HF 4069
Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)
Posted on 03/18/2026 11:49 a.m.
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A bill for an act
relating to retirement; Teachers Retirement Association; St. Paul Teachers
Retirement Fund Association; modifying definition of teacher; requiring refunds
of employee contributions; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 354.05,
subdivision 2; 354A.011, subdivision 27.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 354.05, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2.
Teacher.
(a) "Teacher" means:
(1) a person who renders service as a teacher, supervisor, principal, superintendent,
librarian, nurse, counselor, social worker, therapist, or psychologist in:
(i) a public school of the state other than in Independent School District No. 625;
(ii) a charter school; or
(iii) the Perpich Center for Arts Education, except that any employee of the Perpich
Center for Arts Education who was covered by the Minnesota State Retirement System
general state employees retirement plan as of July 1, 2018, shall continue to be covered by
that plan and not by the Teachers Retirement Association;
(2) a person who is engaged in educational administration in connection with the state
public school system, whether the position be a public office or as employment;
(3) a person who renders service as a charter school director or chief administrative
officer; provided, however, that if the charter school director or chief administrative officer
is covered by the Public Employees Retirement Association general employees retirement
plan on July 1, 2018, the charter school director or chief administrative officer shall continue
to be covered by that plan and not by the Teachers Retirement Association;
(4) an employee of the Teachers Retirement Association;
(5) a person who renders teaching service on a part-time basis and who also renders
other services for a single employing unit where the teaching service comprises at least 50
percent of the combined employment salary is a member of the association for all services
with the single employing unit or, if less than 50 percent of the combined employment
salary, the executive director determines all of the combined service is covered by the
association; or
(6) a person who is not covered by the plans established under chapter 352D, 354A, or
354B and who is employed by the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities system in an unclassified position as:
(i) a president, vice-president, or dean;
(ii) a manager or a professional in an academic or an academic support program other
than specified in item (i);
(iii) an administrative or a service support faculty position; or
(iv) a teacher or a research assistant.
(b) deleted text begin "deleted text end Teacherdeleted text begin "deleted text end does not mean:
(1) a person who works for a school or institution as an independent contractor as defined
by the Internal Revenue Service;
(2) annuitants of the teachers retirement plan who are employed after retirement by an
employing unit that participates in the teachers retirement plan during the course of that
reemployment;
(3) a person who is employed by the University of Minnesota;
(4) a member or an officer of any general governing or managing board or body of an
employing unit that participates in the teachers retirement plan; deleted text begin or
deleted text end
(5) a person employed by Independent School District No. 625 as a teacher as defined
in section 354A.011, subdivision 27deleted text begin .deleted text end new text begin ; or
new text end
new text begin
(6) a person who is a citizen of a country other than the United States and employed on
a J-1 visa.
new text end
Sec. 2.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 354A.011, subdivision 27, is amended to read:
Subd. 27.
Teacher.
(a) "Teacher" means any person who renders service for:
(1) Independent School District No. 625, St. Paul, as any of the following:
(i) a full-time employee in a position for which a valid license from the Professional
Educator Licensing and Standards Board is required;
(ii) a part-time employee in a position for which a valid license from the Professional
Educator Licensing and Standards Board is required; or
(iii) a part-time employee in a position for which a valid license from the Professional
Educator Licensing and Standards Board is required who also renders other nonteaching
services for the school district, unless the board of trustees of the teachers retirement fund
association determines that the combined employment is on the whole so substantially
dissimilar to teaching service that the service may not be covered by the association;
(2) the teachers retirement fund association located in the city of St. Paul as an employee;
or
(3) the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities as an employee who has continuing
coverage under this chapter through section 354B.211, subdivision 3, paragraph (c).
(b) The term does not mean any person who renders service in the school district as any
of the following:
(1) an independent contractor or the employee of an independent contractor;
(2) an employee who is a full-time teacher covered by the Teachers Retirement
Association under chapter 354;
(3) an employee who is exempt from licensure pursuant to section 122A.30; deleted text begin or
deleted text end
(4) a person who is receiving a retirement annuity from the teachers retirement fund
association and is employed after retirement by the school district associated with the
retirement fund associationdeleted text begin .deleted text end new text begin ; or
new text end
new text begin
(5) a person who is a citizen of a country other than the United States and employed on
a J-1 visa.
new text end
Sec. 3. new text begin REFUNDS TO TEACHERS EMPLOYED ON A J-1 VISA.
new text end
new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end
new text begin Refunds from Teachers Retirement Association. new text end
new text begin
The executive director
of the Teachers Retirement Association must refund employee contributions made by any
teacher employed on May 31, 2026, who would have been excluded from eligibility for the
Teachers Retirement Association under Minnesota Statutes, section 354.05, subdivision 2,
paragraph (b), clause (6), had clause (6) been in effect at the time the teacher was employed
in covered employment. The refund must be paid (1) with interest compounded annually
at three percent from the date each contribution was made to the association to the last day
of the month prior to the month in which the refund is issued, and (2) no later than July 31,
2026.
new text end
new text begin Subd. 2. new text end
new text begin Refunds from St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association. new text end
new text begin
The executive
director of the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association must refund employee
contributions made by any teacher employed on May 31, 2026, who would have been
excluded from eligibility for the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association under
Minnesota Statutes, section 354A.011, subdivision 27, paragraph (b), clause (5), had clause
(5) been in effect at the time the teacher was employed in covered employment. The refund
must be paid (1) with interest compounded annually at three percent from the date each
contribution was made to the association to the last day of the month prior to the month in
which the refund is issued, and (2) no later than July 31, 2026.
new text end
Sec. 4. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end
new text begin
Sections 1 to 3 are effective July 1, 2026.
new text end