MN HF4149

Allows volunteer firefighters who transition to full-time employees with a public employees police and fire retirement plan to continue receiving service credit toward vesting in their volunteer relief association retirement benefits.

Requires the fire chief to certify the full-time employee's service credit using the same procedures applied to volunteer firefighters, and mandates relief associations credit one completed year of active service annually toward vesting.

Permits employees to receive service credit for vesting under both the relief association and public employees police and fire retirement plan for the same year of service, without being reclassified as volunteer firefighters.

Relief associations must update bylaws to permit this service credit crediting, and certification requirements cease once the employee achieves 100 percent vesting in the relief association benefit.

Effective January 1, 2021, with retroactive application from March 1, 2020, for members of the Cloquet Area Fire District Firefighter's Relief Association who transfer to full-time employment after March 1, 2020.