1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to retirement; public employees police and fire retirement plan; providing 
1.3 	duty disability benefits in certain cases.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. PROVIDING DISABILITY BENEFITS IN CERTAIN CASES.
 1.6 	(a) Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 353.656, subdivision 1, paragraphs (b) 
1.7 	and (c), or subdivision 5a, paragraph (b), an eligible person described in paragraph (b) is 
1.8 	entitled to a duty disability benefit from the public employees police and fire retirement 
1.9 	fund for the period of the eligible person's disability or 60 months, whichever is shorter.
1.10 	(b) An eligible person is a person who:
1.11 	(1) on the date that the person's application for disability benefits was approved by the 
1.12 	Public Employees Retirement Association, had at least 20 years of service credit and was 
1.13 	age 55 or older; and
1.14 	(2) between May 1, 2019, and January 15, 2020:
1.15 	(i) applied for a duty disability benefit from the public employees police and fire 
1.16 	retirement plan; and
1.17 	(ii) received a letter from the association stating that the person's application for disability 
1.18 	benefits has been approved.
1.19 	(c) The period of 60 months under paragraph (a) begins on the date that the duty disability 
1.20 	benefit begins to accrue under Minnesota Statutes, section 356.656, subdivision 10. For any 
1.21 	eligible person who received retirement annuity payments prior to the effective date, the 
2.1 	person's retirement annuity payments must be characterized as disability benefit payments. 
2.2 	The period of 60 months ends on the last day of the 60th month following the disability 
2.3 	benefit accrual date. Following the period of 60 months, the eligible person is entitled to a 
2.4 	retirement annuity under Minnesota Statutes, section 353.656, subdivision 5a, paragraphs 
2.5 	(c) and (e).

2.6 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.