§ 1944b — Retired Teachers’ Health and Medical Benefits Fund

(a) There is established the Retired Teachers’ Health and Medical Benefits Fund (Benefits Fund) to pay retiree postemployment benefits when due in accordance with the terms established by the Board of Trustees of the State Teachers’ Retirement System of Vermont pursuant to subsection 1942(p) and section 1944e of this title. The Benefits Fund is intended to comply with and be a tax exempt governmental trust under Section 115 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Benefits Fund shall be administered by the Treasurer.
(b) The Benefits Fund shall consist of:
(1) all monies remitted to the State on behalf of the members of the State Teachers’ Retirement System of Vermont for prescription drug plans, including manufacturer rebates, as well as monies pursuant to the Employer Group Waiver Plan with Wrap pursuant to the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003;
(2) any monies appropriated by the General Assembly for the purpose of paying postemployment benefits for retired members and their dependents provided by subsection 1942(p) and section 1944e of this title;
(3) any monies pursuant to subsection (h) of this section; and
(4) [Repealed.]
(5) any monies pursuant to section 1944d of this title.
(c) No employee contributions shall be deposited in the Benefits Fund.
(d) The Treasurer may invest monies in the Benefits Fund in accordance with the provisions of 32 V.S.A. § 434 or, in the alternative, may enter into an agreement with the Vermont Pension Investment Commission to invest such monies in accordance with the standards of care established by the prudent investor rule under 14A V.S.A. § 902, in a manner similar to the Commission’s investment of retirement system monies. Interest earned shall remain in the Benefits Fund, and all balances remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall be carried over to the following year. The Treasurer’s annual financial report to the Governor and the General Assembly shall contain an accounting of receipts, disbursements, and earnings of the Benefits Fund.
(e) [Repealed.]
(f) Contributions to the Benefits Fund shall be irrevocable and it shall be impossible at any time prior to the satisfaction of all liabilities, with respect to employees and their beneficiaries, for any part of the corpus or income of the Benefits Fund to be used for, or diverted to, purposes other than the payment of retiree postemployment benefits to members and their beneficiaries and reasonable expenses of administering the Benefits Fund and related benefit plans.
(g) [Repealed.]
(h) State contribution.
(1) Beginning on July 1, 2022, and annually thereafter, the State shall make annual contributions to the Benefits Fund known as the “normal contribution” and the “accrued liability contribution,” each of which shall be fixed on the basis of the liabilities of the System as shown by the most recent actuarial valuation and made by separate appropriation in the annual budget enacted by the General Assembly:
(A) The “normal contribution” shall be the amount that, if contributed over each member’s prospective period of service, will be sufficient to provide for the payment of all future retiree postemployment benefits after subtracting the unfunded actuarial liability and the total assets of the Benefits Fund. The “normal cost” shall be identified using the actuarial cost method known as “projected unit credit” and applying a rate of return equal to the most recently adopted actuarial rate of return pursuant to 3 V.S.A. § 523.
(B) The “accrued liability contribution” shall be the annual payment set forth in the most recent actuarial valuation that is necessary to liquidate the unfunded accrued liability over a closed period of 26 years and determined based on the funding schedule set forth in this section.
(i) It is the policy of the State of Vermont to liquidate fully the unfunded accrued liability for the payment of retiree postemployment benefits.
(ii) Beginning on July 1, 2022, until the unfunded accrued liability is liquidated, the accrued liability contribution shall be the annual payment required to liquidate the unfunded accrued liability over a closed period of 26 years ending on June 30, 2048, provided that the amount of each annual basic accrued liability contribution shall be determined by amortization of the unfunded liability over the remainder of the closed 26-year period in installments.
(2) Any variation in the contribution of normal or accrued liability contributions from those recommended by the actuary and any actuarial gains and losses shall be added or subtracted to the unfunded accrued liability and amortized over the remainder of the closed 26-year period.
(3) The Board shall review annually the amount of State contributions recommended by the actuary of the Retirement System. Based on this review, the Board shall determine the amount of State contribution necessary for the next fiscal year to achieve and preserve the financial integrity of the funds. On or before December 15 of each year, the Board shall inform the Governor and the House and Senate Committees on Government Operations and on Appropriations in writing about the amount needed. The provisions of 2 V.S.A. § 20(d) (expiration of required reports) shall not apply to the report to be made under this subsection. (Added 2013, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § E.514.1; amended 2015, No. 114 (Adj. Sess.), § 6; 2017, No. 85, § E.515.1; 2017, No. 165 (Adj. Sess.), § 19; 2019, No. 6, § 90, eff. April 22, 2019; 2019, No. 120 (Adj. Sess.), § A.38, eff. June 30, 2020; 2021, No. 114 (Adj. Sess.), § 24, eff. July 1, 2022.)