356.30 Combined service annuity.
Subdivision 1. Eligibility; computation of annuity. (1) Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary of the laws governing the funds enumerated in subdivision 3, a person who has met the qualifications of clause (2) may elect to receive a retirement annuity from each fund in which the person has at least six months allowable service, based on the allowable service in each fund, subject to the provisions of clause (3).
(2) A person may receive upon retirement a retirement annuity from each fund in which the person has at least six months allowable service, and augmentation of a deferred annuity calculated under the laws governing each public pension plan or fund named in subdivision 3, from the date the person terminated all public service if:
(a) the person has allowable service totaling an amount that allows the person to receive an annuity in any two or more of the enumerated funds; and
(b) the person has not begun to receive an annuity from any enumerated fund or the person has made application for benefits from all funds and the effective dates of the retirement annuity with each fund under which the person chooses to receive an annuity are within a one-year period.
(3) The retirement annuity from each fund must be based upon the allowable service in each fund, except that:
(a) The laws governing annuities must be the law in effect on the date of termination from the last period of public service under a covered fund with which the person earned a minimum of one-half year of allowable service credit during that employment.
(b) The "average salary" on which the annuity from each covered fund in which the employee has credit in a formula plan shall be based on the employee's highest five successive years of covered salary during the entire service in covered funds.
(c) The formula percentages to be used by each fund must be those percentages prescribed by each fund's formula as continued for the respective years of allowable service from one fund to the next, recognizing all previous allowable service with the other covered funds.
(d) Allowable service in all the funds must be combined in determining eligibility for and the application of each fund's provisions in respect to actuarial reduction in the annuity amount for retirement prior to normal retirement.
(e) The annuity amount payable for any allowable service under a nonformula plan of a covered fund must not be affected but such service and covered salary must be used in the above calculation.
(f) This section shall not apply to any person whose final termination from the last public service under a covered fund is prior to May 1, 1975.
(g) For the purpose of computing annuities under this section the formula percentages used by any covered fund, except the public employees police and fire fund and the state patrol retirement fund, must not exceed the percent specified in section 356.19, subdivision 4, per year of service for any year of service or fraction thereof. The formula percentage used by the public employees police and fire fund and the state patrol retirement fund must not exceed the percent specified in section 356.19, subdivision 6, per year of service for any year of service or fraction thereof. The formula percentage used by the legislators retirement plan and the elective state officers retirement must not exceed 2.5 percent, but this limit does not apply to the adjustment provided under section 3A.02, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), or 352C.031, paragraph (b).
(h) Any period of time for which a person has credit in more than one of the covered funds must be used only once for the purpose of determining total allowable service.
(i) If the period of duplicated service credit is more than six months, or the person has credit for more than six months with each of the funds, each fund shall apply its formula to a prorated service credit for the period of duplicated service based on a fraction of the salary on which deductions were paid to that fund for the period divided by the total salary on which deductions were paid to all funds for the period.
(j) If the period of duplicated service credit is less than six months, or when added to other service credit with that fund is less than six months, the service credit must be ignored and a refund of contributions made to the person in accord with that fund's refund provisions.
Subd. 2. Repayment of refunds. A person who has service credit in one of the funds enumerated in subdivision 3 and who is employed or was formerly employed in a position covered by one of these funds but also has received a refund from any other of these funds, may repay the refund to the respective fund under terms and conditions that are consistent with the laws governing the other fund, except that the person need not be a currently contributing member of the fund to which the refund is repaid at the time the repayment is made. Unless otherwise provided by statute, the repayment of a refund under this subdivision may only be made within six months following termination of employment from a position covered by one of the funds enumerated in subdivision 3 or before the date of retirement from the fund to which the refund is repaid, whichever is earlier.
Subd. 2a. Purchases of prior service. If a purchase of prior service is made under the provisions of Laws 1988, chapter 709, article 3, or any similar provision which allows a purchase of service credit in any of the funds enumerated in subdivision 3, the amount of required reserves calculated as prescribed in Laws 1988, chapter 709, article 3, must be paid to each fund based on the amount of benefit increase payable from that fund as a result of the purchase of prior service.
Subd. 3. Covered funds. This section applies to the following retirement funds:
(1) state employees retirement fund, established pursuant to chapter 352;
(2) correctional employees retirement program, established pursuant to chapter 352;
(3) unclassified employees retirement plan, established pursuant to chapter 352D;
(4) state patrol retirement fund, established pursuant to chapter 352B;
(5) legislators retirement plan, established pursuant to chapter 3A;
(6) elective state officers' retirement plan, established pursuant to chapter 352C;
(7) public employees retirement association, established pursuant to chapter 353;
(8) public employees police and fire fund, established pursuant to chapter 353;
(9) teachers retirement association, established pursuant to chapter 354;
(10) Minneapolis employees retirement fund, established pursuant to chapter 422A;
(11) Minneapolis teachers retirement fund association, established pursuant to chapter 354A;
(12) St. Paul teachers retirement fund association, established pursuant to chapter 354A;
(13) Duluth teachers retirement fund association, established pursuant to chapter 354A; and
(14) judges' retirement fund, established by sections 490.121 to 490.132.
HIST: 1975 c 232 s 1; 1981 c 37 s 2; 1981 c 298 s 11; 1983 c 286 s 14; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 372 art 1 s 20; art 9 s 35; 1989 c 319 art 2 s 23; art 5 s 4; art 13 s 92; 1991 c 340 s 31; 1992 c 432 art 2 s 45; 1994 c 528 art 2 s 14; 1995 c 141 art 3 s 20; 1995 c 262 art 1 s 13; art 3 s 6; 1997 c 233 art 1 s 61,62
Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes