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Guideline Idaho Attorney General Reports and Opinions 1 (2011)

handle is hein.sag/sagid0039 and id is 1 raw text is: STATE OF IDAHO
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
LAWRENCE G. WASDEN
February 3, 2011
Don Drum
PERSI Executive Director
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0078
THIS CORRESPONDENCE IS A LEGAL GUIDELINE OF THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL SUBMITTED FOR YOUR GUIDANCE
Re:    PERSI 1% Mandatory Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)
Dear Mr. Drum:
When the inflationary requirements are met, Idaho Code § 59-1355 of the Public
Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI) statutes provides for a 1% mandatory cost of
living adjustment to retiree benefit payments (the 1% COLA).
QUESTIONS PRESENTED
1. Do current PERSI retirees have a vested (contractually protected) right to the 1%
COLA?
2. Do non-retiree members of PERSI have a vested right to the 1%            COLA    (after
retirement)?
3. If there is a vested right to the 1% COLA, under what circumstances, if any, can the
1% COLA be eliminated for either current PERSI retirees or non-retiree PERSI
members?
The PERSI COLA is tied to inflation/deflation based on the Consumer Price Index - Urban (CPI-U) for the 12
months ending August of the current year and becomes effective the following March. Idaho Code § 59-1355
provides for a mandatory COLA ranging from -6% to 1% if the CPI-U is between -94% and 101%. If the CPI-U is
above 101%, the statute provides that the COLA shall be 1% (called the 1% COLA). The 1% COLA is not subject
to Legislative review. If the CPI-U is above 101%, the PERSI Board can provide a greater COLA (called a
discretionary COLA) (not to exceed 6%) if it finds that the Fund's actuarial assets exceed its actuarial liabilities
(including the increased liability that would be created by the COLA). The discretionary COLA is subject to
Legislative review.
P.O. Box 83720, Boise, Idaho 83720-0010
Telephone: (208) 334-2400, FAX: (208) 854-8071
Located at 700 W. Jefferson Street, Suite 210

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