Section 423A.021 Defined Postretirement Benefits - Minnesota Statutes

423A.021 DEFINED POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS.

Subdivision 1.Pension unit increase.

For a salaried firefighters relief association in a city of the first class with a population greater than 300,000, when the actuarial value of assets of the special fund first exceeds 110 percent of the actuarial accrued liabilities, according to an annual actuarial valuation occurring after July 1, 2008, and performed in accordance with sections 356.215 and 356.216, each service pensioner, joint survivor annuitant, and surviving spouse member is entitled to a permanent benefit increase. The revised benefit is an increase of one unit for a service pensioner, not to exceed 43 units, an increase from 22 to 23 units for a surviving spouse benefit, and an increase from 42.3 to 43.2 units for unmarried service pensioners. The association shall pay the increased benefit beginning January 1 of the year following the year for which the valuation was prepared. If adding an additional unit results in raising total units past the maximum, a partial unit may be added to reach the maximum. For joint survivor annuities, this subdivision authorizes a benefit increase actuarially equivalent to one unit.

Subd. 2.Unit precedence.

The additional benefit provided for in subdivision 1 shall take precedence over any other benefit provided when the fund reaches 110 percent funding. In preparing the actuarial valuation under sections 356.215 and 356.216, the actuary for the fund shall first account for the benefit provided in subdivision 1 in determining the plan's funded ratio. No other benefit payments may be made by the association until the actuarial impact of the benefit provided for in subdivision 1 has been determined and factored into the funding ratio.

Subd. 3.Excess investment income.

For a salaried firefighters relief association in a city of the first class with a population greater than 300,000 that no longer is entitled to state general fund aid pursuant to section 423A.02, the association shall apply any assets that constitute excess investment income to the payment of a supplemental postretirement benefit to an eligible member notwithstanding any other limitation of law. Any amount of excess investment income not otherwise used for the payment of a supplemental postretirement benefit to an eligible member shall be applied to reduce the municipality's property tax levy to the association in the year following the payment of the postretirement benefit. A supplemental postretirement benefit is a lump sum payment equal to the monthly benefit provided to the benefit recipient in the month prior to payment of the supplemental postretirement benefit. A supplemental postretirement benefit payable under this section is in lieu of any benefit payable under section 423C.06, subdivision 2. No supplemental postretirement benefit is payable under this section if a benefit is payable under section 423C.06, subdivision 3.

History:

2008 c 349 art 13 s 1