97B.8B - BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. - Iowa Statutes

97B.8B BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 1. Committee established. A benefits advisory committee shall be established whose duty is to consider and make recommendations to the system and the general assembly concerning the provision of benefits and services to members of the retirement system. 2. Membership. The benefits advisory committee shall be comprised of representatives of constituent groups concerned with the retirement system, and shall include representatives of employers, active members, and retired members. In addition, the director of the department of administrative services and a member of the public selected by the voting members of the committee shall serve as members of the committee. The system shall adopt rules under chapter 17A to provide for the selection of members to the committee and the election of the voting members of the committee. 3. Voting members. Of the members who comprise the committee, nine members shall be voting members. Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, the voting members shall be elected by the members of the committee from the membership of the committee. Of the nine voting members of the committee, four shall represent covered employers, and four shall represent the members of the retirement system. Of the four voting members representing employers, one shall be the director of the department of administrative services, one shall be a member of a constituent group that represents cities, one shall be a member of a constituent group that represents counties, and one shall be a member of a constituent group that represents local school districts. Of the four voting members who represent members of the retirement system, one shall be a member of a constituent group that represents teachers. The ninth voting member of the committee shall be a citizen who is not a member of the retirement system and who is elected by the other voting members of the committee. 4. Duties. a. At least every two years, the benefits advisory committee shall review the benefits and services provided to members under this chapter, and the voting members of the committee shall make recommendations to the system and the general assembly concerning the services provided to members and the benefits, benefits policy, and benefit goals, provided under this chapter. b. The benefits advisory committee shall be involved in the performance evaluation of the chief benefits officer. c. Upon the expiration of the term of office of or a vacancy concerning one of the three members of the investment board described in section 97B.8A, subsection 4, paragraph "a", subparagraph (1), subparagraph division (b), the voting members of the committee shall submit to the governor the names of at least two nominees who meet the requirements specified in that subparagraph division. The governor may appoint the member from the list submitted by the committee. 5. Terms of voting members. Except for the director of the department of administrative services and as otherwise provided in the rules for the initial selection of voting members of the committee, each member selected to be a voting member shall serve as a voting member for three years. Terms for voting members begin on May 1 in the year of selection and expire on April 30 in the year of expiration. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original selections. A vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term. 6. Expenses. The members who are not active members of the retirement system shall be paid their actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and shall receive a per diem as specified in section 7E.6 for each day of service not exceeding forty days per year. The members who are active members of the retirement system and the director of the department of administrative services shall be paid their actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the committee and the performance of their duties as members of the committee shall not affect their salaries, vacations, or leaves of absence for sickness or injury. However, the benefits advisory committee shall not incur any additional expenses in fulfilling its duties as provided by this section without the express written authority of the chief executive officer.          Section History: Recent Form 2001 Acts, ch 68, §13, 24; 2003 Acts, ch 145, §286; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §263 Referred to in § 97B.1