175.361 Termination of plan and distribution of fund. - Florida Statutes

175.361 Termination of plan and distribution of fund.

For any municipality, special fire control district, chapter plan, local law municipality, local law special fire control district, or local law plan under this chapter, the plan may be terminated by the municipality or special fire control district. Upon termination of the plan by the municipality or special fire control district for any reason or because of a transfer, merger, or consolidation of governmental units, services, or functions as provided in chapter 121, or upon written notice by the municipality or special fire control district to the board of trustees that contributions under the plan are being permanently discontinued, the rights of all employees to benefits accrued to the date of such termination and the amounts credited to the employees’ accounts are nonforfeitable. The fund shall be distributed in accordance with the following procedures:

   (1) The board of trustees shall determine the date of distribution and the asset value required to fund all the nonforfeitable benefits after taking into account the expenses of such distribution. The board shall inform the municipality or special fire control district if additional assets are required, in which event the municipality or special fire control district shall continue to financially support the plan until all nonforfeitable benefits have been funded.

   (2) The board of trustees shall determine the method of distribution of the asset value, whether distribution shall be by payment in cash, by the maintenance of another or substituted trust fund, by the purchase of insured annuities, or otherwise, for each firefighter entitled to benefits under the plan as specified in subsection (3).

   (3) The board of trustees shall distribute the asset value as of the date of termination in the manner set forth in this subsection, on the basis that the amount required to provide any given retirement income is the actuarially computed single-sum value of such retirement income, except that if the method of distribution determined under subsection (2) involves the purchase of an insured annuity, the amount required to provide the given retirement income is the single premium payable for such annuity. The actuarial single-sum value may not be less than the employee’s accumulated contributions to the plan, with interest if provided by the plan, less the value of any plan benefits previously paid to the employee.

   (4) If there is asset value remaining after the full distribution specified in subsection (3), and after the payment of any expenses incurred with such distribution, such excess shall be returned to the municipality or special fire control district, less return to the state of the state’s contributions, provided that, if the excess is less than the total contributions made by the municipality or special fire control district and the state to date of termination of the plan, such excess shall be divided proportionately to the total contributions made by the municipality or special fire control district and the state.

   (5) The board of trustees shall distribute, in accordance with subsection (2), the amounts determined under subsection (3).

If, after 24 months after the date the plan terminated or the date the board received written notice that the contributions thereunder were being permanently discontinued, the municipality or special fire control district or the board of trustees of the firefighters’ pension trust fund affected has not complied with all the provisions in this section, the Department of Management Services shall effect the termination of the fund in accordance with this section.

History. s. 1, ch. 63-249; s. 5, ch. 65-58; s. 22, ch. 81-168; s. 48, ch. 83-217; s. 21, ch. 86-41; s. 38, ch. 93-193; s. 934, ch. 95-147; s. 36, ch. 99-1; s. 8, ch. 2009-97.