Section 175.351 - Municipalities and special fire control districts that have their own retirement plans for firefightersIn order for a municipality or special fire control district that has its own retirement plan for firefighters, or for firefighters and police officers if both are included, to participate in the distribution of the tax fund established under s. 175.101, a local law plan must meet minimum benefits and minimum standards, except as provided in the mutual consent provisions in paragraph (1)(g) with respect to the minimum benefits not met as of October 1, 2012.
(1) If a municipality has a retirement plan for firefighters, or for firefighters and police officers if both are included, which in the opinion of the division meets minimum benefits and minimum standards, the board of trustees of the retirement plan must place the income from the premium tax in s. 175.101 in such plan for the sole and exclusive use of its firefighters, or for firefighters and police officers if both are included, where it shall become an integral part of that plan and be used to fund benefits as provided herein. Effective October 1, 2015, for noncollectively bargained service or upon entering into a collective bargaining agreement on or after July 1, 2015: (a) The base premium tax revenues must be used to fund minimum benefits or other retirement benefits in excess of the minimum benefits as determined by the municipality or special fire control district.(b) Of the additional premium tax revenues received that are in excess of the amount received for the 2012 calendar year, 50 percent must be used to fund minimum benefits or other retirement benefits in excess of the minimum benefits as determined by the municipality or special fire control district, and 50 percent must be placed in a defined contribution plan to fund special benefits.(c) Additional premium tax revenues not described in paragraph (b) must be used to fund benefits that are not included in the minimum benefits. If the additional premium tax revenues subject to this paragraph exceed the full annual cost of benefits provided through the plan which are in excess of the minimum benefits, any amount in excess of the full annual cost must be used as provided in paragraph (b).(d) Of any accumulations of additional premium tax revenues which have not been allocated to fund benefits in excess of the minimum benefits, 50 percent of the amount of the accumulations must be used to fund special benefits, and 50 percent must be applied to fund any unfunded actuarial liabilities of the plan; provided that any amount of accumulations in excess of the amount required to fund the unfunded actuarial liabilities must be used to fund special benefits.(e) For a plan created after March 1, 2015, 50 percent of the insurance premium tax revenues must be used to fund defined benefit plan component benefits, with the remainder used to fund defined contribution plan component benefits.(f) If a plan offers benefits in excess of the minimum benefits, such benefits, excluding supplemental plan benefits in effect as of September 30, 2014, may be reduced if the plan continues to meet minimum benefits and minimum standards. The amount of insurance premium tax revenues previously used to fund benefits in excess of minimum benefits before the reduction, excluding the amount of any additional premium tax revenues distributed to a supplemental plan for the 2012 calendar year, must be used as provided in paragraph (b). However, benefits in excess of minimum benefits may not be reduced if a plan does not meet the minimum percentage amount of 2.75 percent of the average final compensation of a full-time firefighter, as required by s. 175.162(2)(a)1., or provides an effective benefit that is below 2.75 percent as a result of a maximum benefit limitation as described in s. 175.162(2)(a)2.(g) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a)-(f), the use of premium tax revenues, including any accumulations of additional premium tax revenues which have not been allocated to fund benefits in excess of minimum benefits, may deviate from the provisions of this subsection by mutual consent of the members' collective bargaining representative or, if there is no representative, by a majority of the firefighter members of the fund, and by consent of the municipality or special fire control district, provided that the plan continues to meet minimum benefits and minimum standards; however, a plan that operates pursuant to this paragraph and does not meet minimum benefits as of October 1, 2012, may continue to provide the benefits that do not meet the minimum benefits at the same level as was provided as of October 1, 2012, and all other benefit levels must continue to meet the minimum benefits. Such mutually agreed deviation must continue until modified or revoked by subsequent mutual consent of the members' collective bargaining representative or, if none, by a majority of the firefighter members of the fund, and the municipality or special fire control district. An existing arrangement for the use of premium tax revenues contained within a special act plan or a plan within a supplemental plan municipality is considered, as of July 1, 2015, to be a deviation for which mutual consent has been granted.(2) The premium tax provided by this chapter must be used in its entirety to provide retirement benefits to firefighters, or to firefighters and police officers if both are included. Local law plans created by special act before May 27, 1939, are deemed to comply with this chapter.(3) A retirement plan or amendment to a retirement plan may not be proposed for adoption unless the proposed plan or amendment contains an actuarial estimate of the costs involved. Such proposed plan or proposed plan change may not be adopted without the approval of the municipality, special fire control district, or, where required, the Legislature. Copies of the proposed plan or proposed plan change and the actuarial impact statement of the proposed plan or proposed plan change shall be furnished to the division before the last public hearing on the proposal is held. Such statement must also indicate whether the proposed plan or proposed plan change is in compliance with s. 14, Art. X of the State Constitution and those provisions of part VII of chapter 112 which are not expressly provided in this chapter. Notwithstanding any other provision, only those local law plans created by special act of legislation before May 27, 1939, are deemed to meet minimum benefits and minimum standards.(4) Notwithstanding any other provision, with respect to any supplemental plan municipality: (a) A local law plan and a supplemental plan may continue to use their definition of compensation or salary in existence on March 12, 1999.(b) Section 175.061(1)(b) does not apply, and a local law plan and a supplemental plan shall continue to be administered by a board or boards of trustees numbered, constituted, and selected as the board or boards were numbered, constituted, and selected on December 1, 2000.(5) The retirement plan setting forth the benefits and the trust agreement, if any, covering the duties and responsibilities of the trustees and the regulations of the investment of funds must be in writing, and copies made available to the participants and to the general public.(6) In addition to the defined benefit plan component of the local law plan, each plan sponsor must have a defined contribution plan component within the local law plan by October 1, 2015, for noncollectively bargained service, upon entering into a collective bargaining agreement on or after July 1, 2015, or upon the creation date of a new participating plan. Depending upon the application of subsection (1), a defined contribution plan component may or may not receive any funding.(7) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a municipality or special fire control district that has implemented or proposed changes to a local law plan based on the municipality's or district's reliance on an interpretation of this chapter by the Department of Management Services on or after August 14, 2012, and before March 3, 2015, may continue the implemented changes or continue to implement proposed changes. Such reliance must be evidenced by a written collective bargaining proposal or agreement, or formal correspondence between the municipality or district and the Department of Management Services which describes the specific changes to the local law plan, with the initial proposal, agreement, or correspondence from the municipality or district dated before March 3, 2015. Changes to the local law plan which are otherwise contrary to minimum benefits and minimum standards may continue in effect until the earlier of October 1, 2018, or the effective date of a collective bargaining agreement that is contrary to the changes to the local law plan.s. 1, ch. 63-249; ss. 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 5, ch. 79-380; s. 21, ch. 81-168; s. 47, ch. 83-217; s. 20, ch. 86-41; s. 37, ch. 93-193; s. 933, ch. 95-147; s.35, ch. 99-1; s. 4, ch. 2002-66; s. 5, ch. 2004-21; s. 7, ch. 2011-216; s. 7, ch. 2015-39.Amended by 2015 Fla. Laws, ch. 39, s 7, eff. 7/1/2015.