March 22, 2022, Pension Commission Meeting

Agenda

1. Approval of March 15, 2022, meeting minutes. ‑ Approved


2. HF 4139 (L. Olson, Murphy, M. Nelson): PERA; Excludes from PERA coverage employees of the Duluth Transit Authority who are covered by a Teamsters pension plan. ‑ Passed as amended
   • Amendment H4139-1A ‑ Adopted
   • H4139 Summary
   • Testifiers:
     • Nancy Brown, Procurement Manager, Duluth Transit Authority (DTA Presentation)
     • Rod Fournier, General Manager, Duluth Transit Authority
     • Doug Anderson, Executive Director, Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA)


3. Bills previously laid over and ready for approval for inclusion in the omnibus pension and retirement bill:
   1. SF 2591 (Osmek); HF 2964 (Hertaus): MSRS; Permits the survivor of a deceased state employee to purchase service credit to receive an annuity death benefit. ‑ Passed
      • S2591/H2964 Summary
   
   
   2. SF 2614 (Anderson); HF 2690 (Lueck): MSRS; Authorizes purchases of service credit for military service similar to the PERA provisions for service credit purchases that are not federally protected. ‑ Passed
      • S2614/H2690 Summary
   
   
   3. SF 3499 (Rarick); HF 3704 (Sundin): MSRS Correctional; Authorizes the transfer of service credit from the MSRS General Plan to the MSRS Correctional Plan upon payment by an eligible member. ‑ Passed
      • S3499/H3704 Summary
   
   
   4. SF 3556 (Frentz); HF 3671 (Frederick): MSRS Correctional; Adds Residential Program Lead to the list of positions at the Department of Human Services (DHS) that are covered by the MSRS Correctional Plan. ‑ Passed
      • Amendment S3556-1A ‑ Not heard
      • Amendment S3556-2A ‑ Adopted
      • S3556/H3671 Summary
      • DHS Letter
   
   
   5. SF 3872 (Draheim); HF 4186 (Pfarr): MSRS Correctional; Adds Dental Hygienist to the list of positions at the Department of Human Services (DHS) that are covered by the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) Correctional Plan. ‑ Passed as amended
      • Amendment S3872-1A ‑ Adopted
      • S3872/H4186 Summary
   
   
   6. SF 2810 (Benson); HF 3266 (Bahr): PERA; Restores segmented annuities to members who have breaks in public employment. ‑ Passed
      • S2810/H3266 Summary
   
   
   7. SF 2913 (Bigham); HF 4012 (Masin): Teacher plans; Suspends earnings limitation on retired teachers who return to teaching, under Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) and St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association (SPTRFA). ‑ Passed
      • S2913/H4012 Summary
   
   
   8. SF 3048 (Duckworth); HF 2610 (Rasmusson), as amended (draft engrossment): Requires volunteer firefighters relief association special fund assets to be invested with the State Board of Investment. ‑ Passed as amended
      • Amendment S3048-2A ‑ Adopted
      • S3048/H2610 Summary
      Testifier:
      • BJ Jungmann, Burnsville Fire Chief (MNFAC Letter)
   
   
   9. SF 3540 (Rosen); HF 4017 (Nelson, M.): State Auditor's Volunteer Fire Relief Association Working Group bill. ‑ Passed as amended
      • Revised Amendment S3540-2A ‑ Adopted
      • S3540/H4017 Summary
      • Testifiers:
        • State Auditor Julie Blaha
        • Rose Hennessy-Allen, Pension Director, Office of the State Auditor
        • Eric Bullen, Fire Chief, City of Albertville
        • Aaron Johnston, Asst. Fire Chief and Relief Association Treasurer, Coon Rapids
   
   
   10. SF 3402 (Bigham); HF 3777 (Huot), as amended (draft engrossment of previous amendment): PERA Statewide Volunteer Firefighter Plan; Adds vesting alternatives, removes pension reduction firefighters who retire during the first five years of joining the plan, modifies procedures for joining the plan. ‑ Passed as previously amended
       • S3402/H3777 Summary
   
   
   11. SF 2546 (Pappas), as amended (draft engrossment of previous amendment): All plans; Authorizes advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to provide disability assessments. ‑ Passed as amended
       • Amendment S2546-2A‑ Adopted
       • S2546 Summary
   
   
   12. SF 3542 (Rosen); HF 4018 (Nelson, M.): State Board of Investment; Makes administrative and technical changes clarifying the classification of SBI professional employees. ‑ Passed as amended
       • Amendment S3542-1A ‑ Adopted
       • S3542/H4018 Summary
   
   
   13. SF 1547 (Jasinski), the first engrossment, as amended by the Senate Labor and Industry Policy Committee on 2/24/2022;
       HF 1577 (Koznick), as introduced: Requires the Department of Labor and Industry to study adequacy of workers compensation, disability and pension benefits for police officers.
       ‑ Passed (as SF1547, 1st Engr.)
       • S1547/H1577 Summary
       • SF1547 Fiscal note
   
   
4. 2022 Omnibus Pension and Retirement Bill, SF 3540 (Rosen); HF 4017 (Nelson, M.). ‑ Passed as amended
   • Delete Everything Amendment S3540-DE1‑ Adopted
   • Amendment S3540-3A, technical clarifications and corrections. ‑ Adopted
   • Summary of Amendment S3540-3A
   • Staff authorization to make any necessary technical corrections. ‑ Approved
   • Final action on the omnibus pension and retirement bill.‑ Passed as amended

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TESTIFYING: To testify or submit written testimony on any agenda item, please contact the Commission staff at lisa.diesslin@lcpr.leg.mn by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 21, and you will receive further instructions.

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