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Bill > HB642


KY HB642

KY HB642
AN ACT relating to the Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System.


summary

Introduced
02/13/2026
In Committee
03/25/2026
Crossed Over
03/19/2026
Passed
04/07/2026
Dead
Signed/Enacted/Adopted
04/07/2026

Introduced Session

Potential new amendment
2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

Amend KRS 161.520 to remove the requirement for dependent children over the age of 18 to have their mental or physical condition approved by a majority of a medical review committee to receive survivor benefits; amend KRS 161.605 to raise the minimum amount a retired reemployed member may earn per day from $170 to $200, remove the provision for returning to work 1 month earlier if the member forfeits 1 month of their retirement benefit, reinstate the pension waiver program and prohibit members returning to work under its provisions from returning to work as administrators, and make technical changes; amend KRS 161.608 to clarify that the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) will acknowledge a member's earliest participation date in another state administered retirement system to determine benefit tier; amend KRS 161.620 to allow a member who is a parent to apply for and manage payments to a disabled child without necessity of a court order or other legal authority; amend KRS 161.635 and 161.636 to allow TRS to offer index fund investment options to university and nonuniversity members, to annuitize the investment return on the supplemental benefit applied to the index funds not to exceed 6.1% if there is no COLA in a given year or 4.6% if there is a COLA in the given year, allow TRS to promulgate administrative regulations to establish procedures for disbursements from the supplemental benefit component, and establish that neither the TRS board or staff shall be liable for any losses or claims due to a member's election of an index fund and state that members have the sole responsibility for their investment decisions.

AI Summary

This bill makes several changes to the Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) to improve benefits and streamline processes. It removes the requirement for a medical review committee to approve survivor benefits for dependent children over 18, making it easier for them to receive these benefits if their dependency is established. The bill also increases the daily earnings limit for retired members who return to work from $170 to $200, reinstates a pension waiver program that allows members to return to work without forfeiting their pension but prohibits them from returning as administrators, and clarifies how TRS determines a member's benefit tier by acknowledging their earliest participation date in another state-administered retirement system. Additionally, it allows parents to apply for and manage payments for a disabled child without needing a court order, and introduces the option for TRS to offer index fund investments for university and non-university members, with specific rules for how investment returns are handled and clarifying that members are solely responsible for their investment decisions.

Committee Categories

Government Affairs

Sponsors (2)

Last Action

signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 34) (on 04/07/2026)

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