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Committee told federal tax rules complicate adding volunteers to state retirement and health plans
Summary
The Emergency Response Services Committee heard that adding volunteer emergency responders or privately employed ambulance staff to the state's public safety retirement and health plans raises federal tax and ERISA risks; consultants recommended LOSAPs or targeted study of specific employer relationships before any law change.
The Emergency Response Services Committee heard detailed legal advice Thursday on whether volunteer firefighters and ambulance personnel could be enrolled in North Dakota's public safety retirement plan or health benefits.
Rebecca Fricke, executive director of the Public Employees Retirement System, told the panel PERS has limited plan options and that adding new groups raises federal tax and coverage issues. "If we hear from an employer group that would like to offer the PERS health insurance, we can only offer them non-grandfathered plans due to ACA requirements," she said.
Federal tax counsel from the firm Ice Miller said the defining issue is whether…
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