§ 54-52.1-03.2 — Retiree health benefits fund - Appropriation

North Dakota § 54-52.1-03.2

• Jurisdiction: North Dakota
• Title 54: State Government
• Ch. 54-52.1: Uniform Group Insurance Program

Text

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
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.