Subdivision 1. Payments. (a) The commissioner must make payments to the Public Employees Retirement Association for deposit in the voluntary statewide volunteer firefighter retirement fund on behalf of a municipality or independent nonprofit firefighting corporation that is a member of the voluntary statewide volunteer firefighter retirement plan under chapter 353G, or directly to a municipality or county designated by an independent nonprofit firefighting corporation. The payment is equal to the amount of fire state aid apportioned to the applicable fire state aid recipient under section 477B.03.

(b) Fire state aid is payable on October 1 annually. The amount of state aid due and not paid by October 1 accrues interest payable to the recipient at the rate of one percent for each month or part of a month that the amount remains unpaid after October 1.

(c) The interest under paragraph (b) does not apply when payment has not been made by October 1 due to noncompliance with sections 424A.014 and 477B.02, subdivision 7.

Subd. 2. Appropriation. The amount necessary to make the payments under this section and section 477B.03 is annually appropriated to the commissioner from the general fund.

Subd. 3. Deposit of state aid. (a) If the municipality or the independent nonprofit firefighting corporation is covered by the voluntary statewide volunteer firefighter retirement plan under chapter 353G, the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association must credit the fire state aid against future municipal contribution requirements under section 353G.08 and must notify the municipality or the independent nonprofit firefighting corporation of the fire state aid so credited at least annually.

(b) If the municipality or the independent nonprofit firefighting corporation is not covered by the voluntary statewide volunteer firefighter retirement plan, the treasurer of the municipality must, within 30 days after receipt, transmit the fire state aid to the treasurer of the duly incorporated firefighters' relief association if there is one organized and the association has filed a financial report with the municipality pursuant to section 424A.014, subdivision 1 or 2, whichever applies. If the relief association has not filed a financial report with the municipality, the treasurer of the municipality must delay transmission of the fire state aid to the relief association until the complete financial report is filed.

(c) The treasurer of the municipality must deposit the fire state aid money in the municipal treasury if (1) the municipality or independent nonprofit firefighting corporation is not covered by the voluntary statewide volunteer firefighter retirement plan, (2) there is no relief association organized, (3) the association has dissolved, or (4) the association has been removed as trustees of state aid. The money may be disbursed from the municipal treasury only for the purposes and in the manner set forth in section 424A.08 or for the payment of the employer contribution requirement with respect to firefighters covered by the public employees police and fire retirement plan under section 353.65, subdivision 3.

History: 1Sp2019 c 6 art 19 s 4

NOTE: This section, as added by Laws 2019, First Special Session chapter 6, article 19, section 4, is effective for aids payable in 2020 and thereafter. Laws 2019, First Special Session chapter 6, article 19, section 4, the effective date.