Montana

Overview

Montana has two state retirement systems that account for nearly all employees of the state and its political subdivisions. The Montana Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) provides retirement and other benefits to teachers, administrators, and other skilled public education employees. General employees of schools and school districts participate in the Public Employees Retirement System.

The Montana Public Employees’ Retirement Administration (PERA) board oversees nine separate retirement plans, one Other Employee Benefit plan (457(b)), and one Other Post Employment Benefit (OPEB) plan, as follows:

  • Public Employees' Retirement System - Defined Benefit Retirement Plan
  • Judges' Retirement System
  • Highway Patrol Officers' Retirement System
  • Sheriffs' Retirement System
  • Game Wardens' and Peace Officers' Retirement System
  • Municipal Police Officers' Retirement System
  • Firefighters' Unified Retirement System
  • Volunteer Firefighters' Compensation Act
  • Public Employees' Retirement System-Defined Contribution Retirement Plan
  • Deferred Compensation (457(b)) Plan
  • Public Employees' Retirement System - DCRP Disability OPEB

The Montana Board of Investments is responsible for managing assets of the MT PERA and MT TRS.

In addition to two state retirement systems, local governments in the state sponsor more than 90 small firefighter retirement plans.

Plan Design

Most employees of state and local government in Montana participate in a traditional defined benefit plan. All new hires by PERA employers since 2003 may elect to participate in an optional defined contribution plan in lieu of the traditional defined benefit plan. As of FY 23, approximately 10 percent of PERA participants are in the DC plan.

According to the US Government Accountability Office, 95 percent of employees of state and local government in Montana participate in Social Security.

Access plan design detail

Authorizing Statutes and Board Structure

Montana Code § 2-15-1009 establishes the PERA board.

Montana Code § 2-15-1010 establishes the TRB board.

Montana Code §2-15-1808 establishes the Board of Investments, which operates as part of the state Department of Commerce.

Montana Code Title 19 provides for retirement system provisions and operations in the state.

Fiduciary Duty/Prudence Standard

Montana Code §17-6-201 describes the investment standard of care for the Board of Investment, as follows:
Unified investment program -- general provisions. (1) The unified investment program directed by Article VIII, section 13, of the Montana constitution to be provided for public funds must be administered by the board of investments in accordance with the prudent expert principle, which requires an investment manager to:

(a) discharge the duties with the care, skill, prudence, and diligence, under the circumstances then prevailing, that a prudent person acting in a like capacity with the same resources and familiar with like matters exercises in the conduct of an enterprise of a like character with like aims;

(b) diversify the holdings of each fund within the unified investment program to minimize the risk of loss and to maximize the rate of return unless, under the circumstances, it is clearly prudent not to do so; and

(c) discharge the duties solely in the interest of and for the benefit of the funds forming the unified investment program.
 

Legal Protections of Retirement Benefits

No explicit constitutional protection for public pension benefits, but courts provide protection based on impairment of contract principles, protected by Article 2, §31 of the Montana Constitution. Baumgardner v. Public Employees' Retirement Bd. of State, 119 P.3d 77 (Mont. 2005) (statute that changed the method for calculating retirement benefits was unconstitutional impairment); Gulbrandson v. Carey, 901 P.2d 573 (Mont. 1995) (recognizing that terms of pension contract are determined by the statutes in effect at the time of retirement). (MT CONST., Article 2, §31) Source: Robert Klausner, Esq., State Constitutional Protections for Public Sector Retirement Benefits
 

See also the following search tools:

Retirement System Account Interest Policies Economic Actuarial Assumptions Retirement and Investment Board Characteristics
Information about interest rates applied to account balances of inactive plan participants Assumed rates of investment return and inflation Composition and characteristics of public retirement and investment oversight boards
Mortality Assumptions Plan Design Features Post-retirement Employment Policies
Public retirement system actuarial assumptions for mortality Numerous elements of retirement plan design Policies governing return-to-work for retirement system annuitants

More Data

Flag of Montana (December 17, 1981)

Population (2023) 1,132,812

Montana public pension statistics, per U.S. Census Bureau as of FY 2023

Assets

$14.2 billion

Active Members

57,031

Annuitants

48,972

Benefits Paid

$1.1 billion

Employee Contributions

$239.2 million

Employer Contributions

$422.9 million

Systems

Two state retirement systems that cover nearly all public employees in the state; more than 90 local governments sponsor small retirement plans for firefighters.

Other Resources


Become A Member

Becoming a member of NASRA offers a unique opportunity to join a community committed to the sound, efficient, and innovative stewardship of public retirement systems. Membership connects you with a network of professionals and experts, providing valuable insights into managing public retirement systems with a focus on sustainability and risk-averse strategies.

By joining NASRA, you gain the tools and resources to enhance the management of public retirement systems, ensuring their long-term success and reliability for generations to come.


 

What's New at NASRA: Commentary on Short Term Market Volatility and Public Pension Plans

NASRA recently published (April 16, 2025) a commentary on short term investment market volatility and public pensions. Although headlines may focus on daily or weekly market fluctuations, short-term declines should be viewed in the context of public pension funds’ long-term, disciplined approach to investing. Public pension funds are managed with a long-term focus. These funds are overseen by professional investors who follow disciplined strategies rather than reacting to daily market fluctuations. Their portfolios are highly diversified to reduce risk, and most use tools such as asset smoothing to limit the impact of market swings and help maintain stable funding over time.