Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Office of the Revisor of Statutes

352.96 Deferred compensation.

Subdivision 1. Entitlement to defer compensation. At the request of an officer or employee of the state, an officer or employee of a political subdivision, or an employee covered by a retirement fund in section 356.20, subdivision 2, the appointing authority shall by payroll deduction defer the payment of part of the compensation of the officer or employee. The amount to be deferred must be as provided in a written agreement between the officer or employee and the employing unit. The agreement must be in a form specified by the executive director of the Minnesota State Retirement System in such a manner as will qualify the deferred amount for benefits under federal and state tax laws, rules, and rulings.

Subd. 1a. Failure to implement plan. Implementation of the deferred compensation plan by the employing unit must be completed within 30 days of the request as provided in subdivision 1. If the employing unit fails to implement the deferred compensation plan, the employing unit may not defer compensation under any existing or new deferred compensation plan from the date of the request until the date on which the deferred compensation plan provided for in this section is implemented. The executive director of the Minnesota State Retirement System may order any employing unit that fails to implement the deferred compensation plan provided for in this section upon a valid request to undertake that implementation and may enforce that order in appropriate legal proceedings.

Subd. 2. Purchase of shares. The amount of compensation so deferred may be used to purchase:

(1) shares in the Minnesota Supplemental Investment Fund established in section 11A.17 that are selected to be offered under the plan by the State Board of Investment;

(2) saving accounts in federally insured financial institutions;

(3) life insurance contracts, fixed annuity and variable annuity contracts from companies that are subject to regulation by the commissioner of commerce;

(4) investment options from open-end investment companies registered under the federal Investment Company Act of 1940, United States Code, title 15, sections 80a-1 to 80a-64;

(5) investment options from a firm that is a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, United States Code, title 15, section 80b-1 to 80b-21;

(6) investment options of a bank as defined in United States Code, title 15, section 80b-2, subsection (a), paragraph (2), or a bank holding company as defined in the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, United States Code, title 12, section 1841, subsection (a), paragraph (1); or

(7) a combination of clause (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), or (6), as provided by the plan as specified by the participant.

All amounts contributed to the deferred compensation plan and all earnings on those amounts will be held for the exclusive benefit of the plan participants and beneficiaries. These amounts will be held in trust, in custodial accounts, or in qualifying annuity contracts as required by federal law and in accordance with section 356A.06, subdivision 1. This subdivision does not authorize an employer contribution, except as authorized in section 356.24, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (5). The state, political subdivision, or other employing unit is not responsible for any loss that may result from investment of the deferred compensation.

Subd. 3. Executive director to administer section. This section must be administered by the executive director of the system with the advice and consent of the board of directors under subdivision 4. Fiduciary activities of the deferred compensation plan must be undertaken in a manner consistent with chapter 356A. If the State Board of Investment so elects, it may solicit bids for options under subdivision 2, clauses (2), (3), (4), (5), and (6). The State Board of Investment may retain consulting services to assist it in soliciting and evaluating bids and in the periodic review of companies offering options under subdivision 2, clauses (3), (4), (5), and (6). The periodic review must occur at least every two years. The State Board of Investment may annually establish a budget for its costs in the soliciting, evaluating, and periodic review processes. The State Board of Investment may charge a proportional share of all costs related to the periodic review to each company currently under contract and may charge a proportional share of all costs related to soliciting and evaluating bids to each company selected by the state board. All contracts must be approved before execution by the State Board of Investment. Contracts must provide that all options in subdivision 2 must: be presented in an unbiased manner and in a manner that conforms to rules adopted by the executive director, be reported on a periodic basis to all employees participating in the deferred compensation program, and not be the subject of unreasonable solicitation of state employees to participate in the program. The contract may not call for any person to jeopardize the tax-deferred status of money invested by state employees under this section. All costs or fees in relation to the options provided under subdivision 2, clauses (3), (4), (5), and (6), must be paid by the companies ultimately selected by the State Board of Investment.

Subd. 4. Executive director to establish rules. The executive director of the system with the advice and consent of the board of directors shall establish rules and procedures to carry out this section including allocation of administrative costs of the plan to participants. Fees cannot be charged on contributions and investment returns attributable to contributions made to the Minnesota supplemental investment funds before July 1, 1992. Annual total fees charged for plan administration for the Minnesota supplemental investment funds cannot exceed 40/100 of one percent of the contributions and investment returns attributable to contributions made on or after July 1, 1992. The rules established by the executive director must conform to federal and state tax laws, regulations, and rulings, and are not subject to the Administrative Procedure Act. Except for the marketing rules, rules relating to the options provided under subdivision 2, clauses (2) and (3), must be approved by the State Board of Investment.

Subd. 5. Other laws not applicable. No provision of this chapter or other law specifically referring to this chapter applies to this section unless this section is specifically mentioned.

Subd. 6. Exemption from process. No amount of deferred compensation is assignable or subject to execution, levy, attachment, garnishment, or other legal process, except as provided in section 518.58, 518.581, or 518.6111.

HIST: 1975 c 273 s 1; 1977 c 300 s 1-3; 1980 c 607 art 14 s 45 subd 1; s 46; 1981 c 208 s 10; 1983 c 289 s 114 subd 1; 1984 c 655 art 1 s 92; 1985 c 248 s 70; 1986 c 356 s 8; 1987 c 157 s 3; 1987 c 229 art 6 s 1; art 11 s 1; 1987 c 284 art 4 s 2,3; 1988 c 605 s 8; 1989 c 319 art 8 s 12; 1990 c 570 art 10 s 6; 1993 c 192 s 87; 1993 c 300 s 11; 1993 c 307 art 2 s 9,10; 1994 c 528 art 1 s 9; 1997 c 203 art 6 s 92; 1997 c 241 art 3 s 1-3; 1997 c 251 s 1; 1998 c 390 art 2 s 6; 1Sp2003 c 12 art 2 s 2

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes