Memorandum  #6: Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 1st Quarter 2022

Date:	01/12/2022
Referenced Sources:	PERAC Website

PERAC Memo #6, 2022

To All Retirement Boards:

TO:                 All Retirement Boards

FROM:           John Parsons, Esq., Executive Director

RE:                 Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 1st Quarter 2022

DATE:            January 12, 2022

 

Chapter 32 mandates retirement board members to complete training during each year of service on the retirement board. This requirement has two elements: 18 credits over the course of the member’s term and at least 3 credits in each year of the term. Failure to meet either of these statutory standards will prohibit the member from serving beyond the conclusion of the term for which the training requirement was not met. We urge board members to utilize the full array of training choices in order to remain eligible to serve. All classes, webinars, seminars, and conferences listed will earn three credits each unless otherwise noted.

In light of recent issues we have come across, we are offering two new sessions this quarter, Cybersecurity Training & Internal Control Plan Development offered in collaboration with the State Comptroller and the State Police. We strongly encourage all board members and staff to attend these trainings which will be offered in February and March respectively. We will send out an email when these dates have been confirmed.

Ways to receive your credits:

• Credits for attending live PERAC webinars are updated by PERAC staff approximately one week after the event.
  • All attendees must register through the links available on our website.
  • Board members seeking educational credits – it is important that you register with your full name and the email address we have on record so we can accurately update your account.
• Viewing a recorded session requires a Training Affidavit, which must be submitted through PROSPER.
• If a Certificate of Completion is offered for any training not directly provided by PERAC, you must submit the certificate through PROSPER to receive credit.
• You must submit a completed Training Affidavit in PROSPER for all other trainings, including pre-recorded PERAC webinars and pre-approved webinar and conference attendance. Any session listed under sections I, II, and III are pre-approved.

The Commission would be remiss if we did not thank all the members of the retirement boards who are making a good faith effort to fulfill their duties and responsibilities throughout this prolonged pandemic. Dependent on official guidance, we may resume in-person sessions later this year.

I. Training Schedule Dates (pre-registration is required)

Date	Topic/Organization	Location / Registration Information
January 18	NCPERS 2022 State & Federal Legislation	Webinar
1:00 p.m.	National Conference of Public Employee Retirement Systems	tinyurl.com/0118-ncpers
January 26	Open Meeting Law	Webinar
9:30 a.m.	AGO	tinyurl.com/0126-AGO
January 27	Conflict of Interest Law Training*	Webinar
10:00 a.m.	State Ethics Commission	tinyurl.com/0127-ethics
February 8	Open Meeting Law	Webinar
12:30 p.m.	AGO	tinyurl.com/0208-OML
February	Cybersecurity Training**	Webinar
Date TBD	MA Comptroller / State Police
February 16	Open Meeting Law	Webinar
9:30 a.m.	AGO	tinyurl.com/0216-AGO
February 26-28	NASRA Winter Meeting (Washington D.C.)	In-person Conference
	National Association of State Retirement Administrators	NASRA.org/meetings
March 10	Preparing the Annual Statement & Cash Books | Submitting SFI in PROSPER***	Webinar
10:00 a.m.	PERAC	tinyurl.com/0310-PERAC
March 24	Conflict of Interest Law Training*	Webinar
10:00 a.m.	State Ethics Commission	tinyurl.com/0324-ETHICS
March	Internal Control Plan Training**	Webinar
Date TBD	MA Comptroller

*Board members must complete the Conflict of Interest Law training at least once every two years, however, the live session may be taken for credit every year.  A certificate of completion is required to receive credit for the Conflict of Interest training.

**We will send out an email when these events have been confirmed.
***This live event will be recorded and available to view on demand at a later date.

II. Recently Added PERAC Produced Online Training (available on demand)

Topics

Recent Cases of Interest (Winter 2021)

Additional recorded webinars presented by PERAC are available on the website.

III. Other Recently Added or Recurring Pre-Approved Online Training
(available on demand)

Organization	Topic	How to find webinar:
State Ethics Commission	Conflict of Interest Law* select either State and County or Municipal links	https://go.usa.gov/xpPxD and view appropriate webinar
Office of the Inspector General	Inspector General Videos You must watch all three videos	mass.gov/info-details/inspector-general-educational-videos
Office of the Attorney General	Open Meeting Law Training You must watch all six videos	https://go.usa.gov/xpPx5
National Council on Teacher Retirement	New Webinars Added: IRS Withholding Form W-4P	See our website for the links: mass.gov/info-details/perac-online-training

 

Links to all of the above webinars can be found on PERAC’s Education page at
mass.gov/perac-education.

* Board members must complete the Conflict of Interest Law training once every two years.
A certificate of completion is required to receive credit for the Conflict of Interest training. Credit for the recorded session may only be awarded once every two years.

 

IV. Other Opportunities to Obtain Educational Credit

The Commission is willing to approve other educational credits for a variety of events sponsored by “…local, state, regional and national organizations recognized by the Commission as having expertise in retirement issues of importance to retirement board members or other entities…”.

Additionally, the Commission has approved education credit for participating in webinars.  In 2022, we will again entertain requests for credit in relation to relevant webinars provided that such a request is made well in advance of the session.

Approval for credit must take place well in advance of the date of the event or webinar.  This will enable the Commission to analyze the program and provide a general notice to other retirement board members to maximize participation. Once approved, you must complete the Training Affidavit in PROSPER to ensure proper credit. Board members experiencing Extenuating Circumstances in meeting educational requirements should review Memo 15 of 2019 and contact PERAC with any questions.   

The following list of local and national organizations provide additional educational opportunities that may be relevant for retirement board members:

• American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA)
• City/Town Sponsored Conflict of Interest or Open Meeting Law Training
• Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)
• International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP)
• MA Association of School Committees Open Meeting Law Training
• MA Town Clerks Association Ethics Training
• National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA)
• National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS)
• National Council on Teacher Retirement (NCTR)
• National Pension Education Association (NPEA)

Commission Members:

Philip Y Brown, Esq., Chairman
Auditor Suzanne M. Bump
Kathleen M. Fallon
Kate Fitzpatrick
James M. Machado
Richard MacKinnon, Jr.
Jennifer F. Sullivan