Action taken by the Commission on April 22, 2003:

1. More Frequent Minnesota Supplemental Investment Fund Account Valuations. The Minnesota Supplemental Investment Fund accounts must be valued on a monthly basis, with authority for more frequent valuations as determined by the State Board of Investment (LCPR03-143: Article 1, Section 1).
   Source: Lipman Commission Amendment  
   Previous action taken (4/14/03):  Passed, to be included in the Omnibus Retirement Bill

2. State Board of Investment Designation of State Deferred Compensation Program Investment Accounts. The accounts of the Minnesota Supplemental Investment Fund available for investment through the State Deferred Compensation Program are restricted to those designated by the State Board of Investment (LCPR03-143: Article 1, Section 2).
   Source: Lipman Commission Amendment  
   Previous action taken (4/14/03):  Passed, to be included in the Omnibus Retirement Bill

1. More Frequent Population Counts in Aid Allocation Calculation. Fire state aid would be allocated, in part, based on annual population estimates prepared by the State Demographer or by the Metropolitan Council rather than on decennial census results (LCPR03-143: Article 2, Sections 1 and 2).
   Source: H.F. 427 (Strachan); S.F. 731 (Marko)
   ACTION:  Sen. Larson moved this item be laid over for Interim Study - MOTION FAILED

1. MnSCU Early Retirement Incentive Program Authorized. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (MnSCU) is authorized to formulate an early retirement incentive consisting or post-retirement insurance coverage, cash incentives, or post-retirement health are savings plan employer contributions. With the cost of the incentive payable by the applicable institution (LCPR03-143: Article 3, Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4).
   Source: H.F. 1313 (Murphy); S.F. 1156 (Pogemiller)
   Previous action taken (4/14/03):   for Interim Study

2. State Government Executive and Legislative Branch Early Retirement Incentive Provided. A $15,000 incentive may be offered to selected executive or legislative branch employees, to be used for a deposit in the post-retirement health care savings plan, a purchase of additional service credit to meet the "Rule of 90" early retirement provision, or the purchase of an annuity from the Unclassified State Employees Retirement Program of the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS-Unclassified). A phased retirement program combining diminished employment hours with receipt of a retirement annuity without reemployed annuitant earnings limits, a voluntary part-time employment/full-time public pension plan credit program, and a voluntary unpaid leave of absence program are also created (LCPR03-143: Article 3, Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9).
   Source: H.F. 1432 (Ozment); S.F. 858 (Pogemiller)
   ACTION:  Sen. Larson moved this item for Interim Study - MOTION PREVAILED

3. PERA Phased Retirement and Leave Provisions. (New Item.)  Three temporary programs are created within the General Employee Retirement Plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA-General), a phased retirement program (reduced work hours with concurrent receipt of a PERA-General retirement annuity), a part-time employment with full-time PERA-General contributions and service credit program, and a voluntary unpaid leave of absence program (LCPR03-167).
   Source: H.F. 1386 (Krinkie); S.F. 1361 (Pogemiller)
   Previous action taken (4/14/03):  Passed, to be included in the Omnibus Retirement Bill

4. TRA Extended Leave of Absence Provisions.  (New Item.)  The Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) Extended Leave of Absence program is amended to provide the following:  member reimbursement for medical insurance premiums is shifted to before the payment; school districts would be permitted to pay medical insurance premiums; collective bargaining on employer-paid medical insurance premiums rather than individual arrangements would be permitted; school districts would be permitted to pay TRA member contributions; collective bargaining on employer-paid TRA member contributions would be permitted; collective bargaining provisions on employer-paid medical insurance premiums and TRA member contributions are required to sunset; and changes are made retroactive to cover current collective bargaining agreements (LCPR03-167).
   Source: H.F. 780 (Wardlow); S.F. 664 (Tomassoni)
   ACTION:  
   Rep. Lipman moved Amendment A03-0559, orally amended as follows: page 2, line 4, before the period insert "on or before December 31, 2004" - MOTION PREVAILED
   Rep. Smith moved this item, as amended, for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

5. Temporary TRA Rule of 85 Early Normal Retirement Eligibility. (New Item.)  Early normal retirement for Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) members under a "Rule of 85" would be permitted between June 1, 2003, and July 15, 2003 (LCPR03-167).
   Source: H.F. 1433 (Wasiluk); S.F. 1323 (Wiger)
   There was no action on this item.

1. PERA-General Membership for St. Paul Port Authority Employees. Employees of the St. Paul Port Authority are included in the membership of the General Employee Retirement Plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA-General), with employees older than age 45 given the option to be PERA-General or PERA-Defined Contribution Retirement Plan members. Past port authority employment is purchasable at full actuarial value (LCPR03-143: Article 4, Sections 1, 2 (in part), 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9).
   Source: H.F. 828 (Paymar); S.F. 811 (Moua)
   ACTION:  Rep. Murphy moved this item, as amended, for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION PREVAILED

2. Continued PERA-General Membership for Red Wing Environmental Learning Center Employees. Employees of the Red Wing Environmental Learning Center, a nonprofit organization, are permitted to continue to be certified to the General Employee Retirement Plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA-General) as Red Wing School District employees (LCPR03-143: Article 4, Sections 2 (in part) and 6).
   Source: H.F. 947 (Dempsey); S.F. 947 (Murphy)
   Previous action taken (4/14/03):  Passed, to be included in the Omnibus Retirement Bill

3. Authorized Revocation of PERA-General Exclusion Election by City Managers. City managers who have previously elected to be excluded form PERA-General coverage are permitted to reverse that election for prospective service (LCPR03-143: Article 4, Section 3).
   Source: H.F. 839 (Nelson, M.); S.F. 485 (Rest)
   ACTION:  Sen. Larson moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

1. Ad Hoc Post Retirement Adjustment for Certain Pre-1969 Teachers. Members of the Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) who first became TRA members before 1969 and who receive or will receive a TRA retirement annuity that is less than the benefit calculated under the Improved Money Purchase Savings Clause Provision are entitled to a special increase equal to 45 percent of the difference (LCPR03-143: Article 5, Section 1).
   Source: H.F. 282 (Beard); S.F. 213 (Larson)
   Previous action taken (4/14/03):  for Interim Study

1. Hennepin County Supplemental Plan; Hardship Distribution Request Approval Authority Change. The authority for the approval of benefit and refund applications from the Hennepin County Supplemental Retirement Program is changed from the Hennepin County Board to the Hennepin County Administrator (LCPR03-143: Article 6, Sections 1 and 2).
   Source: H.F. 656 (Smith); S.F. 190 (Betzold)
   ACTION:  Rep. Lipman moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

2. Eveleth Police and Fire Trust Fund; Ad Hoc Post Retirement Adjustment. The Eveleth Police and Fire Trust Fund is authorized to provide a $100,000 per month ad hoc post retirement adjustment to retirees and surviving spouses (LCPR03-143: Article 6, Section 3).
   Source: H.F. 91 (Rukavina); S.F. 55 (Tomassoni)
   ACTION:  Rep. Murphy moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION PREVAILED

1. Subsidized PERA-General and PERA-P&F Vietnam-Era Military Service Credit Purchase. Vietnam-era military service credit is purchasable at $5,000 per year of service credit by members of the General Employee Retirement Plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA-General) or of the Public Employees Police and Fire Retirement Plan (PERA-P&F) (LCPR03-143: Article 7, Section 1).
   Source: H.F. 349 (Sertich); S.F. 278 (Tomassoni)
   ACTION:  Rep. Erickson moved this item for Interim Study - MOTION PREVAILED

2. Sunset Date Extension for Various 1999 and 2000 Session Service Credit Purchases. Special service credit purchases enacted in 1999 or 2000 have their sunset date extended one year, to 2004 (LCPR03-143: Article 7, Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6).
   Sources: Commission Amendment to H.F. 844 (Smith); Commission Amendment to
   S.F. 667 (Pogemiller); H.F. 247 (Nelson, C.); S.F. 400 (Senjem)
   ACTION:  Rep. Murphy moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

1. Plumbers’ and Pipefitters’ Union Pension Fund Restriction Exception Expanded to Include Local Funds. The 2002 exception to the restriction on employer-funded supplemental pension plans for the plumbers’ and pipefitters’ national pension fund is expanded to include the plumbers’ and pipefitters’ local pension fund (LCPR03-143: Article 8, Section 1).
   Source: H.F. 997 (Mullery); S.F. 847 (Langseth)
   ACTION:  Rep. Smith moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

1. Correction of Monthly Benefit Flexible Service Pension Maximum Financing Levels. An error in the sliding scale flexible service pension maximums for monthly benefit volunteer firefighter relief associations is corrected and any past White Bear Lake Fire Department Relief Association service pension increases premised in the corrected table are ratified (LCPR03-143: Article 9, Sections 1 and 8).
   Source: H.F. 1224 (Meslow); S.F. 1332 (Reiter)
   ACTION:  Rep. Erickson moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

2. Additional Interest Option on Deferred Service Pensions. An option for the payment of interest on deferred volunteer firefighter relief association service pensions based on actual relief association investment earnings, up to five percent, is added (LCPR03-143: Article 9, Section 2).
   Source: H.F. 1293 (Seifert); S.F. 1390 (Frederickson)
   There was no action on this item.

3. Conformity of Plymouth Volunteer Firefighter Relief Association Special Law Ancillary Benefits with General Ancillary Benefit Limit. The ancillary benefits set forth in past special laws for the Plymouth Volunteer Firefighter Relief Association are revised to conform with the general statute ancillary benefit maximum (LCPR03-143: Article 9, Sections 3, 4, 5 and 9).
   Source: H.F. 253 (Johnson, J.); S.F. 1452 (Gaither)
   ACTION:  Rep. Smith moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

4. Statewide Volunteer Firefighter Retirement Plan Study. A 23-member task force to study the creation of a statewide volunteer firefighter retirement plan, funded form a $300,000 State General Fund appropriation, is established (LCPR03-143: Article 9, Section 7).
   Source: H.F. 489 (Rhodes); S.F. 449 (Johnson, D.E.)
   ACTION:  Sen. Larson moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

1. Minneapolis Firefighters Relief Association; Increasing the Salary of the Executive Secretary. The Minneapolis Firefighters Relief Association Executive Secretary is permitted to receive a salary up to 50 percent of the maximum salary of a first grade firefighter, rather than up to 30 percent of that firefighter salary as set by the relief association board, with the increase potentially retroactive to September 1, 2002 (LCPR03-143: Article 10, Sections 1 and 4).
   Source: H.F. 520 (Smith); S.F. 618 (Pogemiller)
   ACTION:  Sen. Larson moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

2. Minneapolis Firefighters Relief Association; Increased Interest on Death Refunds. A refund to the estate of a Minneapolis Firefighters Relief Association member who dies before receiving their total member contributions plus interest will include interest form the date contributions were made (LCPR03-143: Article 10, Sections 2 and 3).
   Source: H.F. 1334 (Smith); S.F. 1171 (Pogemiller)
   ACTION:  Rep. Erickson moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

1. MnDOT Temporary Employment MSRS-General Service Credit Purchase. Prior service as a temporary employee of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is authorized for purchase from the General State Employees Retirement Plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS-General) (LCPR03-143: Article 11, Section 1).
   Source: H.F. 63 (Boudreau); S.F. 47 (Day)
   ACTION:  Sen. Larson moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

2. Minneapolis Temporary Employment PERA-General Service Credit Purchase. Prior service as a temporary employee of the City of Minneapolis is authorized for purchase from the General Employee Retirement Plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA-General) (LCPR03-143: Article 11, Section 2).
   Source: Commission Amendment accompanying H.F. 308 (Eastlund); S.F. 616 (Lourey)
   There was no action on this item.

3. Expiration Date for 2000 MTRFA School Social Worker Service Credit Provision. A 2000 service credit purchase from the Minneapolis Teachers Retirement Fund Association (MTRFA) for a school social worker is sunsetted on July 1, 2003 (LCPR03-143: Article 11, Section 3).
   Source: Commission Amendment to H.F. 911 (Carlson); S.F. 889 (Rest)
   ACTION:  Rep. Erickson moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

4. Minneapolis Temporary Employment MERF Service Credit Purchase. Prior service as a temporary employee of the City of Minneapolis is authorized for purchase from the Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund (MERF) (LCPR03-143: Article 11, Section 4).
   Source: H.F. 308 (Eastlund); S.F. 616 (Lourey)
   ACTION:  Sen. Larson moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

5. Metropolitan Airports Commission Public Safety Director Prior Service Credit Purchase. The public safety director of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, currently on leave, is authorized to purchase prior St. Louis Park police service credit from the Public Employees Police and Fire Retirement Plan (PERA-P&F) with the payment of the full actuarial value difference between the PERA-P&F annuity and the former St. Louis Park Police Relief Association annuity (LCPR03-143: Article 11, Section 5).
   Source: Michel Commission Amendment
   ACTION:  Sen. Michel moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

6. Independent School District No. 191 Unreported Sabbatical Leaves Service Credit Purchase. Teachers employed by the Independent School District No. 191 (Burnsville-Eagan-Savage) for whom past sabbatical leaves were not properly reported are permitted to purchase lost service credit, with a mandatory payment by the employer of the full actuarial value purchase payment amount beyond member contributions (LCPR03-143: Article 11, Section 6).
   Source: H.F. 1343 (Powell); S.F. 1235 (Belanger)
   ACTION:  Rep. Erickson moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

1. MSRS-General Refund for Long-Term Medical Leave. A member of the General State Employees Retirement Plan of the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS-General) who is on a long-term medical leave is permitted to receive a refund of member contributions (LCPR03-143: Article 12, Section 1).
   Source: Commission Amendment to H.F. 191 (Gerlach); S.F. 206 (Knutson)
   ACTION:  Rep. Erickson moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

2. Authority to Revoke a PERA-General Retirement Annuity Application. A member of the General Employee Retirement Plan of the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA-General) who is a Social Security disability benefit recipient is allowed to revoke the annuity application and apply for a disability benefit (LCPR03-143: Article 12, Section 2).
   Source: H.F. 740 (Hilstrom); S.F. 801 (Scheid)
   ACTION:  Sen. Larson moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

3. Retirement Coverage Change for Bemidji City Council Member. A Bemidji City Council member is permitted to terminate PERA-General coverage in favor of PERA Defined Contribution Retirement Plan coverage (LCPR03-143: Article 12, Section 3).
   Source: H.F. 841 (Fuller); S.F. 843 (Ruud)
   ACTION:  Sen. Michel moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

4. Time Extension for Retirement Coverage Election for Riverland Technical College Faculty Member. A recently hired Riverland Technical College faculty member is allowed to make a late election of retirement coverage by the Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) (LCPR03-143: Article 12, Section 4).
   Source: H.F. 856 (Dempsey); S.F. 786 (Murphy)
   ACTION:  Rep. Krinkie moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

5. Grant of MFRA Surviving Spouse Benefit to Certain Survivor. The spouse of a retired Minneapolis firefighter who did not meet the surviving spouse definition is granted a survivor benefit from the Minneapolis Firefighters Relief Association (LCPR03-143: Article 6, Section 5).
   Source: H.F. 776 (Davnie); S.F. 499 (Skoglund)
   ACTION:  Rep. Krinkie moved this item for Interim Study - MOTION PREVAILED

6. Retroactive Coverage in the Qualified Part-Time Teacher Program for Certain Minneapolis Public School Teacher. A Minneapolis public school teacher who failed timely coverage by the qualified part-time teacher program is permitted retroactive program coverage and salary and service credit, with school district payment of the balance of the full actuarial cost (LCPR03-143: Article 6, Section 6).
   Source: H.F. 404 (Kelleher); S.F. 536 (Dibble)
   ACTION:  Rep. Smith moved delete-everything amendment LCPR03-137 - MOTION FAILED

7. Retroactive Coverage in the Qualified Part-Time Teacher Program for Certain Duluth Public School Teacher. A Duluth public school teacher who failed to participate in the qualified part0time teacher program is permitted retroactive program coverage and salary credit, with member payment of unpaid member and employer contribution amounts (LCPR03-143: Article 6, Section 7).
   Source: H.F. 666 (Murphy); S.F. 670 (Solon)
   ACTION:  Rep. Smith moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

8. Grant of PERA-P&F Surviving Spouse Benefit to Certain Survivor.  (New Item.)  The spouse of a St. Paul firefighter who died not in the line of duty who was not married long enough to meet the surviving spouse definition is granted a survivor benefit from the Public Employees Police and Fire Retirement Plan (LCPR03-167).
   Source: H.F. 1507 (Smith); S.F. 1426 (Pogemiller)
   ACTION:  Rep. Krinkie moved this item for Interim Study - MOTION PREVAILED

1. Required Actuarial Study of Restructured Statewide Teacher Retirement Plan.  (New Item)  The Commission-retained actuary would be required to prepare an additional actuarial study as of July 1, 2003, valuing a potential restructured statewide teacher retirement plan, at the expense of the four current teacher retirement plans (LCPR03-167).
   Source: H.F. 1466 (Smith); S.F. 1304 (Pogemiller)
   ACTION:  Rep. Krinkie moved this item for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION PREVAILED

OTHER NON-AGENDA ITEMS CONSIDERED

Rep. Smith moved amendment LCPR03-133 for inclusion in the Omnibus Retirement Bill - MOTION FAILED

Sen. Betzold offered amendment LCPR03-168  - There was no action on this item