Legislative Session number- 83

Bill Name: SF0676

E Relating to retirement ARTICLE 1 � MEMBERSHIP ISSUESProviding coverage under
the correctional employees retirement plan +of the Minnesota state retirement
system (MSRS) for certain qualifying +employment positions at the Rush City
correctional facility; modifying the +exclusion of temporary employees from
membership in the public employees +retirement association (PERA); removing a
certain obsolete exclusion and +clarifying the exclusion of certain persons
rendering part time teaching service in +the Minnesota state colleges and
universities system from the definition +of teacher under the teachers
retirement association; clarifying the definition +of covered employment and
expanding the definition of eligible unclassified +administrative position to
managers and professionals in academic and academic +support programs in the
unclassified service under the MnSCU individual +retirement account plan (IRAP);
expanding eligibility of unclassified employees +under the higher education
supplemental retirement plan to employees excluded +from certain units due to
confidential status; repealing a certain TRA +coverage restriction relating to
employees with retirement coverage under the +basic program ARTICLE 2 �
COVERED SALARY DEFINITIONProviding for the inclusion of amounts provided to
employees by +employers through grievance proceedings or legal settlements as
salary under +the Minnesota state retirement system, the public employees
retirement +association and the teachers retirement associations (TRA) under
certain review +and determination conditions; modifying the definition of
average monthly+ salary under the MSRS state troopers retirement plan; expanding
the +definition of salary under PERA to amounts exceeding a certain limit;
retroactively+ expanding the exemption from certain salary limits for pension
purposes to +judges and certain employees or officers to Gillette hospital, the
Minnesota +crop improvement council and the Minnesota historical society;
modifying +certain federal compensation limits for public employee retirement
+contribution and benefit computation purposes ARTICLE 3 � ALLOWABLE SERVICE
CREDITModifying the credit for military service under the Minnesota state
+retirement system and the teachers retirement associations and providing the
+credit for members of the MSRS state troopers and judges retirement plans;
+modifying the definition of allowable service under the public employees
retirement association (PERA) relating to military service; providing for the
determination of service credit for TRA members employed by the +Minnesota state
colleges and universities (MnSCU) system and modifying a certain +family leave
certification requirement ARTICLE 4 � QUALIFIED PART TIME TEACHER
PROVISIONSSpecifying certain qualified part time teacher program participation
requirements for legislators under the teachers retirement +associations (TRA)
relating to execution and filing of the agreement ARTICLE 5 � RETIREMENT PLAN
CONTRIBUTIONS AND TRANSFERSModifying a certain provision providing for the
transfer of erroneous+ salary deductions and employer contributions under the
teachers retirement +association (TRA) and providing for payment of shortages in
certain member salary deductions and associated employer contributions for
certain +employees of the Minnesota state colleges and universities system
(MnSCU); making +uniform the contribution rate for members of the state colleges
and universities +individual retirement account plan (IRAP) and clarifying a
certain funds +transfer provision ARTICLE 6 � REPORTING AND INFORMATION
PROVISIONExpanding certain teachers retirement association member data
+reporting requirements and specifying certain part time service credit
+reporting requirements for employees of the Minnesota state colleges and
+universities system (MnSCU) under TRA; authorizing the legislative commission
on +pensions and retirement (LCPR) to bill third parties for actuarial services
ARTICLE 7 � RETIREMENT ANNUITY PROVISIONSExpanding the entitlement of
department of transportation (DOT) +aircraft pilots covered by the Minnesota
state retirement system retire early +without an annuity reduction; providing
for no reduction in annuities to +reemployed annuitants reaching retirement age
under the public employees +retirement association; eliminating a certain
annuity accrual restriction, +modifying a certain provision limiting
reemployment income after retirement and +requiring audit of certain salary
figures used in computing the highest five +successive years average salary for
certain former school district employee +retirement annuity payment purposes
under the teachers retirement association +(TRA), requiring reporting of the
audits to the legislative commission on +pensions and retirement (LCPR) and the
legislature, specifying certain report +content and frequency requirements;
modifying the early retirement date under the+ MSRS judges retirement plan;
temporarily exempting certain reemployed +annuitants employed as peace officers
by the metropolitan airports commission +(MAC) from the earnings limit under the
PERA public employees police and fire +plan ARTICLE 8 � DISABILITY BENEFIT
PROVISIONSAuthorizing the provision of chiropractic evidence to support
+applications for total and permanent disability and providing a temporary
benefit +reduction waiver for reemployment after disability under the Minnesota
state +retirement system; clarifying or modifying eligibility for receipt of
disability+ benefits by correctional employees and state troopers and modifying
the basis +for receipt of disability benefits by totally and permanently
disabled +participants in the MSRS unclassified employees retirement program;
requiring +applicants for total and permanent disability benefits under the
public employees +retirement association to provide an expert report signed by a
licensed +physician, psychologist or chiropractor; modifying the provision
providing for +the continuation of disability benefits after partial
reemployment; +providing for continued disability payments during a trial return
to work for a +limited time; prescribing a procedure for applying for PERA
police and fire plan +disability benefits; specifying the consequences for
refusal to submit to +medical examination or authorize the release of medical
evidence; providing +for the accrual of disability benefits; requiring
independent medical +examinations of individuals receiving disability benefits
and applicants; requiring +medical advisor review of medical reports submitted
to the association; +requiring approval of an application for disability
benefits by the executive +director based on all relevant evidence; providing
for examination by +chiropractors or psychologists under the teachers retirement
associations (TRA) and +the Minneapolis employees retirement fund (MERF) and
police and +firefighters relief associations ARTICLE 9 � DEATH AND SURVIVOR
BENEFITS AND REFUNDSModifying certain requirements for the payment of interest
on +contribution refunds to legislators, general plan participants, state
troopers and+ judges under the Minnesota state retirement system; modifying
certain +requirements for the payment of surviving spouse benefits under the
MSRS state +troopers and unclassified employees retirement plans and for the
payment of +survivor benefits under the teachers retirement association;
applying certain +MSRS refund after death provisions to the surviving spouses or
dependent +children of employees of Fairview, university of Minnesota physicians
or +university affiliated family physicians and certain public employees
retirement association (PERA) refund after death provisions to the surviving
+spouses or dependent children of employees of medical facilities or other
public+ employing units terminated after privatization; modifying certain
requirements +for the repayment of refunds by public pension plans generally;
authorizing a+ certain TRA member employed by independent school district #535,
Rochester to+ designate children as optional annuity beneficiaries; repealing a
certain +provision authorizing members of the first class city TRAs to transfer
as tax +free rollovers amounts from certain other qualified retirement plans to
+make certain service credit purchase or refund payments ARTICLE 10 � FEDERAL
INTERNAL REVENUE CODE COMPLIANCEDefining compensation in compliance with certain
federal treasury +regulations for public pension plan limits purposes; providing
for compliance +with the internal revenue code (IRC) of certain provisions
providing for the commencement of retirement benefits, certain distributions,
+rollovers, forfeitures and contributions, benefits and service credit for
+military service ARTICLE 11 � HEALTH CARE SAVINGS PLAN MODIFICATIONSExpanding
the Minnesota state retirement system health care savings +plan to active state
employees; eliminating certain obsolete authority of +MSRS to charge an employer
participation fee ARTICLE 12 � RETIREMENT COVERAGE FOLLOWING A PRIVATIZATION
Expanding privatized public hospital pension benefits under the +public
employees retirement association to persons employed by the Fair Oaks+ lodge in
the city of Wadena and to employees of the RenVilla nursing home and +the St.
Peter community healthcare center; providing for continued public +employee
status under PERA of certain persons formerly employed by Anoka +county in
connection with the achieve program for adults with developmental +disabilities
and for certain government training services program employees ARTICLE 13 �
MINNEAPOLIS FIREFIGHTERS RELIEF ASSOCIATION Modifying the authority of the
Minneapolis firefighters relief +association governing board to set the salary
of the executive secretary, +limiting the amount of the salaryARTICLE 14 �
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER RELIEF ASSOCIATION CHANGESModifying the nonforfeitable
percentages of volunteer firefighter +relief association defined contribution
service pension amounts and +expanding the options for crediting interest on
deferred service pensions under +volunteer firefighters relief associations;
providing for an earlier vesting +schedule for members of the Marine on St.
Croix volunteer firefighters relief +association; ratifying certain prior
annuity investments of the Bellingham +firefighters relief associationARTICLE 15
� PERA POLICE AND FIRE PLAN MEMBERSHIP INCLUSIONSExpanding coverage under the
public employees retirement association +general plan to the Lake Johanna
volunteer fire department ARTICLE 16 � ONE PERSON AND SMALL GROUP PENSION
CHANGES Authorizing and providing for the purchase of prior service credit in+
the public employees retirement association by a certain member of the +teachers
retirement association (TRA) formerly employed in certain independent+ school
districts, for a certain eligible person formerly employed by the +city of Red
Wing police department and elected to the Goodhue county board of +commissioners
to apply for a retirement annuity from the PERA police and fire plan;
authorizing the personal representative of a certain deceased +legislative
employee and member of the general state employees retirement program+ of the
Minnesota state retirement system to elect a posthumous coverage +transfer to
the MSRS unclassified state employees retirement program for survivor+ benefit
eligibility purposes, sunset ARTICLE 17 � PRIOR SERVICE CREDIT
PURCHASESRemoving a certain restriction on and extending the deadlines for the+
purchase of prior or uncredited military service credit by certain members of
+the Minnesota state retirement system (MSRS), the state troopers +retirement
plan, the public employees retirement association (PERA) and the teachers
+retirement associations (TRA) ARTICLE 18 � MINNEAPOLIS POLICE RELIEF
ASSOCIATION Providing for amortization of the unfunded actuarial accrued
+liability of the Bloomington fire department relief association, the Fairmont
police +relief association, the Minneapolis firefighters and police relief
+associations and the Virginia fire department relief association; modifying
certain +provisions under the Minneapolis police relief association; modifying
the basis +for determination of excess investment income, making the service
pension+ schedule uniform for active and deferred members and service pensioners
and +increasing the number of units for service over a certain number of years,
+requiring the additional units to be provided to members selecting a joint
annuity +option; increasing the surviving spouse benefit; modifying the basis
for +determination of the postretirement payment; guaranteeing pension
benefits(mk, ja)