Virginia Code 15.2-1544: Counties, cities, towns, school divisions, and certain political subdivisions may establish local trusts or equivalent arrangements to fund postemployment benefits other than pensions
The governing body of any county, city, or town may establish a trust, trusts, or equivalent arrangements for the purpose of accumulating and investing assets to fund postemployment benefits other than pensions, as defined herein. Deposits to any such trust, trusts, or equivalent arrangements and any earnings on those deposits shall be irrevocable; shall be dedicated to providing benefits to retirees and their beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of the plans or programs providing postemployment benefits other than pensions; and shall be exempt from taxation and execution, attachment, garnishment, or any other process. For the purposes of this article, an equivalent arrangement shall mean any fund or similar arrangement established by the governing body pursuant to this article under which funds are irrevocably allocated, segregated, or otherwise dedicated to providing postemployment benefits other than pension benefits to retirees and their beneficiaries. The governing body of any such county, city, or town also may make appropriations to any such trust, trusts, or equivalent arrangements, and any such governing body may require active and former employees covered by a postemployment benefit plan or program to contribute to such a trust or equivalent arrangement through payments or deductions from their wages, salaries, or pensions. Officers and employees who are subject to inclusion in the retirement plans described in § 51.1-800 also may be included in any such trust, trusts, or equivalent arrangements by the governing body.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 15.2-1544
- 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.
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
- City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
- County: means any existing county or such unit hereafter created. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
- Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
- Governing body: means the board of supervisors of a county, council of a city, or council of a town, as the context may require. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
- Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
- Process: includes subpoenas, the summons and complaint in a civil action, and process in statutory actions. See Virginia Code 1-237
- Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July one, nineteen hundred seventy-one, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
The governing body also may authorize the governing body of any other political subdivision that is appointed in whole or in part by the governing body of such county, city, or town, to establish and fund a trust, trusts, or equivalent arrangements for its active and former employees. Any appointed or elected school board may establish and fund such a trust, trusts, or equivalent arrangements for its active and former employees. The governing body of any county, city, or town also may enter into agreements with the appointed or elected school board that provides public schools within its boundaries or with any other political subdivision, which is appointed in whole or in part by the governing body of any such county, city, or town, to permit any such school board or such other political subdivision to participate in any trust, trusts, or equivalent arrangements established by the governing body of any such county, city, or town.
The governing body of any such county, city, or town, the school board of the local school divisions, and the governing body of any other political subdivision that establishes or participates in any such trust, trusts, or equivalent arrangements, shall have the right to revise or discontinue its plans or programs providing such postemployment benefits other than pensions for its active and former officers and employees as it may deem necessary or transfer any assets held in any trust or equivalent arrangement established pursuant to this article to any other trust, trusts, or equivalent arrangement established pursuant to this article; provided, however, any amendment, suspension, or revocation of any plans or programs providing such postemployment benefits other than pensions or transfer of assets held in a trust or equivalent arrangement shall not have the effect of diverting the assets of any trust, trusts, or equivalent arrangements to purposes other than the exclusive benefit of the active or former employees or their dependents or beneficiaries entitled to such postemployment benefit. If all plans or programs providing such postemployment benefits other than pensions for which a trust or equivalent arrangement is established are repealed or terminated by the governing body that created such trust, trusts or equivalent arrangements, then there shall be no continuing responsibility for that governing body to continue to make appropriations to such trust, trusts or equivalent arrangements, and the assets of any such trust, trusts or equivalent arrangements shall be used to provide any benefits continuing to be due to active or former employees (and their dependents or beneficiaries) under such plans or programs. If there are no active or former employees (or dependents or beneficiaries) due a benefit under any plan or program providing such postemployment benefits other than pensions for which the trust or equivalent arrangement was established, then any remaining assets may revert to the locality.
2007, c. 710.