Maryland § 21-304

§ 21-304.

    (a)    (1)    In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

        (2)    With respect to local employees, “aggregate annual earnable compensation” means the total annual earnable compensation payable by a local employer to all of its local employees, calculated as of June 30 of the second prior fiscal year before the fiscal year for which the calculation is made under this section, adjusted by any actuarial assumed salary increases that were used in the actuarial valuation prepared under § 21–125(b) of this title for the immediate prior fiscal year.

        (3)    “Local employee” means a member of the Teachers’ Retirement System or the Teachers’ Pension System who is an employee of a day school in the State under the authority and supervision of a county board of education or the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners, employed as:

            (i)    a clerk;

            (ii)    a helping teacher;

            (iii)    a principal;

            (iv)    a superintendent;

            (v)    a supervisor; or

            (vi)    a teacher.

        (4)    “Local employer” means a county board of education or the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners.

        (5)    “State member” does not include a member on whose behalf a participating governmental unit is required to make an employer contribution under § 21–305 or § 21–306 of this subtitle.

        (6)    “Total employer contribution for local employees” means that portion of the employer contribution calculated under subsection (b) of this section that is attributable to all local employees.

    (b)    (1)    Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5) of this subsection, each fiscal year, on behalf of the State members of each State system, the State shall pay to the appropriate accumulation fund an amount equal to or greater than the sum of the amount, if any, required to be included in the budget bill under § 3–501(c)(2)(ii) of this article and the product of multiplying:

            (i)    the aggregate annual earnable compensation of the State members of that State system; and

            (ii)    the sum of the normal contribution rate and the accrued liability contribution rate for State members of that State system, as determined under this section.

        (2)    The amount determined under paragraph (1) of this subsection for each State system shall be based on an actuarial determination of the amounts that are required to preserve the integrity of the funds of the several systems using:

            (i)    the entry–age actuarial cost method; and

            (ii)    actuarial assumptions adopted by the Board of Trustees.

        (3)    For the purpose of making the determinations required under this section:

            (i)    the Employees’ Retirement System, the Employees’ Pension System, the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System, and the Legislative Pension Plan shall be considered together as one State system; and

            (ii)    the Teachers’ Retirement System and the Teachers’ Pension System shall be considered together as one State system.

        (4)    (i)    Subject to § 21–309.1 of this subtitle, beginning on July 1, 2012, and each fiscal year thereafter, each local employer shall pay to the appropriate accumulation fund an amount equal to the local share of the total employer contribution for local employees as provided in this paragraph.

            (ii)    For fiscal years 2013 through 2016, each local employer shall pay to the Board of Trustees its local share, which shall be equal to the following amounts:

    Local              Fiscal      Fiscal     Fiscal     Fiscal

    Employer              Year      Year     Year     Year

                       2013      2014     2015     2016

    Allegany         1,487,742     1,885,754 2,412,465 2,773,667

    Anne Arundel     11,493,684     14,568,567 18,637,716 21,428,297

    Baltimore City     12,922,862     16,380,092 20,955,217 24,092,793

    Baltimore          15,755,802      19,970,922 25,549,002 29,374,395

    Calvert          2,835,938     3,594,631 4,598,648 5,287,193

    Caroline              793,934     1,006,334 1,287,413 1,480,175

    Carroll          4,005,782     5,077,441 6,495,621 7,468,196

    Cecil          2,459,819     3,117,889 3,988,747 4,585,973

    Charles         3,936,516     4,989,645 6,383,304 7,339,061

    Dorchester         656,543     832,186 1,064,625 1,224,028

    Frederick         5,893,461     7,470,128 9,556,610 10,987,499

    Garrett         664,714     842,544 1,077,874 1,239,262

    Harford         5,529,741     7,009,102 8,966,815 10,309,396

    Howard         9,821,066     12,448,477 15,925,463 18,309,945

    Kent          366,147     464,102 593,730 682,628

    Montgomery      27,227,553     34,511,689 44,151,153      50,761,802

    Prince George’s      19,554,579     24,785,979 31,708,954 36,456,662

    Queen Anne’s      1,105,527     1,401,286 1,792,679 2,061,093

    St. Mary’s         2,485,697     3,150,691 4,030,711 4,634,220

    Somerset         480,124     608,570 778,550 895,121

    Talbot             628,456     796,586 1,019,080 1,171,665

    Washington      3,094,113     3,921,875 5,017,294 5,768,522

    Wicomico         2,173,593     2,755,091 3,524,616 4,052,348

    Worcester         1,271,561     1,611,739 2,061,914 2,370,640

            (iii)    Beginning in fiscal year 2017, each local employer shall pay to the Board of Trustees its local share equal to the normal contribution rate for the Teachers’ Retirement System and the Teachers’ Pension System multiplied by the aggregate annual earnable compensation of the local employees of that local employer.

        (5)    Except as provided in paragraph (6) of this subsection, the difference between the total employer contribution for local employees and the local share of the total employer contribution for all local employees shall be the obligation of the State.

        (6)    (i)    Subject to § 21–309.2 of this subtitle and as provided under subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, beginning in fiscal year 2026, each county government shall pay to the Board of Trustees the following amounts:

    County

    Government

    Allegany………………………… 754,195

    Anne Arundel……………...... 9,738,875

    Baltimore City…………...….. 8,802,114

    Baltimore…………………… 10,352,112

    Calvert………………………... 1,647,480

    Caroline………………………… 561,645

    Carroll………………………… 2,624,055

    Cecil…………………………… 1,327,122

    Charles…………………...…... 2,786,366

    Dorchester………………..……. 590,506

    Frederick……………..………. 5,925,608

    Garrett……………………..…… 269,208

    Harford……………………..… 3,685,077

    Howard……………..………… 6,830,167

    Kent…………………..…………. 165,489

    Montgomery…………..……. 20,861,475

    Prince George’s………..…… 13,000,062

    Queen Anne’s...………………… 691,279

    St. Mary’s………..…………… 1,562,014

    Somerset…………………..……. 314,066

    Talbot    ………………………..….. 452,957

    Washington………………..… 2,397,889

    Wicomico…………………...… 1,704,888

    Worcester…………………...….. 699,872

            (ii)    1.    For fiscal year 2026, each county government shall pay to the Board of Trustees on or before January 1, 2026, the amount required under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph.

                2.    Beginning in fiscal year 2027, each county government shall pay to the Board of Trustees on or before each September 1 the amount required under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph.

            (iii)    Each fiscal year, the amounts paid under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall reduce the obligations of the State with respect to the Teachers’ Pension System and the Teachers’ Retirement System by the same amounts.

    (c)    (1)    As part of each actuarial valuation, the actuary shall determine the normal contributions, net of member contributions, on account of the State members of each State system.

        (2)    For each State system, the normal contribution rate equals the fraction that has:

            (i)    as its numerator, the sum of the normal contributions determined under this subsection; and

            (ii)    as its denominator, the aggregate annual earnable compensation of the State members of the State system.

    (d)    (1)    Beginning July 1, 2023, each year the Board of Trustees shall set contribution rates for each State system that shall amortize:

            (i)    all unfunded liabilities or surpluses accrued as of June 30, 2023, over the time remaining until June 30, 2039; and

            (ii)    any new unfunded liabilities or surpluses that have accrued from July 1 of the preceding fiscal year over closed periods of:

                1.    15 years for experience gains and losses;

                2.    25 years for the effect of changes in actuarial assumptions and methods;

                3.    at least 10 but not exceeding 15 years for the effect of any new legislation; and

                4.    5 years for accrued liability resulting from legislation providing incentives for the early retirement of State employees.

        (2)    On recommendation of the system’s actuary, for the purpose of mitigating tail volatility in the annual contribution rate, the Board of Trustees may adjust the period of amortization under paragraph (1)(ii) of this subsection for liabilities or surpluses accrued in any fiscal year.

    (e)    The Board of Trustees may not certify contribution rates under this section that would result in a contribution rate below the normal cost, as determined by the system’s actuary.