Subd. 1. Authorization.

1. (a) A relief association, when its articles of incorporation or bylaws so provide, may pay out of the assets of its special fund a service pension to each of its members who: (1) separates from active service with the fire department; (2) reaches age 50; (3) completes at least five years of active service as an active member of the municipal fire department to which the relief association is associated; (4) completes at least five years of active membership with the relief association before separation from active service; and (5) complies with any additional conditions as to age, service, and membership that are prescribed by the bylaws of the relief association. A service pension computed under this section may be prorated monthly for fractional years of service, if the bylaws or articles of incorporation of the relief association so provide. The service pension may be paid whether or not the municipality or nonprofit firefighting corporation to which the relief association is associated qualifies for fire state aid under chapter 69.
2. (b) In the case of a member who has completed at least five years of active service as an active member of the fire department to which the relief association is associated on the date that the relief association is established and incorporated, the requirement that the member complete at least five years of active membership with the relief association before separation from active service may be waived by the board of trustees of the relief association if the member completes at least five years of inactive membership with the relief association before the payment of the service pension. During the period of inactive membership, the member is not entitled to receive disability benefit coverage, is not entitled to receive additional service credit towards computation of a service pension, and is considered to have the status of a person entitled to a deferred service pension under subdivision 7.
3. (c) No municipality or nonprofit firefighting corporation may delegate the power to take final action in setting a service pension or ancillary benefit amount or level to the board of trustees of the relief association or to approve in advance a service pension or ancillary benefit amount or level equal to the maximum amount or level that this chapter would allow rather than a specific dollar amount or level.

4. (d) No relief association as defined in section 424A.001, subdivision 4, may pay a service pension or disability benefit to a former member of the relief association if that person has not separated from active service with the fire department to which the relief association is directly associated, unless:

   1. (1) the person is employed subsequent to retirement by the municipality or the independent nonprofit firefighting corporation, whichever applies, to perform duties within the municipal fire department or corporation on a full-time basis;
   2. (2) the governing body of the municipality or of the corporation has filed its determination with the board of trustees of the relief association that the person's experience with and service to the fire department in that person's full-time capacity would be difficult to replace; and
   3. (3) the bylaws of the relief association were amended to provide for the payment of a service pension or disability benefit for such full-time employees.

Subd. 2. Nonforfeitable portion of service pension.

If the articles of incorporation or bylaws of a relief association so provide, a relief association may pay a reduced service pension to a retiring member who has completed fewer than 20 years of service. The reduced service pension may be paid when the retiring member meets the minimum age and service requirements of subdivision 1.

The amount of the reduced service pension may not exceed the amount calculated by multiplying the service pension appropriate for the completed years of service as specified in the bylaws times the applicable nonforfeitable percentage of pension.

For a volunteer firefighter relief association that pays a lump-sum service pension, a monthly benefit service pension, or a lump-sum service pension or a monthly benefit service pension as alternative benefit forms, the nonforfeitable percentage of pension amounts are as follows:

Completed Years of Service Nonforfeitable Percentage of Pension Amount 5 40 percent 6 44 percent 7 48 percent 8 52 percent 9 56 percent 10 60 percent 11 64 percent 12 68 percent 13 72 percent 14 76 percent 15 80 percent 16 84 percent 17 88 percent 18 92 percent 19 96 percent 20 and thereafter 100 percent

For a volunteer firefighter relief association that pays a defined contribution service pension, the nonforfeitable percentage of pension amounts are as follows:

Completed Years of Service Nonforfeitable Percentage of Pension Amount 5 40 percent 6 52 percent 7 64 percent 8 76 percent 9 88 percent 10 and thereafter 100 percent

Subd. 3. Flexible service pension maximums.

1. (a) Annually on or before August 1 as part of the certification of the financial requirements and minimum municipal obligation determined under section 69.772, subdivision 4, or 69.773, subdivision 5, as applicable, the secretary or some other official of the relief association designated in the bylaws of each relief association shall calculate and certify to the governing body of the applicable qualified municipality the average amount of available financing per active covered firefighter for the most recent three-year period. The amount of available financing shall include any amounts of fire state aid received or receivable by the relief association, any amounts of municipal contributions to the relief association raised from levies on real estate or from other available revenue sources exclusive of fire state aid, and one-tenth of the amount of assets in excess of the accrued liabilities of the relief association calculated under section 69.772, subdivision 2; 69.773, subdivisions 2 and 4; or 69.774, subdivision 2, if any.
2. (b) The maximum service pension which the relief association has authority to provide for in its bylaws for payment to a member retiring after the calculation date when the minimum age and service requirements specified in subdivision 1 are met must be determined using the table in paragraph (c) or (d), whichever applies.

3. (c) For a relief association where the governing bylaws provide for a monthly service pension to a retiring member, the maximum monthly service pension amount per month for each year of service credited that may be provided for in the bylaws is the maximum service pension figure corresponding to the average amount of available financing per active covered firefighter:

   Minimum Average Amount of Maximum Service Pension Available Financing per Amount Payable per Month Firefighter for Each Year of Service

   $... $ .25 42 .50 84 1.00 126 1.50 168 2.00 209 2.50 252 3.00 294 3.50 335 4.00 378 4.50 420 5.00 503 6.00 587 7.00 672 8.00 755 9.00 839 10.00 923 11.00 1007 12.00 1090 13.00 1175 14.00 1259 15.00 1342 16.00 1427 17.00 1510 18.00 1594 19.00 1677 20.00 1762 21.00 1845 22.00 1888 22.50 1929 23.00 2014 24.00 2098 25.00 2183 26.00 2267 27.00 2351 28.00 2436 29.00 2520 30.00 2604 31.00 2689 32.00 2773 33.00 2857 34.00 2942 35.00 3026 36.00 3110 37.00 3194 38.00 3278 39.00 3362 40.00 3446 41.00 3530 42.00 3614 43.00 3698 44.00 3782 45.00 3866 46.00 3950 47.00 4034 48.00 4118 49.00 4202 50.00 4286 51.00 4370 52.00

   Effective beginning December 31, 2003:

   4454 53.00 4538 54.00 4622 55.00 4706 56.00

4. (d) For a relief association in which the governing bylaws provide for a lump sum service pension to a retiring member, the maximum lump sum service pension amount for each year of service credited that may be provided for in the bylaws is the maximum service pension figure corresponding to the average amount of available financing per active covered firefighter for the applicable specified period:

   Minimum Average Amount Maximum Lump Sum Service of Available Financing Pension Amount Payable per Firefighter for Each Year of Service

   $.. $10 11 20 16 30 23 40 27 50 32 60 43 80 54 100 65 120 77 140 86 160 97 180 108 200 131 240 151 280 173 320 194 360 216 400 239 440 259 480 281 520 302 560 324 600 347 640 367 680 389 720 410 760 432 800 486 900 540 1000 594 1100 648 1200 702 1300 756 1400 810 1500 864 1600 918 1700 972 1800 1026 1900 1080 2000 1134 2100 1188 2200 1242 2300 1296 2400 1350 2500 1404 2600 1458 2700 1512 2800 1566 2900 1620 3000 1672 3100 1726 3200 1753 3250 1780 3300 1820 3375

   1834 3400 1888 3500

   1942 3600 1996 3700 2023 3750

   2050 3800 2104 3900 2158 4000

   2212 4100 2265 4200 2319 4300 2373 4400 2427 4500 2481 4600 2535 4700 2589 4800 2643 4900 2697 5000 2751 5100 2805 5200 2859 5300 2913 5400 2967 5500

   3021 5600

   3075 5700

   3129 5800

   3183 5900

   3237 6000

   3291 6100

   3345 6200

   3399 6300

   3453 6400

   3507 6500

   3561 6600

   3615 6700

   3669 6800

   3723 6900

   3777 7000

   Effective beginning December 31, 2003:

   3831 7100

   3885 7200

   3939 7300

   3993 7400

   4047 7500

5. (e) For a relief association in which the governing bylaws provide for a monthly benefit service pension as an alternative form of service pension payment to a lump sum service pension, the maximum service pension amount for each pension payment type must be determined using the applicable table contained in this subdivision.
6. (f) If a relief association establishes a service pension in compliance with the applicable maximum contained in paragraph (c) or (d) and the minimum average amount of available financing per active covered firefighter is subsequently reduced because of a reduction in fire state aid or because of an increase in the number of active firefighters, the relief association may continue to provide the prior service pension amount specified in its bylaws, but may not increase the service pension amount until the minimum average amount of available financing per firefighter under the table in paragraph (c) or (d), whichever applies, permits.
7. (g) No relief association is authorized to provide a service pension in an amount greater than the largest applicable flexible service pension maximum amount even if the amount of available financing per firefighter is greater than the financing amount associated with the largest applicable flexible service pension maximum.

Subd. 3a. Penalty for paying pension greater than applicable maximum.

1. (a) If a relief association pays a service pension greater than the maximum service pension associated with the applicable average amount of available financing per active covered firefighter under the table in subdivision 3, paragraph (c) or (d), whichever applies, the maximum service pension under subdivision 3, paragraph (f), or the applicable maximum service pension amount specified in subdivision 3, paragraph (g), whichever is less, the state auditor shall:

   1. (1) disqualify the municipality or the nonprofit firefighting corporation associated with the relief association from receiving fire state aid by making the appropriate notification to the municipality and the commissioner of revenue, with the disqualification applicable for the next apportionment and payment of fire state aid; and
   2. (2) recover the amount of the overpaid service pension or pensions from any retired firefighter who received an overpayment.
2. (b) Fire state aid amounts from disqualified municipalities for the period of disqualifications under paragraph (a), clause (1), must be credited to the amount of fire insurance premium tax proceeds available for the next subsequent fire state aid apportionment.
3. (c) The amount of any overpaid service pension recovered under paragraph (a), clause (2), must be credited to the amount of fire insurance premium tax proceeds available for the next subsequent fire state aid apportionment.
4. (d) The determination of the state auditor that a relief association has paid a service pension greater than the applicable maximum must be made on the basis of the information filed by the relief association and the municipality with the state auditor under sections 69.011, subdivision 2, and 69.051, subdivision 1 or 1a, whichever applies, and any other relevant information that comes to the attention of the state auditor. The determination of the state auditor is final. An aggrieved municipality, relief association, or person may appeal the determination under section 480A.06.

Subd. 4. Defined contribution lump sum service pensions.

If the bylaws governing the relief association so provide exclusively, the relief association may pay a defined contribution lump sum service pension in lieu of any defined benefit service pension governed by subdivision 2. An individual account for each firefighter who is a member of the relief association shall be established. To each individual member account shall be credited a right to an equal share of: (a) any amounts of fire state aid received by the relief association; (b) any amounts of municipal contributions to the relief association raised from levies on real estate or from other available revenue sources exclusive of fire state aid; and (c) any amounts equal to the share of the assets of the special fund to the credit of: (1) any former member who terminated active service with the fire department to which the relief association is associated prior to meeting the minimum service requirement provided for in subdivision 1 and has not returned to active service with the fire department for a period no shorter than five years; or (2) any retired member who retired prior to obtaining a full nonforfeitable interest in the amounts credited to the individual member account pursuant to subdivision 2 and any applicable provision of the bylaws of the relief association. In addition, any interest or investment income earned on the assets of the special fund shall be credited in proportion to the share of the assets of the special fund to the credit of each individual member account. At the time of retirement pursuant to subdivision 1 and any applicable provision of the bylaws of the relief association, a retiring member shall be entitled to that portion of the assets of the special fund to the credit of the member in the individual member account which is nonforfeitable pursuant to subdivision 2 and any applicable provision of the bylaws of the relief association based on the number of years of service to the credit of the retiring member.

Subd. 5.

Repealed, 1999 c 222 art 11 s 1

Subd. 6. Payment of service pensions; nonassignability.

The method of calculating service pensions shall be applied uniformly for all years of active service and credit shall be given for all years of active service, except as otherwise provided in this section. No service pension shall be paid to any person while the person remains an active member of the respective fire department, and no person who is receiving a service pension shall be entitled to receive any other benefits from the special fund of the relief association. No service pension or ancillary benefits paid or payable from the special fund of a relief association to any person receiving or entitled to receive a service pension or ancillary benefits shall be subject to garnishment, judgment, execution, or other legal process, except as provided in section 518.58, 518.581, or 518.6111. No person entitled to a service pension or ancillary benefits from the special fund of a relief association may assign any service pension or ancillary benefit payments, nor shall the association have the authority to recognize any assignment or pay over any sum which has been assigned.

Subd. 7. Deferred service pensions.

1. (a) A member of a relief association to which this section applies is entitled to a deferred service pension if the member:

   1. (1) has completed the lesser of the minimum period of active service with the fire department specified in the bylaws or 20 years of active service with the fire department;
   2. (2) has completed at least five years of active membership in the relief association; and
   3. (3) separates from active service and membership before reaching age 50 or the minimum age for retirement and commencement of a service pension specified in the bylaws governing the relief association if that age is greater than age 50.
2. (b) The deferred service pension starts when the former member reaches age 50 or the minimum age specified in the bylaws governing the relief association if that age is greater than age 50 and when the former member makes a valid written application.

3. (c) A relief association that provides a lump sum service pension may, when its governing bylaws so provide, pay interest on the deferred lump sum service pension during the period of deferral. If provided for in the bylaws, interest must be paid in one of the following manners:

   1. (1) at the investment performance rate actually earned on that portion of the assets if the deferred benefit amount is invested by the relief association in a separate account established and maintained by the relief association or if the deferred benefit amount is invested in a separate investment vehicle held by the relief association;
   2. (2) at the interest rate of five percent, compounded annually; or
   3. (3) at a rate equal to the actual time weighted total rate of return investment performance of the special fund as reported by the Office of the State Auditor under section 356.219, up to five percent, compounded annually, and applied consistently for all deferred service pensioners.
4. (d) A relief association may not use the method provided for in paragraph (c), clause (3), until it has modified its bylaws to be consistent with that clause.
5. (e) For a deferred service pension that is transferred to a separate account established and maintained by the relief association or separate investment vehicle held by the relief association, the deferred member bears the full investment risk subsequent to transfer and in calculating the accrued liability of the volunteer firefighters relief association that pays a lump sum service pension, the accrued liability for deferred service pensions is equal to the separate relief association account balance or the fair market value of the separate investment vehicle held by the relief association.
6. (f) The deferred service pension is governed by and must be calculated under the general statute, special law, relief association articles of incorporation, and relief association bylaw provisions applicable on the date on which the member separated from active service with the fire department and active membership in the relief association.

Subd. 8. Lump sum service pensions; installment payments.

Any relief association, if the governing bylaws so provide, may pay, at the option of the retiring member and in lieu of a single payment of a lump sum service pension, a lump sum service pension in installments.

The election of installment payments shall be irrevocable and shall be made by the retiring member in writing and filed with the secretary of the relief association no later than 30 days prior to the commencement of payment of the service pension. The amount of the installment payments shall be determined so that the present value of the aggregate installment payments computed at an interest rate of five percent, compounded annually, is equal to the amount of the single lump sum payment which would have been made had the installment payments option not been elected. The payment of each installment shall include interest at the rate of five percent, compounded annually on the reserve supporting the remaining installment payments as of the date on which the previous installment payment was paid and computed from the date on which the previous installment payment was paid to the date of payment for the current installment payment.

To the extent that the commissioner of commerce deems it to be necessary or practical, the commissioner may specify and issue procedures, forms or mathematical tables for use in performing the calculations required pursuant to this subdivision.

Subd. 8a. Purchase of annuity contracts.

A relief association providing a lump-sum service pension, if the governing articles of incorporation or bylaws so provide, may purchase an annuity contract on behalf of a retiring member in an amount equal to the service pension otherwise payable at the request of the person and in place of a direct payment to the person. The annuity contract must be purchased from an insurance carrier licensed to do business in this state and approved for this product by the commerce commissioner under section 60A.40.

Subd. 8b. Transfer to individual retirement account.

A relief association that is a qualified pension plan under section 401(a) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and that provides a lump sum service pension, at the written request of a retiring member, may directly transfer the eligible member's lump sum pension to the member's individual retirement account under section 408(a) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, as amended.

Subd. 9. Limitation on ancillary benefits.

Any relief association, including any volunteer firefighters relief association governed by section 69.77 or any volunteer firefighters division of a relief association governed by chapter 424, may only pay ancillary benefits which would constitute an authorized disbursement as specified in section 424A.05 subject to the following requirements or limitations:

1. (1) with respect to a relief association in which governing bylaws provide for a lump sum service pension to a retiring member, no ancillary benefit may be paid to any former member or paid to any person on behalf of any former member after the former member (i) terminates active service with the fire department and active membership in the relief association; and (ii) commences receipt of a service pension as authorized under this section; and
2. (2) with respect to any relief association, no ancillary benefit paid or payable to any member, to any former member, or to any person on behalf of any member or former member, may exceed in amount the total earned service pension of the member or former member. The total earned service pension must be calculated using the service pension amount specified in the bylaws of the relief association and the years of service credited to the member or former member. The years of service must be determined as of (i) the date the member or former member became entitled to the ancillary benefit; or (ii) the date the member or former member died entitling a survivor or the estate of the member or former member to an ancillary benefit. The ancillary benefit must be calculated (i) without regard to whether the member or former member had attained the minimum amount of service and membership credit specified in the governing bylaws; and (ii) without regard to the percentage amounts specified in subdivision 2; except that the bylaws of any relief association may provide for the payment of a survivor benefit in an amount not to exceed five times the yearly service pension amount specified in the bylaws on behalf of any member who dies before having performed five years of active service in the fire department with which the relief association is affiliated.

Subd. 9a. Postretirement increases.

Notwithstanding any provision of general or special law to the contrary, a relief association paying a monthly service pension may provide a postretirement increase to retired members and ancillary benefit recipients of the relief association if (1) the relief association adopts an appropriate bylaw amendment; and (2) the bylaw amendment is approved by the municipality pursuant to subdivision 10 and section 69.773, subdivision 6. The postretirement increase shall be applicable only to retired members and ancillary benefit recipients receiving a service pension or ancillary benefit as of the effective date of the bylaw amendment. The authority to provide a postretirement increase to retired members and ancillary benefit recipients of a relief association contained in this subdivision shall supersede any prior special law authorization relating to the provision of postretirement increases.

Subd. 9b. Repayment of service pension in certain instances.

If a retired volunteer firefighter does not permanently separate from active firefighting service as required by subdivision 1 and section 424A.001, subdivision 9, by resuming active service as a firefighter in the same volunteer fire department or as a person in charge of firefighters in the same volunteer fire department, no additional service pension amount is payable to the person, no additional service is creditable to the person, and the person shall repay any previously received service pension.

Subd. 10. Local approval of bylaw amendments; filing requirements.

1. (a) Each relief association to which this section applies shall file a revised copy of its governing bylaws with the state auditor upon the adoption of any amendment to its governing bylaws by the relief association or upon the approval of any amendment to its governing bylaws granted by the governing body of each municipality served by the fire department to which the relief association is directly associated. Failure of the relief association to file a copy of the bylaws or any bylaw amendments with the state auditor shall disqualify the municipality from the distribution of any future fire state aid until this filing requirement has been completed.
2. (b) If the special fund of the relief association does not have a surplus over full funding pursuant to section 69.772, subdivision 3, clause (2), subclause (e), or 69.773, subdivision 4, and if the municipality is required to provide financial support to the special fund of the relief association pursuant to section 69.772 or 69.773, no bylaw amendment which would affect the amount of, the manner of payment of, or the conditions for qualification for service pensions or ancillary benefits or disbursements other than administrative expenses authorized pursuant to section 69.80 payable from the special fund of the relief association shall be effective until it has been ratified by the governing body or bodies of the appropriate municipalities. If the municipality is not required to provide financial support to the special fund pursuant to this section, the relief association may adopt or amend without municipal ratification its articles of incorporation or bylaws which increase or otherwise affect the service pensions or ancillary benefits payable from the special fund so long as the changes do not cause the amount of the resulting increase in the accrued liability of the special fund to exceed 90 percent of the amount of the prior surplus over full funding and the changes do not result in the financial requirements of the special fund exceeding the expected amount of the future fire state aid to be received by the relief association.
3. (c) If the relief association pays only a lump sum pension, the financial requirements are to be determined by the board of trustees following the preparation of an estimate of the expected increase in the accrued liability and annual accruing liability of the relief association attributable to the change. If the relief association pays a monthly benefit service pension, the financial requirements are to be determined by the board of trustees following either an updated actuarial valuation including the proposed change or an estimate of the expected actuarial impact of the proposed change prepared by the actuary of the relief association. If a relief association adopts or amends its articles of incorporation or bylaws without municipal ratification pursuant to this subdivision, and, subsequent to the amendment or adoption, the financial requirements of the special fund pursuant to this section are such so as to require financial support from the municipality, the provision which was implemented without municipal ratification shall no longer be effective without municipal ratification, and any service pensions or ancillary benefits payable after that date shall be paid only in accordance with the articles of incorporation or bylaws as amended or adopted with municipal ratification.

Subd. 11.

Repealed, 2000 c 461 art 16 s 13

Subd. 12. Transfer of service credit to new district.

Notwithstanding the requirements of subdivision 1 or any other law, a member of a fire department which is disbanded upon formation of a fire district to serve substantially the same geographic area, who serves as an active firefighter with the new district fire department, and is a member of the district firefighters' relief association shall be entitled to a nonforfeitable service pension from the new relief association upon completion of a combined total of 20 years active service in the disbanded and the new departments. The amount of the service pension shall be based upon years of service in the new department only, and shall be in an amount equal to the accrued liability for the appropriate years of service calculated in accordance with section 69.772, subdivision 2.

Subd. 13. Combined service pensions.

1. (a) If the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the associations so provide, a volunteer firefighter with credit for service as an active firefighter in more than one volunteer firefighters relief association is entitled, when the applicable requirements of paragraph (b) are met and when otherwise qualified, to a prorated service credit from each relief association.

2. (b) A volunteer firefighter receiving a prorated service pension under this subdivision must have total service credit of ten years or more, if every affected relief association does not require only a five-year service vesting requirement, or five years or more, if every affected relief association requires only a five-year service vesting requirement, as a member of two or more relief associations otherwise qualified. The member must have one year or more of service credit in each relief association. The prorated service pension must be based on the service pension amount in effect for the relief association on the date on which active volunteer firefighting services covered by that relief association terminate. To receive a service pension under this subdivision, the firefighter must become a member of the second or succeeding association and must give notice of membership to the prior association within two years of the date of termination of active service with the prior association. The notice must be attested to by the second or subsequent association secretary.

   * NOTE: The deferred service pension interest crediting *procedure of subdivision 7, paragraph (c), clause (3), expires *on December 31, 2008. Laws 2004, chapter 267, article 14, *section 5, paragraph (d).