March 15, 2016, Pension Commission Meeting

Revised Agenda

1. Approval of February 25-25, 2016, meeting minutes. ‑ Approved


2. HF2807 (O'Driscoll); SF2536 (Pappas): MSRS, PERA, TRA, and SPTRFA; Administrative and actuarial assumption provisions. ‑ Passed
   (Note: this bill contains the language of the administrative and actuarial assumptions bills adopted by the Commission; the five bills have been combined and introduced as a single bill. There were a few technical changes made by the Revisor, so action on this bill will be an affirmation of previous action while approving the consolidation of five bills onto one.)


3. HF2785 (Loon); SF2536 (Hann): VFRAs; Increasing lump-sum service pension maximums for defined benefit relief associations; lowering the vesting requirement for Eden Prairie VFRA firefighters returning to active service ‑ Passed
   (Note: the Commission heard this bill in draft form, applying solely to Eden Prairie. In the bill as introduced, the revisions to the service pension maximums revisions now apply to all defined benefit fire relief associations. The vesting provision (Sec. 2) remains applicable only to the Eden Prairie Volunteer Firefighter Relief Association.
   • LCPR16-025 memo (an earlier draft of the bill) from the Feb. 24 meeting


4. HFxxxx; SF2473 (Rosen/Pappas): 2015-2016 Volunteer Fire Relief Association Working Group bill ‑ Passed
   • Revisor #16-5720 Memo (Revisor draft of the bill) from the Feb. 24 meeting
   • Testifiers:
     • Nyle Zikmund, Chief, Spring Lake Park, Blaine & Mounds View Fire Department
     • Kevin Wall, President, Lower Saint Croix Valley Fire Relief Association


5. HF659 (O'Driscoll); SF588 (Pappas): MSRS; Modifying disability application deadlines in certain instances ‑ Passed as amended
   • Amendment H0659-1A ‑ Adopted
   • H0659-S0588 memo from the Feb. 24 meeting
   • Testifiers:
     • David Bergstrom, Executive Director, MSRS
     • Lori Ross, Transportation Specialist, MnDOT


6. HFxxxx (Metsa); SFxxxx, (LCPR16-015): MSRS; Rule of 90 eligibility for certain MnDOT employees ‑ Passed
   • LCPR16-015 Memo from the Feb. 24 meeting
   • Testifiers:
     • David Bergstrom, Executive Director, MSRS
     • Lori Ross, Transportation Specialist, MnDOT


7. HFxxxx (Whelan, by request); SFxxxx (Revisor #15-3939): MSRS; Purchase of allowable service credit for state internship employment and Rule of 90 eligibility in certain cases ‑ Laid over
   • Revisor #15-3939 Memo


8. Update on the Minnesota State Retirement System funding proposal: LCPR16-012 ‑ No action
   • LCPR16-012 Memo from the Feb. 3-4 meeting
   • Presenter: Dave Bergstrom, Executive Director, MSRS


9. Update on the Teachers Retirement Association funding proposal: HF3070 (Murphy, M.); SF2521 (Pappas) ‑ No action
   • LCPR16-014 memo (draft bill) from the Feb. 3-4 meeting
   • Presenter: Laurie Hacking, Executive Director, TRA
   • Testifiers:
     • Joan Beaver, Government Relations Chair, Education Minnesota Retired
     • Don Leathers, Legislative Co-Chair, Retired Educators Association of Minn. (REAM)
     • Louise Sundin, Committee of Thirteen


10. Update on the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association funding proposal: HF3085 (Albright); SF2724 (Pappas) ‑ No action
    • LCPR16-013 Memo
    • Presenter: Jill Schurtz, Executive Director, SPTRFA
    • Testifiers:
      • Mary Gilbert Dougherty, St. Paul Public School District
      • Stephanie Pignato, St. Paul Federation of Teachers


11. Other items as designated by the Commission chair.

Removed from the agenda: HFxxxx; SFxxxx (LCPR16-030): MSRS-Correctional; Transfer of prior MSRS-General service credit and retirement annuity adjustment for certain Department of Corrections retiree.

***If you are interested in testifying, please contact Lisa Diesslin at lisa.diesslin@lcpr.mn.gov***

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