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Chapter 424A

Section 424A.001

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424A.001 DEFINITIONS.

Subdivision 1.Terms defined.

As used in this chapter, the terms defined in this section have the meanings given.

Subd. 1a.Ancillary benefit.

"Ancillary benefit" means a benefit other than a service pension that is permitted by law and that is provided for in the relief association bylaws.

Subd. 2.Fire department.

"Fire department" includes municipal fire department and independent nonprofit firefighting corporation.

Subd. 3.Municipality.

"Municipality" means a municipality which has a fire department with which the relief association is directly associated, or the municipalities which contract with the independent nonprofit firefighting corporation of which the relief association is a subsidiary.

Subd. 4.Relief association.

"Relief association" means (a) a volunteer firefighters' relief association or volunteer firefighters' division or account of a partially salaried and partially volunteer firefighters' relief association organized and incorporated under chapter 317A and any laws of the state, governed by this chapter and chapter 69, and directly associated with a fire department established by municipal ordinance; or (b) any separate incorporated volunteer firefighters' relief association subsidiary to and providing service pension and retirement benefit coverage for members of an independent nonprofit firefighting corporation organized under the provisions of chapter 317A, governed by this chapter, and operating exclusively for firefighting purposes. A relief association is a governmental entity that receives and manages public money to provide retirement benefits for individuals providing the governmental services of firefighting and emergency first response.

Subd. 5.Special fund.

"Special fund" means special fund of a volunteer firefighters' relief association or the account for volunteer firefighters within the special fund of a partially salaried and partially volunteer firefighters' relief association.

Subd. 6.Surviving spouse.

For purposes of this chapter, and the governing bylaws of any relief association to which this chapter applies, the term "surviving spouse" means the spouse of a deceased member who was legally married to the member at the time of death.

Subd. 7.Fiduciary responsibility.

In the discharge of their respective duties, the officers and trustees shall be held to the standard of care enumerated in section 11A.09. In addition, the trustees must act in accordance with chapter 356A.

Each member of the board is a fiduciary and shall undertake all fiduciary activities in accordance with the standard of care of section 11A.09, and in a manner consistent with chapter 356A. No fiduciary of a relief association shall cause a relief association to engage in a transaction if the fiduciary knows or should know that a transaction constitutes one of the following direct or indirect transactions:

(1) sale or exchange or leasing of any real property between the relief association and a board member;

(2) lending of money or other extension of credit between the relief association and a board member or member of the relief association;

(3) furnishing of goods, services, or facilities between the relief association and a board member; or

(4) transfer to a board member, or use by or for the benefit of a board member, of any assets of the relief association. Transfer of assets does not mean the payment of relief association benefits or administrative expenses permitted by law.

Subd. 8.Firefighting service.

"Firefighting service," if the applicable municipality approves for a fire department that is a municipal department, or if the contracting municipality or municipalities approve for a fire department that is an independent nonprofit firefighting corporation, includes service rendered by fire prevention personnel.

Subd. 9.Separate from active service.

"Separate from active service" means to permanently cease to perform fire suppression duties with a particular volunteer fire department, to permanently cease to perform fire prevention duties, to permanently cease to supervise fire suppression duties, and to permanently cease to supervise fire prevention duties.

Subd. 10.Volunteer firefighter.

"Volunteer firefighter" means a person who:

(1) was a member of the applicable fire department or the firefighting corporation and a member of the relief association on July 1, 2006; or

(2) became a member of the applicable fire department or the firefighting corporation and is eligible for membership in the applicable relief association after June 30, 2006, and

(i) is engaged in providing emergency response services or delivering fire education or prevention services as a member of a municipal fire department, a joint powers entity fire department, or an independent nonprofit firefighting corporation;

(ii) is trained in or is qualified to provide fire suppression duties or to provide fire prevention duties under subdivision 8; and

(iii) meets any other minimum firefighter and service standards established by the fire department or firefighting corporation or specified in the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the relief association.

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes