A bill passed through the state legislature will stop a process called “double dipping.”
The recently approved legislation says that police officers that have retired from active duty and are receiving pensions cannot then begin a new job with the force and receive a second police pension, or one through the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. Instead, they can enroll in a 401k-type plan.
Illinois State Senator Michael Connelly and State Representative Grant Wehrli sponsored the bill, which was based on a 2012 dispute about the pension plan of Naperville Police Chief Bob Marshall. Marshall had retired from active duty, and then returned several years later to serve in his current job. At that time a DuPage County judge ruled he should continue getting his pension payments, and was also eligible to participate in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.
This new bill will not affect Chief Marshall’s current pension plans, as those were ruled upon prior to this legislation.
The bill has gone to the governor for his consideration.
