HF 4796

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/18/2024 04:40pm

A bill for an act
relating to retirement; public employees local government correctional service
retirement plan; modifying eligibility to add public safety telecommunicators;
providing for an employee contribution rate for public safety telecommunicators;
modifying the vesting requirements for public safety telecommunicators; modifying
the definition of 911 telecommunicator; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022,
sections 353E.02, subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision; 353E.03, subdivision
1; 403.02, subdivision 17c; Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 353.01,
subdivision 47.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS.
new text end

new text begin (a) The legislature acknowledges that a primary responsibility of government is to ensure
public safety and that almost always an emergency response begins with a request to 911
for assistance. Requests to 911 and subsequent emergency response communications are
managed by public safety telecommunicator professionals. These public safety essential
professionals are the first, first responders. They triage requests for emergency responses
and provide lifesaving instructions and guidance to those who call 911, ensuring the
appropriate response for the situation from law enforcement, behavioral health, fire, and
emergency medical service providers.
new text end

new text begin (b) Public safety telecommunicators also dispatch, track, process, and transmit information
from the public and continually communicate with responders providing an additional layer
of safety for public safety professionals in the field. Prior to the arrival of first responders
at the site of an emergency, duties of the public safety telecommunicator include:
new text end

new text begin (1) guiding the administration of lifesaving NARCAN;
new text end

new text begin (2) providing telephone cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction;
new text end

new text begin (3) directing the delivery of newborn babies; and
new text end

new text begin (4) deescalating domestic violence situations.
new text end

new text begin (c) The legislature acknowledges the contributions made by public safety
telecommunicators toward public safety, a primary responsibility of government, and
endorses the arduous work of the public safety telecommunicator to be classified as a public
safety, first responder role.
new text end

new text begin (d) In accordance with this endorsement and acknowledgment, and in an effort to attract
and retain highly qualified individuals to this profession, the legislature finds and declares
that public safety telecommunicators who are public employees in Minnesota must have
retirement benefits commensurate with their role in keeping the public safe.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 353.01, subdivision 47, is amended
to read:

Subd. 47.

Vesting.

(a) "Vesting" means obtaining a nonforfeitable entitlement to an
annuity or benefit from a retirement plan administered by the association by having credit
for sufficient allowable service under paragraph (b), (c), or (d), whichever applies.

(b) For purposes of qualifying for an annuity or benefit as a basic or coordinated plan
member of the general employees retirement plan of the association, a public employee is
100 percent vested when the person has accrued credit for not less than three years of
allowable service in the general employees retirement plan.

(c) For purposes of qualifying for an annuity or benefit as a member of the local
government correctional service retirement plan:

(1) a public employee who first became a member of the association before July 1, 2010,
is 100 percent vested when the person has accrued credit for not less than three years of
allowable service in the local government correctional service retirement plan; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(2) a public employee who first becomes a member of the association after June 30,
2010, is vested at the following percentages when the person has accrued credit for allowable
service in the local government correctional service retirement plan, as follows:

(i) 50 percent after five years;

(ii) 60 percent after six years;

(iii) 70 percent after seven years;

(iv) 80 percent after eight years;

(v) 90 percent after nine years; and

(vi) 100 percent after ten years deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (3) a public safety telecommunicator who becomes covered by the local government
correctional service retirement plan on or after July 1, 2025, must receive credit for each
year of allowable service, if any, under the general employees retirement plan for the purpose
of determining the public safety telecommunicator's vesting percentage under clause (2).
new text end

(d) For purposes of qualifying for an annuity or benefit as a member of the police and
fire retirement plan:

(1) a public employee who first became a member of the association before July 1, 2010,
is 100 percent vested when the person has accrued credit for not less than three years of
allowable service in the public employees police and fire retirement plan; and

(2) a public employee who first becomes a member of the association after June 30,
2010, is vested at the following percentages when the person has accrued credited allowable
service in the police and fire plan, as follows:

(i) 50 percent after five years;

(ii) 60 percent after six years;

(iii) 70 percent after seven years;

(iv) 80 percent after eight years;

(v) 90 percent after nine years; and

(vi) 100 percent after ten years.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 353E.02, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Retirement coverage.

The members of the local government correctional
service retirement plan established by this chapter are:

(1) local government correctional service employees as defined in subdivision 2; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(2) medical center protection officers as defined in subdivision 2a deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (3) public safety telecommunicators as defined in subdivision 2b.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 353E.02, is amended by adding a subdivision to
read:

new text begin Subd. 2b. new text end

new text begin Public safety telecommunicators. new text end

new text begin (a) A public safety telecommunicator, for
purposes of subdivision 1, is a person whom the employer certifies:
new text end

new text begin (1) is a public safety telecommunicator as defined in section 403.02, subdivision 17c;
and
new text end

new text begin (2) is a public employee as defined in section 353.01, but is not a member of the public
employees police and fire retirement plan.
new text end

new text begin (b) The certification required under paragraph (a) must be made in writing on a form
prescribed by the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association.
new text end

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 353E.03, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Member contributions.

new text begin (a) new text end A member of the local government
correctional service retirement plan new text begin who is not a public safety telecommunicator new text end shall make
an employee contribution in an amount equal to 5.83 percent of salary.

new text begin (b) A member of the local government correctional service retirement plan who is a
public safety telecommunicator shall make an employee contribution in an amount equal
to 6.5 percent of salary.
new text end

Sec. 6.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 403.02, subdivision 17c, is amended to read:

Subd. 17c.

911 telecommunicator.

" deleted text begin 911 deleted text end new text begin Public safety new text end telecommunicator" means a
person employed by a public safety answering point, an emergency medical dispatch service
provider, or both, who new text begin serves as an initial first responder and new text end is qualified to answer incoming
emergency telephone calls or provide for the appropriate emergency response either directly
or through communication with the appropriate public safety answering point.

Sec. 7. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end

new text begin Sections 1 to 6 are effective July 1, 2025.
new text end