to any of the twenty-five active and former highly compensated employees with the greatest compensation in the current or any prior fiscal year are restricted so that the annual payments are no greater than an amount equal to the payment that would be made on behalf of the member under a straight life annuity that is the actuarial equivalent of the sum of the member's accrued benefit,  the member's other benefits under ASRS,  excluding a social security supplement as defined in 26 Code of Federal Regulations section 1.411(a)-7(C)(4)(ii),  and the amount the member is entitled to receive under a social security supplement. 2. Paragraph 1 of this subsection does not apply if either: (a) After payment of the benefit to a member described in paragraph 1 of this subsection,  the value of ASRS assets equals or exceeds one hundred ten per cent of the value of the current liabilities,  as defined in section 412(l)(7) of the internal revenue code,  of ASRS. (b) The value of the benefits for a member described in paragraph 1 of this subsection is less than one per cent of the value of the current liabilities,  as defined in section 412(l)(7) of the internal revenue code,  of ASRS before distribution. (c) The value of the benefits payable by ASRS to a member described in paragraph 1 of this subsection does not exceed three thousand five hundred dollars. K. For the purposes of subsection J of this section,  " benefit"  includes loans in excess of the amount prescribed in section 72(p)(2)(A) of the internal revenue code,  any periodic income,  any withdrawal values payable to a living member and any death benefits not provided for by insurance on the member's life. L. On retirement of a member who was a retired member,  who resumed active membership and who subsequently retires,  the limitations of this section in effect on the member's subsequent retirement apply to the member's retirement benefit payable as recomputed pursuant to section 38-766. In addition,  the sum of the present value of the member's recomputed retirement benefits plus the present value of the benefits the member received during the member's prior retirement shall not exceed the present value of the limitations in effect on the member's subsequent retirement. The limitations prescribed in this subsection shall not reduce a member's retirement benefit below the retirement benefit the member was receiving before the member resumed active membership. For the purposes of determining present value under this subsection,  the board shall use the actuarial equivalent assumptions provided in section 38-711,  paragraph 2. M. For the purposes of this section: 1. The following adjustments shall be made to the definition of compensation prescribed in subsection O of this section: (a) Compensation shall be adjusted for the types of compensation that are prescribed in this paragraph and that are paid after a member's severance from employment with an employer. Amounts described in subdivisions (b),  (c) and (d) of this paragraph may be included only as compensation to the extent the amounts are paid by the later of two and one-half months after severance from employment or by the end of the limitation year that includes the date of the severance from employment. Any other payment of compensation paid after severance of employment that is not described in the types of compensation prescribed in this paragraph is not considered compensation for purposes of this section,  even if payment is made within the time period prescribed in this subdivision. (b) Compensation shall include regular pay after severance of employment if the payment is regular compensation for services performed during the member's regular working hours or compensation for services performed outside the member's regular working hours,  such as overtime or shift differential,  commission,  bonus or other similar payments,  and the payment would have been paid to the member before a severance from employment if the member had continued in employment with the employer. (c) Leave cash-outs shall be included in compensation if those amounts would have been included in compensation if they were paid before the member's severance from employment and the amounts are payment for unused accrued bona fide sick,  vacation or other leave,  but only if the member would have been able to use the leave if employment had continued. (d) Deferred compensation shall be included in compensation if the compensation would have been included in compensation if it had been paid before the member's severance from employment and the compensation is received pursuant to a nonqualified unfunded deferred compensation plan,  but only if the payment would have been paid at the same time if the member had continued in employment with the employer and only to the extent that the payment is includable in the member's gross income. (e) Compensation does include payments to an individual who does not currently perform services for an employer by reason of qualified military service as defined in section 414(u)(5) of the internal revenue code to the extent those payments do not exceed the amounts the individual would have received if the individual had continued to perform services for the employer rather than entering qualified military service. (f) Compensation does not include compensation paid to a member who is a person with a permanent and total disability as defined in section 22(e)(3) of the internal revenue code. (g) Compensation shall include amounts that are includable in the gross income of a member as required by section 409A or section 457(f)(1)(A) of the internal revenue code or because the amounts are constructively received by the member. 2. Compensation for a limitation year shall not include amounts earned but not paid during the limitation year solely because of the timing of pay periods and pay dates. 3. Payments awarded by an administrative agency or court or pursuant to a bona fide agreement by an employer to compensate a member for lost wages are compensation for the limitation year to which the back pay relates,  but only to the extent the payments represent wages and compensation that would otherwise be included in compensation under this section. N. The definition of limitation year prescribed in subsection O of this section may only be changed by an amendment to subsection O,  except that if ASRS is terminated effective as of a date other than the last day of the limitation year,  the termination shall be treated as if this section has been amended to change the definition of limitation year. O. For the purposes of this section: 1. Annual additions shall be determined as provided in section 38-747,  subsection O. 2. " Annual benefit"  means a benefit,  including any portion of a member's retirement benefit payable to an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order that satisfies the requirements prescribed in section 414(p)(1)(A)(i) of the internal revenue code and section 38-773,  payable annually in the form of a straight life annuity,  disregarding the portion of a joint and survivor annuity that constitutes a qualified joint and survivor annuity as defined in section 417 of the internal revenue code,  with no ancillary or incidental benefits or rollover contributions and excluding any portion of the benefit derived from member contributions or other contributions that are treated as a separate defined contribution plan under section 415 of the internal revenue code but including any of those contributions that are picked up by the employer under section 414(h) of the internal revenue code,  or that otherwise are not treated as a separate defined contribution plan. If the benefit is payable in another form,  the determination as to whether the limitation described in subsection A of this section has been satisfied shall be made by the board by adjusting the benefit so that it is actuarially equivalent to the annual benefit described in this paragraph in accordance with the regulations promulgated by the United States secretary of the treasury. In addition,  for determining the annual benefit attributable to member contributions,  the factors described in section 411(c)(2)(B) of the internal revenue code and the regulations promulgated under the internal revenue code shall be used by the board regardless of whether section 411 of the internal revenue code applies to ASRS. The factors described in section 411(c)(2)(B) of the internal revenue code shall be those factors described under section 417(e)(3) of the internal revenue code and determined on the basis of the 417(e) mortality table and an interest rate as prescribed in subsection C,  paragraph 5 of this section. 3. " Applicable mortality table"  means the mortality table described in internal revenue service revenue ruling 2001-62. 4. " Compensation"  means the member's earned income,  wages,  salaries,  fees for professional service and other amounts received for personal services actually rendered in the course of employment with the employer and includes amounts described in sections 104(a)(3) and 105(a) of the internal revenue code,  but only to the extent that these amounts are includable in the gross income of the member. Compensation also includes any elective deferral as defined in section 402(g)(3) of the internal revenue code and any amount that is contributed or deferred by an employer at the election of a member and that is not includable in the gross income of the member by reason of section 125,  132(f)(4) or 457 of the internal revenue code. Compensation does not mean: (a) Employer contributions to a plan of deferred compensation to the extent the contributions are not included in the gross income of the employee for the taxable year in which contributed and any distributions from a plan of deferred compensation,  regardless of whether the amounts are includable in gross income of the employee when distributed,  except that any amount received by a member pursuant to an unfunded nonqualified plan may be considered as compensation for the purposes of this section in the year the amounts are includable in the gross income of the member under the internal revenue code. (b) Other amounts that receive special tax benefits,  such as premiums for group term life insurance,  but only to the extent that the premiums are not includable in the gross income of the employee,  qualified transportation fringe benefits as defined in section 132 of the internal revenue code and,  effective for plan years beginning from and after December 31,  1987,  any amounts under section 125 of the internal revenue code that are not available to a member in cash in lieu of group health coverage because the member is unable to certify that the member has other health coverage. 5. " Defined benefit dollar limitation"  means the dollar limitation determined under subsection A of this section. 6. " Defined benefit plan"  has the same meaning prescribed in section 414(j) of the internal revenue code. 7. " Defined contribution plan"  has the same meaning prescribed in section 414(i) of the internal revenue code. 8. " Limitation year"  and " years of service"  mean the fiscal year.