54-52.1-03.2. Retiree health benefits fund - Appropriation

54-52.1-03.2. Retiree health benefits fund - Appropriation

1. a. The board shall establish a retiree health benefits fund account with the Bank of

North Dakota for the purpose of prefunding and providing hospital benefits

coverage, medical benefits coverage, and prescription drug coverage under any

health insurance program and dental, vision, and long-term care benefits

coverage under the uniform group insurance program for retired eligible

employees or surviving spouses of retired eligible employees and their

dependents as provided in this chapter.

b. The state shall contribute monthly to the retiree health benefits fund an amount

equal to one and fourteen hundredths percent of the monthly salaries and wages

of all participating members of the highway patrol troopers' retirement system

under chapter 39-03.1, and one and fourteen hundredths percent of the monthly

salaries of all supreme or district court judges who are participating members of

the public employees retirement system under chapter 54-52.

c. Each governmental unit that contributes to the public employees retirement

system fund under section 54-52-06 or the retirement plan under chapter 54-52.6

shall contribute monthly to the retiree health benefits fund an amount equal to

one and fourteen-hundredths percent of the monthly salaries or wages of all

participating members of the public employees retirement system under chapter

54-52 or chapter 54-52.6, except for:

(1) Members first enrolled after December 31, 2019, for which a governmental

unit contributes to the public employees retirement system fund under

section 54-52-06 or the retirement plan under chapter 54-52.6; and

(2) Nonteaching employees of the superintendent of public instruction who elect

to participate in the public employees retirement system pursuant to section

54-52-02.13 and employees of the state board for career and technical

education who elect to participate in the public employees retirement system

pursuant to section 54-52-02.14.

d. For nonteaching employees of the superintendent of public instruction who elect

to participate in the public employees retirement system pursuant to section

54-52-02.13, the superintendent of public instruction shall contribute monthly to

the retiree health benefits fund an amount equal to three and twenty-four

hundredths percent of the monthly salaries or wages of those nonteaching

employee members, beginning on the first of the month following the transfer

under section 54-52-02.13 and continuing thereafter for a period of eight years,

after which time the superintendent of public instruction shall contribute one and

fourteen-hundredths percent of the monthly salary or wages of those nonteaching

employee members.

e. For employees of the state board for career and technical education who elect to

participate in the public employees retirement system pursuant to section

54-52-02.14, the state board for career and technical education shall contribute

monthly to the retiree health benefits fund an amount equal to two and

ninety-nine hundredths percent of the monthly salary or wages of those employee

members, beginning on the first of the month following the transfer under section

54-52-02.14 and continuing thereafter for a period of eight years, after which time

the state board for career and technical education shall contribute one and

fourteen-hundredths percent of the monthly salary or wages of those employee

members.

f. The employer of a national guard security officer or firefighter shall contribute

monthly to the retiree health benefits fund an amount equal to one and fourteen-

hundredths percent of the monthly salaries or wages of all national guard security

officers or firefighters participating in the public employees retirement system

under chapter 54-52.

g. Job service North Dakota shall reimburse monthly the retiree health benefits fund

rity officer or firefighter shall contribute

monthly to the retiree health benefits fund an amount equal to one and fourteen-

hundredths percent of the monthly salaries or wages of all national guard security

officers or firefighters participating in the public employees retirement system

under chapter 54-52.

g. Job service North Dakota shall reimburse monthly the retiree health benefits fund

for credit received under section 54-52.1-03.3 by members of the retirement

program established by job service North Dakota under section 52-11-01.

h. The board, as trustee of the fund and in exclusive control of its administration,

shall:

(1) Provide for the investment and disbursement of moneys of the retiree health

benefits fund and administrative expenditures in the same manner as

moneys of the public employees retirement system are invested, disbursed,

or expended.

(2) Adopt rules necessary for the proper administration of the retiree health

benefits fund, including enrollment procedures.

2. All moneys deposited in the fund established under subsection 1, not otherwise

appropriated, are hereby appropriated to the board for the purpose of making

investments for the fund and to make contributions toward hospital and medical

benefits coverage and prescription drug coverage under any health insurance program

and for any dental, vision, and long-term care benefits coverage under any insurance

program for eligible retired employees or surviving spouses of eligible retired

employees and their dependents as elected.

3. If a member terminates employment because of death, permanent and total disability,

or any voluntary or involuntary reason before retirement, the member or the member's

designated beneficiary is entitled to the member's account balance at termination. If a

member's account balance is withdrawn, the member relinquishes all rights to benefits

under the retiree health benefits fund.