SB 255 - This act provides that the Board of Trustees of the Firemen's Retirement System of St. Louis ("Board") shall not be prevented from simultaneously acting as the trustees of any other pension plan that provides retirement, disability, and death benefits for firefighters employed by St. Louis City. The administration of the other plan shall be in accordance with the terms of such plan. Additionally, the administration of the other plan includes the ability of the Board to establish rules and regulations for the administration of the plan's funds and for the transaction of the plan's business. The Board shall maintain separate records of all proceedings of the pension plan.

Furthermore, this act provides that the Board of Trustees shall have the authority and discretion to invest funds of the other pension plan in property of any kind. The Board may choose to invest the funds of the Firemen's Retirement System of St. Louis and the funds of the plan in the same investments if the amounts invested and the gains, profits, or losses are accounted for separately. No benefits due from the pension plan shall be paid from the funds of the System. Additionally, no expenses incurred by the Board in the administration of the other pension plan or in the investment of the other pension plan's funds shall be paid by the funds of the System. Finally, nothing in this act shall prevent the Board of Aldermen of St. Louis City from adopting ordinances relating to the pensioning of firefighters and their dependents in regards to other pension plans administered by the Board.

This act is identical to provisions in HCS/SS/SB 898 (2024) and SCS/SB 1404 (2024), is substantially similar to HB 205 (2025), provisions in the perfected HB 147 (2025), and in HCS/HB 532 (2025), and is similar to HB 1980 (2024), SB 349 (2021), and HB 1001 (2021).

KATIE O'BRIEN

Statutes affected:
Introduced (0579S.01): 87.140, 87.145, 87.155, 87.260, 87.350

Senate Committee Minutes:
SENATE COMMITTEE MINUTES Bill No.: SB 255
Sponsor: Roberts
Hearing Date: 2/24/2025


COMMITTEE: Local Government, Elections and Pensions

CHAIRMAN: Black

DATE REFERRED: 2/13/2025 DATE HEARING REQUESTED: 2/13/2025



STAFF:
Matt Choinka
Heidi Kolkmeyer
Josh Norgerg
Katie O'Brien
Scott Svagera


WITNESSES GIVING INFORMATION:



WITNESSES FOR:
John Brewer
Daniel Clark - St. Louis Fire Fighters Local 73
Demetris Alfred


WITNESSES AGAINST: