On December 22, 1973, the National Assembly adopted an act (S.Q., 1973, c. 12) that created the Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan (RREGOP) and established the Commission administrative du régime de retraite (CARR) to administer it.
The act, which was retroactive to July 1, 1973, also authorized CARR to administer any other pension or insurance plan entrusted to it by statute or by order in council. Gradually, CARR therefore took over the administration of the Civil Service Superannuation Plan (CSSP), the Teachers Pension Plan (TPP), the Pension Plan of Certain Teachers (PPCT) and others.
Bill 21, which came into effect on July 1, 1983, changed CARR’s name, among other things. Henceforth, the commission would be known as the Commission administrative des régimes de retraite et d’assurances (CARRA)
Under this legislation, CARRA was given two additional responsibilities: administering the basic life insurance plan in force in the public and parapublic sectors and helping employers administer the various basic salary insurance plans provided for in the collective agreements. Employers maintained full responsibility for the administration of these salary insurance plans, however.
On June 13, 1995, CARRA became the first autonomous service unit in the public service. The adoption of this new results-based management framework was consistent with the Québec government’s overall goal of accountability.
In December 1996, the National Assembly adopted Bill 73, which amended CARRA’s status and the method of financing it, retroactively to April 1, 1996. Administrative expenses for RREGOP and the Pension Plan of Management Personnel (PPMP) would henceforth be paid in equal portions by the plan members and by the government. CARRA thus became a non-budgetary organization, since its budget was no longer voted by the National Assembly.
These amendments also affected CARRA’s role, since it was mandated to administer only the pension plans. Activities related to salary insurance and group insurance agreements became the responsibility of the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor. However, CARRA continued to administer the basic life insurance plan.
On March 25, 2003, CARRA renewed its commitment with respect to its performance by amending its statute to become a government agency bound by a performance and accountability agreement in accordance with the Public Administration Act.
Effective June 1, 2007, the
Act respecting the Commission administrative des régimes de retraite
et d’assurances 
amends CARRA’s administrative organization to create
a board of directors and four committees: an audit committee, a governance
and ethics committee, a human resources committee and a client services
committee. The Act also specifies certain functions of the board of directors.
CARRA administers the largest number of pension plans in Canada. It currently administers close to 30 supplemental and excess benefit pension plans, the two main ones being the Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan (RREGOP) and the Pension Plan of Management Personnel (PPMP).
The vast majority of CARRA’s clientele work in the public service, the education network or the health and social services network. It is comprised of 554 998 active members, 496 601 non-active members and 301 905 beneficiaries, of which 274 309 are retirees.
