84-1511. Board; establish preretirement planning program; for whom; required information; funding; attendance; fee.

(1) The Public Employees Retirement Board shall establish a comprehensive preretirement planning program 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 program shall provide information and advice regarding the many changes employees face upon retirement, including, but not limited to, changes in physical and mental health, housing, family life, leisure activity, and retirement income.

(2) The preretirement planning program shall be available to all employees who have attained the age of fifty years or are within five years of qualifying for retirement or early retirement under their retirement systems.

(3) The preretirement planning program shall include information on the federal and state income tax consequences of the various annuity or retirement benefit options available to the employee, 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 public employees in the transition from public employment to retirement.

(4) 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 preretirement planning program.

(5) Funding to cover the expense of the preretirement planning program shall be charged back to each retirement fund on a pro rata share based on the number of employees in each plan.

(6) The employer shall provide each eligible employee leave with pay to attend up to two preretirement planning programs. For purposes of this subsection, leave with pay shall mean a day off paid by the employer and shall not mean vacation, sick, personal, or compensatory time. An employee may choose to attend a program more than twice, but such leave shall be at the expense of the employee and shall be at the discretion of the employer. An eligible employee shall not be entitled to attend more than one preretirement planning program per fiscal year prior to actual election of retirement.

(7) A nominal registration fee may be charged each person attending a preretirement planning program to cover the costs for meals, meeting rooms, or other expenses incurred under such program.

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