Council Amends Pension Plan to Adhere to the Heart Act

The Hazelwood City Council has heart. It passed an amendment to its retirement plan which brings it line with the Heart Act (Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act).

The Heart Act states that if a pension participant enters the military service and dies while in service, that military service time will be counted under the plan toward vested service to determine eligibility for death benefits.

City Manager Edwin Carlstrom said a similar change has already been made to the employees’ retirement plan.

Essentially, employers will be required to treat workers as if they were rehired the day before they died or became disabled thereby ensuring the worker was covered by the plan at the time of death or disability, according to the Pension Rights Center.

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