§ 47–3601. Authorized; treatment of benefits; employee eligibility; exclusion from certain review and collective bargaining provisions.

(a)(1) There shall be established an employee deferred compensation program which meets the requirements of this section and § 457 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and the regulations and interpretations thereunder.

(1A)(A) All newly hired employees eligible to participate in the employee deferred compensation program, including employees eligible pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, shall be automatically enrolled in the deferred compensation program.

(B) All newly hired employees' contributions shall be no less than 5% of their annual base salary upon hire.

(C) An employee may increase, reduce, or cease his or her contributions to the deferred compensation program at any time.

(2) The employee deferred compensation program shall be in addition to any other retirement, pension, or benefit system established by law, and no deferral of income under the employee deferred compensation program shall effect a reduction of the amount of any other retirement, pension or other benefit provided by law. Any amount deferred under the employee deferred compensation program shall be included in the employee’s compensation for purposes of computing contributions to existing life insurance, retirement systems, F.I.C.A. or any other system keyed to the employee’s scheduled rate of pay, but shall not be included for the purposes of computing federal or District income tax withholdings on behalf of any such employee.

(3) Any amount of compensation deferred under the employee deferred compensation program and any income attributable to the amount so deferred, shall be includible in the employee’s District gross income pursuant to Chapter 18 of this title only for the taxable years in which such compensation or other income is paid or otherwise made available to the employee or other beneficiary, and shall be subject to District income tax withholding for such year pursuant to Chapter 18 of this title.

(b) Members of boards and commissions whose pay is set under § 1-611.08 shall not be eligible to participate in the employee deferred compensation program.

(b-1)(1) The Mayor shall select default investments for the accounts of employees automatically enrolled in the District government's deferred compensation program. The Mayor may delegate this responsibility to an employee's personnel authority.

(2) Upon an eligible employee's hire, the Mayor shall provide the employee notice of the automatic enrollment required pursuant to subsection (a) of this section; provided, that the Mayor may delegate this function to an employee's personnel authority or independent agency pursuant to an agreement executed pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. The notice shall explain:

(A) The employee's right under the plan to designate how contributions and earnings will be invested;

(B) How, in the absence of an investment election by the employee, such contributions and earnings will be invested;

(C) The percentage of the employee's base salary that will be contributed to the program;

(D) The employee's right to increase, reduce, or cease the employee's contributions to the program; and

(E) How an employee may elect investments and change or cease contribution amounts under the plan.

(c) The Mayor may enter into an agreement with any personnel authority or independent agency for the purpose of extending to the employees of such personnel authority or independent agency eligibility to participate in the employee deferred compensation program.

(d) The provisions of this section are not subject to review by the Office of Employee Appeals under subchapter VI of Chapter 6 of Title 1, nor are they subject to the provisions of subchapter XVII of Chapter 6 of Title 1, concerning collective bargaining.