Summaries / Status
Summary of Statement No. 78
Pensions Provided through Certain Multiple-Employer Defined Benefit Pension Plans
(Issued 12/15)
The objective of this Statement is to address a practice issue regarding the scope and applicability of Statement No. 68, Accounting and Financial Reporting for Pensions. This issue is associated with pensions provided through certain multiple-employer defined benefit pension plans and to state or local governmental employers whose employees are provided with such pensions.
Prior to the issuance of this Statement, the requirements of Statement 68 applied to the financial statements of all state and local governmental employers whose employees are provided with pensions through pension plans that are administered through trusts that meet the criteria in paragraph 4 of that Statement.
This Statement amends the scope and applicability of Statement 68 to exclude pensions provided to employees of state or local governmental employers through a cost-sharing multiple-employer defined benefit pension plan that (1) is not a state or local governmental pension plan, (2) is used to provide defined benefit pensions both to employees of state or local governmental employers and to employees of employers that are not state or local governmental employers, and (3) has no predominant state or local governmental employer (either individually or collectively with other state or local governmental employers that provide pensions through the pension plan). This Statement establishes requirements for recognition and measurement of pension expense, expenditures, and liabilities; note disclosures; and required supplementary information for pensions that have the characteristics described above.
Effective Date
The requirements of this Statement are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Earlier application is encouraged.
Unless otherwise specified, pronouncements of the GASB apply to financial reports of all state and local governmental entities, including general purpose governments; public benefit corporations and authorities; public employee retirement systems; and public utilities, hospitals and other healthcare providers, and colleges and universities. Paragraph 3 discusses the applicability of this Statement.