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Chapter 352

Section 352.91

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352.91 Covered correctional service.

Subdivision 1. Qualifying jobs. "Covered correctional service" means service performed by a state employee, as defined in section 352.01, employed at a state correctional facility, the Minnesota security hospital, or the Minnesota sexual psychopathic personality treatment center as:

(1) a corrections officer 1;

(2) a corrections officer 2;

(3) a corrections officer 3;

(4) a corrections officer supervisor;

(5) a corrections officer 4;

(6) a corrections captain;

(7) a security counselor; or

(8) a security counselor lead.

Subd. 2. Maintenance and trades. "Covered correctional service" also means service rendered at any time by state employees as maintenance personnel and members of trades certified by the commissioner of employee relations as being regularly engaged in rehabilitation, treatment, custody, or supervision of inmates at a Minnesota correctional facility, or of patients at the Minnesota security hospital or at the Minnesota sexual psychopathic personality treatment center.

Subd. 2a. Special teachers. "Covered correctional service" also means service rendered by a state employee as a special teacher employed by the department of corrections or by the department of human services at a security unit, provided that at least 75 percent of the employee's working time is spent in direct contact with inmates or patients and the fact of this direct contact is certified to the executive director by the appropriate commissioner, unless the person elects to retain the current retirement coverage under Laws 1996, chapter 408, article 8, section 21.

Subd. 3. Repealed, 1996 c 408 art 8 s 29

Subd. 3a. Security guards. "Covered correctional service" also means service rendered before January 1, 1981, in the classification of security guard by any employee employed in a covered correctional position on January 1, 1981.

Subd. 3b. Older employees formerly excluded. "Covered correctional service" also means service performed by certain state employees in positions usually covered by this section who: (1) were excluded by law from coverage between July 1973 and July 1980; (2) were age 45 or over when hired; (3) were state employees on March 26, 1986; and (4) who elected coverage before July 1, 1986. An employee who did not elect coverage before July 1, 1986, is not covered by the correctional retirement plan, even if the employee's employment classification may be considered to be covered correctional service under another subdivision of this section.

Subd. 3c. Nursing personnel. (a) "Covered correctional service" means service by a state employee in one of the employment positions at a correctional facility or at the Minnesota security hospital specified in paragraph (b), provided that at least 75 percent of the employee's working time is spent in direct contact with inmates or patients and the fact of this direct contact is certified to the executive director by the appropriate commissioner, unless the person elects to retain the current retirement coverage under Laws 1996, chapter 408, article 8, section 21.

(b) The employment positions are as follows:

(1) registered nurse - senior;

(2) registered nurse;

(3) registered nurse - principal; and

(4) licensed practical nurse 2.

Subd. 3d. Other correctional personnel. (a) "Covered correctional service" means service by a state employee in one of the employment positions at a correctional facility or at the Minnesota security hospital specified in paragraph (b), provided that at least 75 percent of the employee's working time is spent in direct contact with inmates or patients and the fact of this direct contact is certified to the executive director by the appropriate commissioner, unless the person elects to retain the current retirement coverage under Laws 1996, chapter 408, article 8, section 21.

(b) The employment positions are as follows: baker, chemical dependency counselor supervisor, chief cook, cook, cook coordinator, corrections behavior therapist, corrections behavior therapist specialist, corrections parent education coordinator, corrections security caseworker, corrections security caseworker career, corrections teaching assistant, dentist, electrician supervisor, general repair worker, library/information research services specialist, library/information research services specialist senior, plumber supervisor, psychologist 3, recreation therapist, recreation therapist coordinator, recreation program assistant, recreation therapist senior, stores clerk senior, water treatment plant operator, work therapy technician, work therapy assistant, work therapy program coordinator.

Subd. 4. Certification procedure for additional positions. Upon the recommendation of the commissioner of corrections or the commissioner of human services, whichever is the appropriate employing authority, with the approval of the legislative advisory committee and with notification to and receipt of comments from the legislative commission on pensions and retirement, the commissioner of employee relations may certify additional positions at a state correctional facility, the Minnesota security hospital, or the Minnesota sexual psychopathic personality treatment center to the executive director of the Minnesota state retirement system as positions rendering covered correctional service. The commissioner of corrections and the commissioner of human services must establish, in writing, a set of criteria upon which to base a recommendation for certifying additional civil service classifications as rendering covered correctional service.

Subd. 5. Correction of errors. (a) If it is determined that an employee should have been covered by the correctional retirement plan but was placed in the general employees retirement plan or teachers retirement association in error, the commissioner of corrections or the commissioner of human services must report the error to the executive director of the Minnesota state retirement system. The service must be properly credited under the correctional employees retirement plan for a period of not to exceed five years before the date on which the commissioner of corrections or human services notifies the executive director of the Minnesota state retirement system in writing or five years from the date on which an employee requests, in writing, the applicable department to determine if the person has appropriate retirement plan coverage, whichever is earlier. If the error covers more than a five-year period, the service before the five-year period must remain under the plan originally credited the service. The employee shall pay the difference between the employee contributions actually paid during the five-year period and what should have been paid under the correctional employees retirement plan. The department making the error shall pay to the correctional employees retirement plan an amount equal to the difference in the present value of accrued retirement benefits caused by the change in coverage after subtracting the amount paid by the employee. Calculation of this amount must be made by the executive director of the Minnesota state retirement system using the applicable preretirement interest rate specified in section 356.215, subdivision 4d, and the mortality table adopted for the Minnesota state retirement system. The calculation must assume continuous future service in the correctional employees retirement plan until the employee would reach the age eligible for normal retirement. The calculation must also assume a future salary history that includes annual salary increases at the salary increase rate or rates specified in section 356.215, subdivision 4d.

(b) If an employee was covered under the correctional employees retirement plan, but it is determined that the person should have been covered under the general employees retirement plan, the error must be corrected if written notification is provided to the employee and the executive director of the Minnesota state retirement system within three years of the date on which the coverage was improperly started. The difference in employee and employer contributions actually paid to the correctional employees retirement plan in excess of the amount that should have been paid to the general employees retirement plan must be refunded to the employee and the employer paying the additional contributions.

HIST: 1973 c 653 s 40; 1974 c 520 s 1; 1975 c 368 s 35; 1978 c 781 s 2; 1980 c 600 s 3-5; 1980 c 617 s 47; 1981 c 224 s 59; 1981 c 297 s 3; 1984 c 654 art 5 s 58; 1986 c 444; 1986 c 458 s 31; 1987 c 229 art 6 s 1; art 11 s 1; 1987 c 372 art 1 s 4; 1996 c 408 art 8 s 10-17

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Revisor of Statutes