HB1344
Concerning Administration Of The Arkansas Teacher Retirement System; And To Correct The Name Of The Arkansas School For The Blind And The Arkansas School For The Deaf Under Title 24 Of The Arkansas Code.
AI-Generated Summary
This bill proposes amendments to the Arkansas Code related to the administration of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System. Primarily, it seeks to correct the names of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf within Title 24 of the Arkansas Code. The bill also addresses the crediting of service for employees of these institutions, specifically for periods prior to July 1, 1991. It clarifies the number of months of service required to constitute a full year of credited service for certain employees. The amendments aim to ensure consistency in the Arkansas Code, particularly in conjunction with another proposed bill (HB1810) that would merge the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf. The bill includes an emergency clause to allow for immediate implementation upon the enactment of HB1810, to avoid disruptions at the start of the fiscal year.
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
The primary beneficiaries of this bill would be current and former employees of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf, and potentially the newly merged Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind, whose credited service for retirement purposes may be clarified or adjusted by these amendments. The Arkansas Teacher Retirement System itself would benefit from having its governing statutes accurately reflect the names of these educational institutions and any related administrative changes. Additionally, the bill's contingent effectiveness and emergency clause suggest that the broader transition and administration of the merged schools, as outlined in HB1810, would proceed more smoothly without confusion regarding retirement system classifications.
Who Might Suffer?
The bill's text does not explicitly identify any groups or entities that would be directly and negatively impacted. The changes are largely administrative and corrective in nature, aiming to align terminology and ensure consistent application of retirement service credit rules. Any potential negative impact would likely be indirect, arising from the administrative burden of updating records or processes to reflect the name changes and clarified service credit rules, or if individuals misunderstand or are negatively affected by the specific crediting of service rules as amended.