NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's treasurer said Monday that he wants to overhaul the state's public retirement system to cut costs and ensure it can pay out benefits for years to come.

David Lillard said he will propose legislation laying out the overhaul, even though Tennessee's public pension system is faring better than those in most other states. Changes to the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System will only apply to state employees, higher education officials and teachers hired after July 1, 2014, Lillard said at a news conference. The retirement benefits of those currently in the system won't be affected.

The state is doing better than its peers with similar plans, but earnings of the Tennessee plan have fallen short of expectations over the past several years, he said. The changes are needed because it's uncertain how much money the retirement system's investments will yield in the future, Lillard said.