2016 Minnesota Statutes

352.045 PROCEDURE FOR REVISING EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS IN CERTAIN INSTANCES.

Subdivision 1.Application.

This section applies to the general state employees retirement plan established under this chapter, the correctional state employees retirement plan established under this chapter, and the state patrol retirement plan established under chapter 352B.

Subd. 2.Determination.

For purposes of this section, a contribution sufficiency exists if, for the applicable plan, the total of the employee contributions, the employer contributions, and any additional employer contributions, if applicable, exceeds the total of the normal cost, the administrative expenses, and the amortization contribution of the retirement plan as reported in the most recent actuarial valuation of the retirement plan prepared by the approved actuary retained under section 356.214 and prepared under section 356.215 and the standards for actuarial work of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement. For purposes of this section, a contribution deficiency exists if, for the applicable plan, the total employee contributions, employer contributions, and any additional employer contributions are less than the total of the normal cost, the administrative expenses, and the amortization contribution of the retirement plan as reported in the most recent actuarial valuation of the retirement plan prepared by the approved actuary retained under section 356.214 and prepared under section 356.215 and the standards for actuarial work of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement.

Subd. 3.

[Repealed, 2013 c 111 art 2 s 33]

Subd. 3a.Contribution rate revision; general state employees retirement plan.

(a) Notwithstanding the contribution rates as specified in law governing the applicable retirement plan, the board of directors of the Minnesota State Retirement System may adjust the employee and employer contribution rates for the general state employees retirement plan if the regular actuarial valuation of the plan prepared under section 356.215 indicates that there is a contribution sufficiency greater than one percent of covered payroll or that there is a contribution deficiency under subdivision 2 equal to or greater than one-half of one percent of covered payroll.

(b) If the actuarially determined contribution of the plan is less than the total support provided by the combined employee and employer contribution rates by more than one percent of covered payroll, the plan employee and employer contribution rates may be decreased incrementally over one or more years to a level such that there remains a contribution sufficiency of at least one percent of covered payroll. Any decrease in employee and employer contribution rates must not result in total contributions that are less than the sum of the normal cost and administrative expenses of the retirement plan.

(c) If the actuarially required contribution exceeds the total support provided by the employee and employer contribution rates, the board of directors may increase the employee and employer contribution rates equally to eliminate that contribution deficiency.

(d) To determine if an adjustment is to be made, the board of directors shall consult with the approved actuary retained under section 356.214 and shall take into consideration factors that include, but are not limited to, the contribution rates calculated based on the actuarial value of assets and calculated based on the market value of assets; the funded ratio calculated based on the actuarial value of assets; the funded ratio calculated based on the market value of assets; the remaining number of years to the amortization target date; the recent experience of the investment markets; and the results of the 30-year funding, disbursements, and contribution projections prepared every other year as required under the standards for actuarial work adopted by the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement.

(e) Any adjustment to the contribution rates must be reported to the chair and the executive director of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement by January 15 following receipt of the most recent annual actuarial valuation prepared under section 356.215. The report must include draft legislation to revise the employee and employer contributions stated in plan law. If the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement does not recommend against the rate change or does not recommend a modification in the rate change, the adjustment becomes effective on the first day of the first full payroll period in the fiscal year following receipt of the most recent actuarial valuation that gave rise to the adjustment.

(f) A contribution sufficiency of up to one percent of covered payroll must be held in reserve to be used to offset any future actuarially determined contributions that are more than the total combined employee and employer contributions.

(g) Before any reduction in contributions to eliminate a sufficiency in excess of one percent of covered pay may be made, the executive director must review any need for a change in actuarial assumptions, as recommended by the approved actuary retained under section 356.214 in the most recent experience study of the general employees retirement plan prepared under section 356.215 and the standards for actuarial work promulgated by the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement that may result in an increase in the actuarially determined contribution and must report to the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement any decision by the board to use the sufficiency exceeding one percent of covered payroll to offset the impact of an actuarial assumption change recommended by the actuary retained under section 356.214, subdivision 1, and reviewed by the actuary retained by the commission under section 356.214, subdivision 4.

(h) No contribution sufficiency in excess of one percent of covered pay may be proposed to be used to increase benefits, and no benefit increase may be proposed that would initiate an adjustment to increase contributions under this subdivision. Any proposed benefit improvement must include a recommendation, prepared by the approved actuary retained under section 356.214, subdivision 1, and reviewed by the actuary retained by the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement as provided under section 356.214, subdivision 4, on how the benefit modification will be funded.

Subd. 3b.Contribution rate revision; correctional state employees retirement plan and State Patrol retirement plan.

(a) Subdivision 3a applies to the correctional state employees retirement plan under this chapter and to the State Patrol retirement plan established under chapter 352B, except as specified in paragraph (b) or (c).

(b) Any limitations on the amount of contribution rate changes stated in subdivision 3a apply only to the amount of the employee contribution revision. The employer contribution for the correctional state employees retirement plan or the State Patrol retirement plan, whichever is applicable, must be adjusted so that the employer contribution is equal to 60 percent of the sum of employee plus employer contributions.

(c) For the State Patrol retirement plan, a contribution sufficiency of up to two percent of covered payroll, rather than one percent, may be held in reserves without taking action to reduce employee and employer contributions.

Subd. 4.

[Repealed, 2013 c 111 art 2 s 33]

History:

2006 c 271 art 1 s 3,9; 2013 c 111 art 2 s 11,12; 2015 c 68 art 5 s 1