Signed by Governor Tim Walz

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with senate amendments and pass a bill that appropriates funding for Police and Firefighter retirement and disability expenses.

Highlights:

• Appropriates funding for Police and Firefighter retirement and disability expenses (Sec. 1).

• Require treatment for a mental injury before an employee can file for a related duty disability through the PERA (Sec. 1).

• Requires injured employees stay on payroll while they are receiving treatment for a mental injury (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes state financial support for employers to continue pay and benefits for injured employees while they are off duty for treatment (Sec. 1).

• Appropriates funding to reimburse employers for the cost of a continued health insurance benefit for disabled employees or dependents of those killed in the line of duty if the employer has implemented mental injury prevention measures such as peer support (Sec. 1).

• Requires learning objectives and preservice training that prepares peace officers and firefighters for the stressful and traumatic events that are common to their jobs and teaches officers methods to process and cope with stress and trauma (Sec. 1).

• Amends the vesting schedule in PERA so members would be fully vested after 10 years as opposed to the current 20 (Sec. 1).

• Specifies the reapplication process for PERA disability recipients to require reapplication each year for the first five years and every three years after that (Sec. 1).

• Increases duty total and permanent disability benefits to 99% of the member’s average high-five salary (Sec. 1).

• Amends the current offsets against disability benefits for reemployment earnings by capturing a portion of re-earnings to make employee contributions to PERA for employees with less than 20 years of service (Sec. 1).

• Reduces one dollar for every two dollars that the disability benefit plus reemployment earnings exceeds 100% of pay and $1 for every $1 when the sum exceeds 125% for an active member in a comparable position (Sec. 1).

• Repeals the workers compensation offsets against disability benefits (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text