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Broad Drop in State Unemployment

Unemployment declined in April in 40 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rates rose in three states and remained steady in the remaining seven states. States with the highest job growth were Texas, New York and Florida. More

State Budget Update: Spring 2013

States continue to move along a familiar path of slow and steady growth as the four-year anniversary of the official end of the Great Recession approaches, according to NCSL's newly released report, “State Budget Update: Spring 2013.” More

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Pensions

View all documents related to this topic by clicking on the document library tab at the top of this page.

State pension plans come in three varieties: defined benefit, defined contribution and hybrid plans. State pension funds have been impacted by underfunding of obligations and by the severe economic recession. Many states have addressed pension plans in the last several legislative sessions and taken steps to ensure the economic viability of their pension funds.

Here are some of the highlighted issues on the website:

Pension Legislation Database - 2013 legislation in a searchable databse
State Sponsored Retirement Savings Plans for Non-Public Employees - October 2012
Pension Session and Handouts, 2012 Legislative Summit - Video and handouts, August 2012
Enacted 2012 State Pension Legislation - August 2012
Retirement Plans for Public Safety Employees and Tables - August 2012
Checklist of DB, DC and Hybrid Plans - August 2012
Highlights of Pension Reforms Enacted in 2012 - July 2012
State Defined Contribution and Hybrid Plans - July 2012
State Retirement Legislation 2009-2012 - PowerPoint Presentation, July 2012
Pension Webinar - June 2012
Recent Changes in the Age for Retirement - March 2012
State Pension Reform 2009-2011 - March 2012
Pension resources from 1999-2011 - Includes enacted state pension legislation summaries and other NCSL resources.

	Articles/Briefs/ NewslettersBill Summaries/ DatabasesMultimediaNews Release Reports
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Pension Legislation Database	Bill Summaries/ Databases	5/20/2013 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=24512	24512	Legislative bill tracking database of pension and retirement legislation.
State Sponsored Retirement Savings Plans for Non-Public	Reports	10/31/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=25415	25415	Read this article to learn more about 2006-2012 legislation on state sponsored retirement plans for nonpublic employees, or voluntary savings accounts.
Checklist of DB DC and Hybrid Pension Plans August 2012	Reports	8/31/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=25220	25220	Checklist of Defined Benefit, Defined Contribution, and Hybrid Pension Plans, August 31, 2012.
2012 Enacted State Pension Legislation	Bill Summaries/ Databases	8/31/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=24982	24982	2012 Enacted State Pension Legislation, as of August 31, 2012.
Pension and Retirement Legislative Summaries and Reports	Bill Summaries/ Databases	8/31/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=13399	13399	State Pension Legislation Archive, 1999 to 2011, and additional NCSL pension reports.
State Retirement Plans for Public Safety Workers	Reports	8/24/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=25195	25195	Report on State Retirement Plans for Public Safety Workers.
State Retirement Plans for Public Safety Workers - Tables	Reports	8/24/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=25196	25196	Table of state provisions on retirement plans for public safety workers.
[Summit 2012] How Much Can States Change Existing Retirement Policy?	Multimedia	8/14/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=25131	25131	A rich heritage of constitutional and statutory guarantees and case law protects employees' interests and limits governments' ability to change public retirement plans provisions for current employees. Hear about the state of the law, the differences among states, and current efforts to push the envelope.
[Summit 2012] Pension Track Resources - 2012 Legislative Summit	Multimedia	8/8/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=25235	25235	Videos, PowerPoint presentations and handouts from the Pension Track at the 2012 Legislative Summit.
Pension and Retirement Information Resources	Reports	7/31/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=21771	21771	State and Local Government Pensions and Retirement Internet Resources.
State Defined Contribution and Hybrid Retirement Plans	Reports	7/27/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=24161	24161	State defined contribution and hybrid retirement plans.
Pension Presentation July 2012	Multimedia	7/27/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=25046	25046	PowerPoint presentation on Pension Legislation, July 2012.
Highlights of State Pension Reform 2012	Bill Summaries/ Databases	7/17/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=25048	25048	Highlights of Pension Reforms Enacted in 2012, as of July 2012.
Labor and Employment Resources	Bill Summaries/ Databases	3/14/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=21677	21677	Index to NCSL's employment resources, U.S. Dept. of Labor state labor law resources, and major federal labor laws.
Recent Changes in the Age for Retirement	Reports	3/12/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=24444	24444	Changes in Age and Service Requirements for Normal Retirement in State Retirement Plans, 2009–2011
2011 Pension and Retirement Enacted Legislation	Bill Summaries/ Databases	1/31/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=22763	22763	2011 Enacted Legislation on Pension and Retirement Plans.
Lessons From Rhode Island	Articles/Briefs/ Newsletters	1/30/2012 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=24230	24230	Bold changes to its pension plans have caught the attention of other states.
State Pension Reform 2009-2011	Reports	12/31/2011 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=24407	24407	Summary of state pension reforms, 2009 to 2011.
[Fall Forum 2011] A Model for State Pension Reform	Multimedia	12/14/2011 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=23976	23976	Speakers at NCSL's 2011 Fall Forum address pension reform
NCSL Helps Get the Facts Out	News Release	2/8/2011 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=22152	22152	NATIONAL STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS GET THE FACTS OUT ON PUBLIC PENSION PLANS
[Summit 2010] State Pensions Track: Financing Public Retiree Health Care	Multimedia	7/28/2010 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=21103	21103	The Government Accountability Office says that state governments’ fiscal condition will decline over the next half-century— through 2060— largely because of the cost of health care. Retiree health care is a large component of the issue. Hear from the experts on options and enactments designed to make health care costs more manageable.
[Summit 2010] Pensions Track Resources - 2010 Legislative Summit	Multimedia	7/27/2010 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=21105	21105	Videos and Power Point Presentations from the Pension Track at the 2010 Legislative Summit.
[Summit 2010] State Pensions Track: Legislators' Guide to Public Pensions	Multimedia	7/27/2010 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=21100	21100	This session is a general introduction to legislators’ power and responsibilities in the design and oversight of state retirement policy.
[Summit 2010] State Pensions Track: Current Issues in State Retirement Policy	Multimedia	7/27/2010 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=21101	21101	Weak state revenues and loss of assets are not the only issues public retirement funds must cope with. The public workforce is aging, people would like to retire early, and in some states the workforce is shrinking. People are living longer. All these changes have to be factored into retirement policy. What’s the best way to keep track of all these moving parts?
[Summit 2010] State Pensions Track: State Responses to the Pension Crisis	Multimedia	7/27/2010 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=21102	21102	Since mid-decade, states have taken unprecedented action to ensure they can sustain the long-term commitments to employee pensions. This session will provide an overview of state actions, especially the important legislation enacted in numerous states in 2010. You'll also hear from legislators who have redesigned their state retirement plans.
State Subsidies for Local Government Pension Plans	Reports	1/22/2010 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=19599	19599	State Government Subsidies for Retirement Plans Sponsored by Local Governments
State Legislatures Magazine: Pension Tension, May 2008	Articles/Briefs/ Newsletters	4/24/2008 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=13330	13330	Pension article.
Gold in the Gray	Articles/Briefs/ Newsletters	11/30/2007 12:00:00 AM	/default.aspx?tabid=18594	18594	States benefit in many ways from elderly residents.

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