Minnesota Session Laws - 2000, Regular Session

                            CHAPTER 273-H.F.No. 2927 
                  An act relating to local government associations; 
                  authorizing group insurance protection for 
                  metropolitan intercounty association; amending 
                  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 471.61, subdivision 1.
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 471.61, 
        subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
           Subdivision 1.  [OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES.] A county, municipal 
        corporation, town, school district, county extension committee, 
        other political subdivision or other body corporate and politic 
        of this state, other than the state or any department of the 
        state, through its governing body, and any two or more 
        subdivisions acting jointly through their governing bodies, may 
        insure or protect its or their officers and employees, and their 
        dependents, or any class or classes of officers, employees, or 
        dependents, under a policy or policies or contract or contracts 
        of group insurance or benefits covering life, health, and 
        accident, in the case of employees, and medical and surgical 
        benefits and hospitalization insurance or benefits for both 
        employees and dependents or dependents of an employee whose 
        death was due to causes arising out of and in the course of 
        employment, or any one or more of those forms of insurance or 
        protection.  A governmental unit, including county extension 
        committees and those paying their employees, may pay all or any 
        part of the premiums or charges on the insurance or protection.  
        A payment is deemed to be additional compensation paid to the 
        officers or employees, but for purposes of determining 
        contributions or benefits under a public pension or retirement 
        system it is not deemed to be additional compensation.  One or 
        more governmental units may determine that a person is an 
        officer or employee if the person receives income from the 
        governmental subdivisions without regard to the manner of 
        election or appointment, including but not limited to employees 
        of county historical societies that receive funding from the 
        county and employees of the metropolitan intercounty 
        association.  The appropriate officer of the governmental unit, 
        or those disbursing county extension funds, shall deduct from 
        the salary or wages of each officer and employee who elects to 
        become insured or so protected, on the officer's or employee's 
        written order, all or part of the officer's or employee's share 
        of premiums or charges and remit the share or portion to the 
        insurer or company issuing the policy or contract. 
           A governmental unit, other than a school district, that 
        pays all or part of the premiums or charges is authorized to 
        levy and collect a tax, if necessary, in the next annual tax 
        levy for the purpose of providing the necessary money for the 
        payment of the premiums or charges, and the sums levied and 
        appropriated are not, in the event the sum exceeds the maximum 
        sum allowed by the charter of a municipal corporation, 
        considered part of the cost of government of the governmental 
        unit as defined in any levy or expenditure limitation; provided 
        at least 50 percent of the cost of benefits on dependents must 
        be contributed by the employee or be paid by levies within 
        existing charter tax limitations. 
           The word "dependents" as used in this subdivision means 
        spouse and minor unmarried children under the age of 18 years 
        actually dependent upon the employee. 
           Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           Section 1 is effective the day after its final enactment. 
           Presented to the governor March 20, 2000 
           Signed by the governor March 23, 2000, 10:44 a.m.