Benefit Plans

TVA sponsors a qualified defined benefit plan ("pension plan") that covers most of its full-time employees hired before July 1, 2014, a qualified defined contribution plan ("401(k) plan") that covers most of its full-time employees, two unfunded post-retirement health care plans that provide for non-vested contributions toward the cost of eligible retirees' medical coverage, other post-employment benefits, such as workers' compensation, and the SERP. The pension plan and the 401(k) plan are administered by a separate legal entity, the TVA Retirement System ("TVARS"), which is governed by its own board of directors.

The components of net periodic benefit cost and other amounts recognized as changes in regulatory assets for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, were as follows:



Components of TVA's Benefit Plans⁽¹⁾
	For the Three Months Ended June 30												For the Nine Months Ended June 30
	Pension Benefits						Other Post-Retirement Benefits						Pension Benefits						Other Post-Retirement Benefits
	2019			2018			2019			2018			2019			2018			2019			2018
Service cost	$	11		$	13		$	2		$	4		$	33		$	40		$	8		$	11
Interest cost	125			118			5			5			374			355			14			14
Expected return on plan assets	(119		)	(119		)	—			—			(358		)	(358		)	—			—
Amortization of prior service credit	(25		)	(25		)	(6		)	(5		)	(74		)	(74		)	(18		)	(16		)
Recognized net actuarial loss	84			103			1			1			252			307			3			5
Total net periodic benefit cost as actuarially determined	76			90			2			5			227			270			7			14
Amount expensed (capitalized) due to actions of regulator	—			(13		)	—			—			1			(40		)	—			—
Total net periodic benefit cost	$	76		$	77		$	2		$	5		$	228		$	230		$	7		$	14

Note

(1) The components of net benefit cost other than the service cost component are included in Other net periodic benefit cost in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

TVA's minimum required pension plan contribution for 2019 is $300 million. TVA contributes $25 million per month to TVARS and as of June 30, 2019, had contributed $225 million. The remaining $75 million will be contributed by September 30, 2019. For the nine months ended June 30, 2019, TVA also contributed $64 million to the 401(k) plan and $28 million (net of $3 million in rebates) to the other post-retirement plans. TVA has contributed $7 million to the SERP for the nine months ended June 30, 2019.