1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to retirement; Minnesota state colleges and 
  1.3             universities system; authorizing early separation 
  1.4             incentive programs; proposing coding for new law in 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 354B. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [354B.40] [MNSCU; EARLY SEPARATION INCENTIVE 
  1.8   PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.] 
  1.9      (a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, 
  1.10  the board of trustees of the Minnesota state colleges and 
  1.11  universities may offer a targeted early separation incentive 
  1.12  program for its employees. 
  1.13     (b) The early separation incentive program may include one 
  1.14  or more of the following: 
  1.15     (1) employer-paid postseparation health, medical, and 
  1.16  dental insurance; 
  1.17     (2) cash incentives; and 
  1.18     (3) employer contributions to the postretirement health 
  1.19  care savings plan established under section 352.98.  Any 
  1.20  postseparation health or medical insurance coverage for 
  1.21  incentive recipients who are age 65 or older must be coordinated 
  1.22  with federal Medicare benefits. 
  1.23     (c) The board of trustees of the Minnesota state colleges 
  1.24  and universities system shall establish the eligibility 
  1.25  requirements for system employees to receive an incentive.  The 
  2.1   type and the amount of the incentive to be offered may vary by 
  2.2   employee classification, as specified by the board. 
  2.3      (d) The president of a college or university, consistent 
  2.4   with the board's program provisions under paragraph (b) and with 
  2.5   the board's eligibility requirements under paragraph (c), may 
  2.6   designate specific departments or programs at the college or 
  2.7   university whose employees are eligible to be offered the 
  2.8   incentive program. 
  2.9      (e) Acceptance of the offered incentive must be voluntary 
  2.10  on the part of the employee and must be in writing.  The 
  2.11  incentive may only be offered at the sole discretion of the 
  2.12  president of the applicable college or university. 
  2.13     (f) A decision by the president of a college or university 
  2.14  not to offer an incentive may not be grieved. 
  2.15     (g) The cost of the incentive is payable solely by the 
  2.16  college or university on whose behalf the president offered the 
  2.17  incentive.  If a college or university is merged, the remaining 
  2.18  cost of any early separation incentive must be borne by the 
  2.19  successor institution.  If a college or university is closed, 
  2.20  the remaining cost of any early separation incentive must be 
  2.21  borne by the board of trustees of the Minnesota state colleges 
  2.22  and universities system. 
  2.23     Sec. 2.  [354B.41] [APPLICATION OF OTHER LAWS.] 
  2.24     (a) Unilateral implementation of section 354B.40 by the 
  2.25  board of trustees of the Minnesota state colleges and 
  2.26  universities system or by a president of a college or university 
  2.27  is not an unfair labor practice under chapter 179A. 
  2.28     (b) The authority in section 354B.40 for a college or 
  2.29  university to pay health, medical, and dental insurance premiums 
  2.30  for former employees granted an early separation incentive is 
  2.31  not subject to the limits of section 179A.20, subdivision 2a. 
  2.32     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.33     Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day following final 
  2.34  enactment.