2023 Maryland Statutes › State Personnel and Pensions › Division II - Pensions › Title 21 - State Retirement and Pension System › Subtitle 3 - Funding › Section 21-308 - Employer Contributions -- Payment by State

(a)    (1)    On or before December 1 of each year, the Board of Trustees shall:
(i)    certify to the Governor and the Secretary of Budget and Management the rates to be used to determine the amounts to be paid by the State to the accumulation fund of each of the several systems during the next fiscal year, including a separate certification of the normal contribution rate for the Teachers’ Retirement System and the Teachers’ Pension System; and
(ii)    provide to the Secretary of Budget and Management a statement of the total amount to be paid by the State as determined under § 21–304 of this subtitle to the Teachers’ Retirement System and the Teachers’ Pension System expressed as a percentage of the payroll of all members of those State systems.
(2)    The Governor shall include in the budget bill:
(i)    the total amount of the State’s contribution to each State system as ascertained based on the rates certified by the Board of Trustees under paragraph (1) of this subsection;
(ii)    the additional amounts as ascertained under subsection (d) of this section for the State’s payment to the professional and clerical employees of the Department of Public Libraries of Montgomery County who are members of the Employees’ Retirement System of Montgomery County and are excluded from membership in the Teachers’ Retirement System or the Teachers’ Pension System; and
(iii)    any additional amount required to be in the budget bill under § 3–501(c)(2)(ii) of this article.
(3)    The amounts that the Governor is required to include in the budget bill under paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be reduced by the amount of administrative and operational expenses for the Board of Trustees and the State Retirement Agency that are to be paid by local employers under § 21–316 of this subtitle other than participating governmental units or employers who are required to make contributions under § 21–307 of this subtitle.
(4)    (i)    For fiscal year 2016, in addition to the annual required contribution required under paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Governor shall include in the budget bill a supplemental contribution of $75,000,000.
(ii)    For fiscal year 2017 and each fiscal year thereafter, in addition to the annual required contribution required under paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Governor shall include in the budget bill a supplemental contribution of $75,000,000 until the total actuarial value of assets for the several systems divided by the total actuarial accrued liability for the several systems equals a funding ratio of 85%.
(b)    (1)    (i)    As to members of the several systems whose compensation is paid by the State, the Comptroller shall compute the amounts to be charged to the appropriation of each unit as the unit’s share of retirement costs for its employees.
(ii)    The Comptroller shall make the computation under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph using the total rates of contributions as set by the actuary under § 21-304 of this subtitle.
(2)    As to members of the Teachers’ Retirement System or the Teachers’ Pension System whose compensation is not paid by the State, on September 30, December 31, May 31, and April 15 of each year, the State Department of Education and the Maryland Higher Education Commission shall certify to the Comptroller 25% of the amount appropriated in the budget of those units for employer contributions.
(c)    (1)    As payrolls are paid, the Comptroller shall issue a warrant or warrants to the State Treasurer in the amounts to be charged under subsection (b)(1) of this section against the budgets of the units.
(2)    On or before October 1, January 1, June 1, and April 16 of each year, the Comptroller shall issue a warrant or warrants to the State Treasurer for the amounts certified to the Comptroller under subsection (b)(2) of this section.
(3)    On the receipt of the warrant of the Comptroller, the State Treasurer immediately shall transfer to the appropriate State system the amounts due.
(d)    (1)    (i)    The State Librarian shall determine the amount that equals the applicable percentage as determined under subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph of the payroll of the professional and clerical employees of the Department of Public Libraries of Montgomery County who are members of the Employees’ Retirement System of Montgomery County and are excluded from membership in the Teachers’ Retirement System or the Teachers’ Pension System.
(ii)    The applicable percentage under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph is the lesser of:
1.    the State’s contribution percentage for the Teachers’ Retirement System and the Teachers’ Pension System, as certified by the Board of Trustees; or
2.    the percentage of the payroll of its employees that Montgomery County has contributed to the Employees’ Retirement System of Montgomery County, as determined by an actuarial valuation.
(2)    The amount determined under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be:
(i)    included in the budget estimate for the State Library Agency;
(ii)    certified by the State Librarian to the State Comptroller; and
(iii)    paid to Montgomery County as provided in this subsection.
(3)    The Comptroller shall issue a warrant or warrants to the State Treasurer for the amount to be paid Montgomery County under this subsection.
(4)    On the receipt of the warrant of the Comptroller, the State Treasurer shall pay to the treasurer of Montgomery County the amount due.
(e)    For each nonclerical and nonprofessional former Community College of Baltimore employee who chose to remain a member of the Baltimore City Retirement Plan, the State shall contribute annually to the Baltimore City Retirement Plan on behalf of the employee an amount equal to the lesser of the contribution the State would otherwise have made on behalf of each employee of the State to the Employees’ Pension System or the rate required for the Baltimore City Retirement Plan.