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69.773 Relief associations paying monthly service pensions.

Subdivision 1. Application. (a) This section applies to any firefighters relief association specified in section 69.771, subdivision 1, which pays or allows for an option of a monthly service pension to a retiring firefighter when at least the minimum requirements for entitlement to a service pension specified in section 424A.02, any applicable special legislation and the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the relief association have been met. Each firefighters relief association to which this section applies shall determine the actuarial condition and funding costs of the special fund of the relief association in accordance with subdivisions 2 and 3, the financial requirements of the special fund of the relief association in accordance with subdivision 4 and the minimum obligation of the municipality with respect to the special fund of the relief association in accordance with subdivision 5.

(b) If a firefighters relief association that previously provided a monthly benefit service pension discontinues that practice and either replaces the monthly benefit amount with a lump sum benefit amount consistent with section 424A.02, subdivision 3, or purchases an annuity in the same amount as the monthly benefit from an insurance company licensed to do business in this state, the actuarial condition and funding costs, financial, and minimum municipal obligation requirements of section 69.772 apply rather than this section.

Subd. 2. Determination of actuarial condition and funding costs. A relief association to which this section applies shall obtain an actuarial valuation showing the condition of the special fund of the relief association as of December 31, 1978, and at least as of December 31 every four years thereafter. The valuation shall be prepared in accordance with the provisions of sections 356.215, subdivision 4d, and 356.216 and any applicable standards for actuarial work established by the legislative commission on pensions and retirement, except that the figure for normal cost shall be expressed as a level dollar amount, and the amortization contribution shall be the level dollar amount calculated to amortize any current unfunded accrued liability by at least the date of full funding specified in subdivision 4, clause (b). Each valuation shall be filed with the governing body of the municipality in which the relief association is located and with the state auditor, not later than July 1 of the year next following the date as of which the actuarial valuation is prepared. Any relief association which is operating under a special law which requires that actuarial valuations be obtained at least every four years and be prepared in accordance with applicable actuarial standards set forth in statute may continue to have actuarial valuations made according to the time schedule set forth in the special legislation subject to the provisions of subdivision 3.

Subd. 3. Valuation requirement upon benefit change. The officers of the relief association shall not seek municipal ratification of any amendments to the articles of incorporation or bylaws which increase or otherwise affect the retirement coverage provided by or the service pensions or retirement benefits payable from any relief association pursuant to subdivision 6 prior to obtaining either an updated actuarial valuation including the proposed amendment or an estimate of the expected actuarial impact of the proposed amendment prepared by the actuary of the relief association.

Subd. 4. Financial requirements of the special fund. Prior to August 1 of each year, the officers of the relief association shall determine the financial requirements of the special fund of the relief association in accordance with the requirements of this subdivision. The financial requirements of the relief association shall be based on the most recent actuarial valuation of the special fund prepared in accordance with subdivision 2. If the relief association has an unfunded actuarial accrued liability as reported in the most recent actuarial valuation, the financial requirements shall be determined by adding the figures calculated pursuant to clauses (a), (b), and (c). If the relief association does not have an unfunded actuarial accrued liability as reported in the most recent actuarial valuation, the financial requirements shall be an amount equal to the figure calculated pursuant to clauses (a) and (b), reduced by an amount equal to one-tenth of the amount of any assets in excess of the actuarial accrued liability of the relief association. The determination of whether or not the relief association has an unfunded actuarial accrued liability shall be based on the current market value of assets for which a market value is readily ascertainable and the cost or book value, whichever is applicable, for assets for which no market value is readily ascertainable.

(a) The normal level cost requirement for the following year, expressed as a dollar amount, shall be the figure for the normal level cost of the relief association as reported in the actuarial valuation.

(b) The amount of anticipated future administrative expenses of the special fund shall be calculated by multiplying the dollar amount of the administrative expenses of the special fund for the most recent year by the factor of 1.035.

(c) The amortization contribution requirement to retire the current unfunded actuarial accrued liability by the established date for full funding shall be the figure for the amortization contribution as reported in the actuarial valuation. If there has not been a change in the actuarial assumptions used for calculating the actuarial accrued liability of the special fund, a change in the bylaws of the relief association governing the service pensions, retirement benefits, or both payable from the special fund or a change in the actuarial cost method used to value all or a portion of the special fund which change or changes, which by themselves without inclusion of any other items of increase or decrease, produce a net increase in the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the special fund since December 31, 1970, the established date for full funding shall be December 31, 1990. If there has been a change in the actuarial assumptions used for calculating the actuarial accrued liability of the special fund, a change in the bylaws of the relief association governing the service pensions, retirement benefits, or both payable from the special fund or a change in the actuarial cost method used to value all or a portion of the special fund and the change or changes, by themselves and without inclusion of any other items of increase or decrease, produce a net increase in the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the special fund since December 31, 1970, but prior to January 1, 1979, the established date for full funding shall be December 31, 1998, and if there has been a change since December 31, 1978, the established date for full funding shall be determined using the following procedure:

(i) the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the special fund shall be determined in accordance with the provisions governing service pensions, retirement benefits, and actuarial assumptions in effect before an applicable change;

(ii) the level annual dollar contribution needed to amortize this unfunded actuarial accrued liability amount by the date for full funding in effect prior to the change shall be calculated using the interest assumption specified in section 356.215, subdivision 4d, in effect before any applicable change;

(iii) the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the special fund shall be determined in accordance with any new provisions governing service pensions, retirement benefits, and actuarial assumptions and the remaining provisions governing service pensions, retirement benefits, and actuarial assumptions in effect before an applicable change;

(iv) the level annual dollar contribution needed to amortize the difference between the unfunded actuarial accrued liability amount calculated pursuant to subclause (i) and the unfunded actuarial accrued liability amount calculated pursuant to subclause (iii) over a period of 20 years starting December 31 of the year in which the change is effective shall be calculated using the interest assumption specified in section 356.215, subdivision 4d, in effect after any applicable change;

(v) the annual amortization contribution calculated pursuant to subclause (iv) shall be added to the annual amortization contribution calculated pursuant to subclause (ii);

(vi) the period in which the unfunded actuarial accrued liability amount determined in subclause (iii) will be amortized by the total annual amortization contribution computed pursuant to subclause (v) shall be calculated using the interest assumption specified in section 356.215, subdivision 4d, in effect after any applicable change, rounded to the nearest integral number of years, but which shall not exceed a period of 20 years from the end of the year in which the determination of the date for full funding using this procedure is made and which shall not be less than the period of years beginning in the year in which the determination of the date for full funding using this procedure is made and ending by the date for full funding in effect before the change.

(vii) the period determined pursuant to subclause (vi) shall be added to the date as of which the actuarial valuation was prepared and the resulting date shall be the new date for full funding.

Subd. 5. Minimum municipal obligation. The officers of the relief association shall determine the minimum obligation of the municipality with respect to the special fund of the relief association for the following calendar year prior to August 1 of each year in accordance with the requirements of this subdivision. The minimum obligation of the municipality with respect to the special fund shall be an amount equal to the financial requirements of the special fund of the relief association determined pursuant to subdivision 4, reduced by the estimated amount of any fire state aid payable pursuant to sections 69.011 to 69.051 anticipated to be received by the municipality for transmittal to the special fund of the relief association during the following year and the amount of any anticipated contributions to the special fund by the members of the relief association during the following calendar year. The officers of the relief association shall certify the financial requirements of the special fund of the relief association and the minimum obligation of the municipality with respect to the special fund of the relief association as determined pursuant to subdivision 4 and this subdivision to the governing body of the municipality by August 1 of each year. The municipality shall provide for at least the minimum obligation of the municipality with respect to the special fund of the relief association by tax levy or from any other source of public revenue. The municipality may levy taxes for the payment of the minimum municipal obligation without any limitation as to rate or amount and irrespective of any limitations imposed by other provisions of law or charter upon the rate or amount of taxation until the balance of the special fund or any fund of the relief association has attained a specified level. In addition, any taxes levied pursuant to this section shall not cause the amount or rate of any other taxes levied in that year or to be levied in a subsequent year by the municipality which are subject to a limitation as to rate or amount to be reduced. If the municipality does not include the full amount of the minimum municipal obligation in its levy for any year, the officers of the relief association shall certify that amount to the county auditor, who shall spread a levy in the amount of the minimum municipal obligation.

Subd. 6. Municipal ratification for plan amendments. If the special fund of the relief association does not have a surplus over full funding pursuant to subdivision 4, or if the municipality is required to provide financial support to the special fund of the relief association pursuant to this section, the adoption of or any amendment to the articles of incorporation or bylaws of a relief association which increases or otherwise affects the retirement coverage provided by or the service pensions or retirement benefits payable from the special fund of any relief association to which this section applies shall not be effective until it is ratified by the governing body of the municipality in which the relief association is located. If the special fund of the relief association has a surplus over full funding pursuant to subdivision 4, and if the municipality is not required to provide financial support to the special fund of the relief association pursuant to this section, the relief association may adopt or amend its articles of incorporation or bylaws which increase or otherwise affect the retirement coverage provided by or the service pensions or retirement benefits payable from the special fund of the relief association which shall be effective without municipal ratification so long as this does not cause the amount of the resulting increase in the accrued liability of the special fund of the relief association to exceed 90 percent of the amount of the prior surplus over full funding and this does not result in the financial requirements of the special fund of the relief association exceeding the expected amount of the future fire state aid to be received by the relief association as determined by the board of trustees following the preparation of an updated actuarial valuation including the proposed change or an estimate of the expected actuarial impact of the proposed change prepared by the actuary of the relief association. If a relief association adopts or amends its articles of incorporation or bylaws without municipal ratification pursuant to this subdivision, and, subsequent to the amendment or adoption, the financial requirements of the special fund of the relief association pursuant to this section are such so as to require financial support from the municipality, the provision which was implemented without municipal ratification shall no longer be effective without municipal ratification and any service pensions or retirement benefits payable after that date shall be paid only in accordance with the articles of incorporation or bylaws as amended or adopted with municipal ratification.

HIST: 1971 c 261 s 3; 1977 c 429 s 63; 1978 c 563 s 4; 1979 c 201 s 9; 1981 c 224 s 29; 1982 c 421 s 2; 1983 c 289 s 114 subd 1; 1984 c 655 art 1 s 92; 1Sp1985 c 7 s 35; 1986 c 359 s 11; 1987 c 259 s 9,10; 1994 c 541 s 1; 2000 c 461 art 15 s 3

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