2023 Minnesota Statutes › Chapters 352 - 356B — Retirement › Chapter 353G — Volunteer Firefighters; Retirement › Section 353G.11 — Lump-sum Division Service Pension Levels.

353G.11 LUMP-SUM DIVISION SERVICE PENSION LEVELS.
Subdivision 1.
Service pension levels; lump-sum division.
Except as provided in subdivision 1a, the lump-sum division of the plan provides the following levels of service pension amounts per full year of service credit to be selected at the election of coverage:
(1) a minimum service pension level of $500 per year;
(2) a maximum service pension level equal to the maximum lump-sum service pension amount permitted under section 424A.02, subdivision 3, payable for each year of service; and
(3) service pension levels between the minimum level and the maximum level in $100 increments.
Subd. 1a.
Continuation of prior lump-sum service pension levels.
(a) If a municipality or independent nonprofit firefighting corporation elected to be covered by the lump-sum division of the plan before January 1, 2010, and selected the $750 per year of service credit service pension amount effective for January 1, 2010, that level continues for the volunteer firefighters of that municipality or independent nonprofit firefighting corporation until a different service pension amount is selected under subdivision 2 after January 1, 2010.
(b) If a municipality or independent nonprofit firefighting corporation elected to be covered by the plan before January 1, 2015, and selected a service pension level under subdivision 1, other than a service credit service pension amount under subdivision 1, that level continues for the volunteer firefighters of the municipality or independent nonprofit firefighting corporation until a different service pension amount is selected under subdivision 2 after January 1, 2014.
Subd. 2.
Lump-sum division level selection.
A cost estimate from the executive director of an increase in the service pension level applicable to the active firefighters of the fire department may be requested by: (1) the fire chief of a department that has active membership covered by the lump-sum division; or (2) the governing body operating a fire department that has active membership covered by the lump-sum division. Within 120 days of the receipt of the cost estimate prepared by the executive director using a procedure certified as accurate by the approved actuary retained by the Public Employees Retirement Association, the governing body may approve the service pension level change, effective for January 1 of the following calendar year unless the governing body specifies in the approval document an effective date that is January 1 of the second year following the approval date. If the approval occurs after April 30, the required municipal contribution for the following calendar year must be recalculated and the results reported to the governing body. If not approved within 120 days of the receipt of the cost estimate, the service pension level change is considered to have been disapproved.
Subd. 3.
Supplemental benefit.
The lump-sum retirement account of the plan also shall pay a supplemental benefit as provided for in section 424A.10.
Subd. 4.
Ancillary benefits.
Except as provided under section 353G.115 or 353G.12, no disability, death, funeral, or other ancillary benefit beyond a service pension or a survivor benefit is payable from the lump-sum retirement account of the plan.
History:
2009 c 169 art 9 s 20; 2010 c 359 art 6 s 6,7; 2015 c 68 art 7 s 2-5; art 8 s 20; 2018 c 211 art 16 s 9; 2020 c 108 art 7 s 7; 2021 c 22 art 10 s 35; 2022 c 65 art 4 s 9,25; 2023 c 47 art 10 s 9