2015 Minnesota Statutes

353.34 RIGHTS UPON TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP.

Subdivision 1.Refund or deferred annuity.

(a) A former member is entitled to either a refund of accumulated employee deductions under subdivision 2, or to a deferred annuity under subdivision 3. Application for a refund may not be made before the date of termination of public service. A refund must be paid within 120 days following receipt of the application unless the applicant has again become a public employee required to be covered by the association.

(b) If an individual was placed on layoff under section 353.01, subdivision 12 or 12c, a refund is not payable before termination of service under section 353.01, subdivision 11a.

(c) An individual who terminates public service covered by the Public Employees Retirement Association general employees retirement plan, except members of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund under section 353.01, subdivision 2b, paragraph (d), the Public Employees Retirement Association police and fire retirement plan, or the public employees local government correctional service retirement plan, and who is employed by a different employer and who becomes an active member covered by one of the other two plans, may receive a refund of employee contributions plus annual compound interest from the plan from which the member terminated service at the applicable rate specified in subdivision 2.

(d) Refunds payable to members of the former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund under section 353.01, subdivision 2a, paragraph (d), are governed by Minnesota Statutes 2008, chapter 422A.

Subd. 2.Refund with interest.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision 1, any person who ceases to be a public employee is entitled to receive a refund in an amount equal to accumulated deductions with annual compound interest to the first day of the month in which the refund is processed.

(b) For a person who ceases to be a public employee before July 1, 2011, the refund interest is at the rate of six percent to June 30, 2011, and at the rate of four percent after June 30, 2011. For a person who ceases to be a public employee after July 1, 2011, the refund interest is at the rate of four percent.

(c) If a person repays a refund and subsequently applies for another refund, the repayment amount, including interest, is added to the fiscal year balance in which the repayment was made.

(d) If the refund payable to a member is based on employee deductions that are determined to be invalid under section 353.27, subdivision 7, the interest payable on the invalid employee deductions is four percent.

Subd. 3.Deferred annuity; eligibility; computation.

(a) A member who is vested under section 353.01, subdivision 47, when termination of public service or termination of membership occurs has the option of leaving the accumulated deductions in the fund and being entitled to a deferred retirement annuity commencing at normal retirement age or to a deferred early retirement annuity under section 353.30, subdivision 1a, 1b, 1c, or 5.

(b) The deferred annuity must be computed under section 353.29, subdivision 3, on the basis of the law in effect on the date of termination of public service or termination of membership, whichever is earlier, and must be augmented as provided in section 353.71, subdivision 2.

(c) A former member qualified to apply for a deferred retirement annuity may revoke this option at any time before the commencement of deferred annuity payments by making application for a refund. The person is entitled to a refund of accumulated member contributions within 30 days following date of receipt of the application by the executive director.

Subd. 3a.Deferred annuity; certain hospital employees.

Any member employed by a public hospital, as defined in section 355.01, subdivision 3k, who has at least three years of allowable service credit on the date the public hospital is taken over by a private corporation or organization, may elect to receive a deferred annuity pursuant to subdivision 3 notwithstanding the length of service requirement contained therein.

Subd. 3b.

[Repealed, 1Sp2005 c 8 art 10 s 81]

Subd. 4.

[Repealed, 1971 c 106 s 40]

Subd. 5.Refundment generally unlimited.

The right of refundment provided in this chapter, and laws amendatory thereof, is not restricted as to time unless specifically provided and the statute of limitation does not apply thereto.

Subd. 6.Additions to fund.

The board of trustees may credit to the general employees retirement fund any money received in the form of contributions, donations, gifts, appropriations, bequests, or otherwise.

Subd. 7.

[Repealed, 2007 c 134 art 2 s 50]

History:

1957 c 935 s 14; 1959 c 650 s 22-24,49; 1963 c 641 s 26-29; 1969 c 940 s 11; 1971 c 106 s 31; 1971 c 412 s 1; 1973 c 753 s 57-59; 1975 c 102 s 6; 1976 c 329 s 26; 1978 c 796 s 36; 1979 c 216 s 15; 1981 c 224 s 89; 1983 c 58 s 1; 1983 c 73 s 8; 1984 c 564 s 27; 1984 c 574 s 10; 1985 c 261 s 4; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 284 art 5 s 10; 1987 c 372 art 9 s 17; 1988 c 709 art 5 s 20; 1989 c 319 art 3 s 17; art 13 s 40-42; 1991 c 341 s 20; 1992 c 432 art 2 s 16; 1993 c 307 art 4 s 27,28; 2000 c 461 art 3 s 18; 2005 c 10 art 5 s 2; 2006 c 271 art 3 s 28; 2007 c 134 art 2 s 30; 2010 c 359 art 1 s 32-34; art 11 s 8,9; 2013 c 111 art 3 s 6,7; 2015 c 68 art 14 s 10