8. Commitments and Contingent Liabilities Components of the Company’s net periodic benefit costs are as follows (in millions): For fiscal 2000 and 1999, the weighted–average actu - arial assumptions used in determining the funded status information and net periodic benefit cost infor mation were: discount rate of 6.5% and 6.4%, expected r eturn on plan assets of 7.4% and 6.2% and rate of compensa - tion increase of 4.0% and 3.7%, r espectively. The future minimum rental payments for operating leases having initial or remaining non-cancelable lease terms  in excess of one year at June 30, 2000 ar e: 2001 – $47.0 million; 2002 – $34.3 million; 2003 – $27.7 mil - lion; 2004 – $23.3 million; 2005 – $18.7 million and 2006 and thereafter – $35.9 million.  In addition, the Company has enter ed into operating lease agreements with several banks for the constr uction of various new facilities. The initial ter ms of the lease agreements extend through May 2005, with optional  five-year renewal periods. In the event of ter mination,  the Company is required to either purchase the facility  or vacate the property and make reimbursement for  a portion of unrecovered property cost. The instruments provide for maximum fundings of $406.2 million, which is the total estimated cost of the constr uction projects.  As of June 30, 2000, the amount expended was  $279.9 million. Currently, the Company’s minimum annual lease payments under the agr eements are approxi- mately $18.8 million. Neither the facilities’ cost or the minimum annual lease payments are included in the future minimum rental payments disclosed above. Rental expense relating to operating leases was approximately $73.7 million, $69.6 million, and  $64.8 million in fiscal 2000, 1999 and 1998, r espec- tively. Sublease rental income was not material for any period presented herein. As of June 30, 2000, the Company has capital expen - diture commitments related primarily to plant expansions and facility acquisitions of approximately $18.0 million.  The Company and Whitmire Distribution Corporation (“Whitmire”), one of the Company’s wholly-owned sub- sidiaries, as well as other phar maceutical wholesalers, were named as defendants in a series of purpor ted class action lawsuits regarding the sale of brand name pr escrip- tion drugs which were later consolidated and transferred by the Judicial Panel for Multi-District Litigation to the United States District Court for the Northern District  of Illinois. On November 30, 1998, the Cour t ordered judgment as a matter of law in favor of the defendants. On September 30, 1996, Baxter Inter national, Inc. (“Baxter”) and its subsidiaries transferred to Allegiance and its subsidiaries their U.S. healthcar e distribution business, surgical and respiratory therapy business and healthcare cost-saving business, as well as cer tain foreign operations (the “Allegiance Business”) in connection  with a spin-off of the Allegiance Business by Baxter.  In connection with this spin-off, Allegiance, which was acquired by the Company on Febr uary 3, 1999, assumed the defense of litigation involving claims r elated to the Allegiance Business from Baxter Healthcare Corporation (“BHC”), including certain claims of alleged personal injuries as a result of exposure to natural rubber latex gloves. Allegiance will be defending and indemnifying BHC, as contemplated by the agr eements between Baxter and Allegiance, for all expenses and potential liabilities associated with claims pertaining to the litigation assumed by Allegiance. As of June 30, 2000, ther e were approxi- mately 533 lawsuits involving BHC and/or Allegiance containing allegations of sensitization to natural r ubber For the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2000 1999 1998 Components of net periodic benefit cost: Service cost $ 4.6 $ 6.5  $ 4.9  Interest cost 5.7 6.7  5.4  Expected return on plan assets (6.2) (6.9) (5.1) Amortization of actuarial loss 0.1 1.9  1.0  Amortization of transition  obligation 1.9 –  0.1  Amortization of prior  service cost – 0.3  – Net amount recognized $ 6.1 $ 8.5  $ 6.3 Cardinal Health, Inc. Annual Report 2000 45 On February 22, 2000, the United States Supr eme  Court denied the plaintiffs’ final attempt to appeal the ruling, refusing to grant the plaintiffs’ Petition for Writ  of Certiorari. The wholesaler defendants, including the Company and Whitmire, entered into a Judgment Sharing Agreement whereby the total exposure for the Company and its subsidiaries is limited to the lesser of $1 million  or 1% of any judgment against the wholesalers and the manufacturers and provides for a reimbursement mecha- nism for legal fees and expenses. The Company and Whitmire have also been named as defendants in a series of related antitrust lawsuits brought by chain drug stores and independent pharmacies who opted out of the federal class action lawsuits, and in a series of state cour t cases alleging similar claims under various state laws r egarding the sale of brand name pr escription drugs. The Judgment Sharing Agreement applies to these related cases as well.