The board shall administer the plan in compliance with the following sections of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, as it applies for governmental plans.

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 39-03.1-11.2

  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Individual: means a human being. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
  • year: means twelve consecutive months. See North Dakota Code 1-01-33

1.    Section 415, including the defined benefit dollar limitation under section 415(b)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code.

a.    The defined benefit dollar limitation under section 415(b)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, as approved by the legislative assembly, must be adjusted under section 415(d) of the Internal Revenue Code, effective January first of each year following a regular legislative session. The adjustment of the defined benefit dollar limitation under section 415(d) applies to participating members who have had a separation from employment, but that member’s benefit payments may not reflect the adjusted limit prior to January first of the calendar year in which the adjustment applies.

b.    If a participating member’s benefit is increased by plan amendment after the commencement of benefit payments, the member’s annual benefit may not    exceed the defined benefit dollar limitation under section 415(b)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code, as adjusted under section 415(d) for the calendar year in which the increased benefit is payable.

c.    If a participating member is, or ever has been, a participant in another defined benefit plan maintained by the employer, the sum of the participant’s annual benefits from all the plans may not exceed the defined benefit dollar limitation under section 415(b)(1)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code. If the participating member’s employer-provided benefits under all such defined benefit plans would exceed the defined benefit dollar limitation, the benefit must be reduced to comply with section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code. This reduction must be made pro rata between the plans, in proportion to the participating member’s service in each plan.

2.    The minimum distribution rules under section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code, including the incidental death benefit requirements under section 401(a)(9)(G), and the regulations issued under that provision to the extent applicable to governmental plans.

Accordingly, benefits must be distributed or begin to be distributed no later than a member’s required beginning date, and the required minimum distribution rules override any inconsistent provision of this chapter. For a member who attains age seventy and one-half before January 1, 2020, the member’s required beginning date is April first of the calendar year following the later of the calendar year in which the member attains age seventy and one-half or terminates employment. For a member who attains age seventy and one-half after December 31, 2019, the member’s required beginning date is April first of the calendar year following the later of the calendar year in which the member attains age seventy-two or terminates employment.

3.    The annual compensation limitation under section 401(a)(17) of the Internal Revenue Code, as adjusted for cost-of-living increases under section 401(a)(17)(B).

4.    The rollover rules under section 401(a)(31) of the Internal Revenue Code. Accordingly, a distributee may elect to have an eligible rollover distribution, as defined in section 402(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, paid in a direct rollover to an eligible retirement plan, as defined in section 402(c)(8)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code, specified by the distributee. For purposes of this section, “distributee” includes a beneficiary, other than a spouse, of a deceased member, provided however, in the case of a beneficiary other than a spouse, the direct rollover may be made only to an individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity described in section 408 or 408A of the Internal Revenue Code which is established on behalf of the beneficiary and will be treated as an inherited individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity under section 402(c)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code.

5.    If the plan of retirement benefits set forth in this chapter is terminated or discontinued, the rights of all affected participating members to accrued retirement benefits under this chapter as of the date of termination or discontinuance is nonforfeitable, to the extent then funded.