84-1511.

Board; information and advice regarding retirement; provide sessions; for whom; required information; leave authorized; funding; fee.

(1) For purposes of this section:

(a) Leave with pay means time off paid by the employer and does not mean vacation, sick, personal, or compensatory time; and

(b) Session means an in-person training or live-broadcast webinar but does not include information that can be accessed at any time via electronic means.

(2)(a) The Public Employees Retirement Board shall provide sessions for state patrol officers, state employees, judges, county employees, and school employees who are members of the retirement systems established pursuant to the County Employees Retirement Act, the Judges Retirement Act, the School Employees Retirement Act, the Nebraska State Patrol Retirement Act, and the State Employees Retirement Act. The sessions shall provide information and advice regarding the many changes members face upon retirement, including, but not limited to, changes in physical and mental health, housing, family life, leisure activity, and retirement income.

(b) The sessions shall be available to any member who has satisfied the vesting requirements under the retirement system in which the member participates.

(c) The sessions shall include information on the federal and state income tax consequences of the various annuity or retirement benefit options available to retirement system members, information on social security benefits, information on various local, state, and federal government programs and programs in the private sector designed to assist elderly persons, and information and advice the board deems valuable in assisting retirement system members in the transition from public employment to retirement.

(d) Beginning September 1, 2024, as provided pursuant to section 79-9,117, the board shall also provide the sessions described in this subsection to school employees who are members of any retirement system established pursuant to the Class V School Employees Retirement Act.

(3) The board shall work with the Department of Health and Human Services, the personnel division of the Department of Administrative Services, employee groups, and any other governmental agency, including political subdivisions or bodies whose services or expertise may enhance the development or implementation of the sessions.

(4)(a)(i) Each employer participating in the Retirement System for Nebraska Counties or the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska shall provide each member leave with pay to attend up to three days of sessions.

(ii) Each employer participating in the Nebraska Judges Retirement System, the School Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska, or the Nebraska State Patrol Retirement System shall provide each member leave with pay to attend up to two days of sessions.

(b) Leave authorized pursuant to subdivision (4)(a) of this section may only be used to attend sessions that occur during the employee's normal work day.

(c) A member may choose to attend more sessions than the leave authorized pursuant to subdivision (4)(a) of this section, but leave to attend such additional sessions shall be at the expense of the member and shall be at the discretion of the employer.

(5) Funding to cover the expenses of a session shall be charged back to the retirement fund of each plan for which sessions are provided pursuant to subsection (2) of this section on a pro rata share based on the number of members in each plan, except that a nominal registration fee may be charged to each person attending an in-person training session to cover the costs for meals, meeting rooms, or other expenses incurred that are incident to an in-person training session.