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Mandatory and optional membership - 71 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5301

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                                CHAPTER 53
                 MEMBERSHIP, CREDITED SERVICE, CLASSES OF
                  SERVICE, AND ELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS

     Sec.
     5301.  Mandatory and optional membership.
     5302.  Credited State service.
     5303.  Retention and reinstatement of service credits.
     5303.1. Election to convert county service to State service.
     5303.2. Election to convert school service to State service.
     5304.  Creditable nonstate service.
     5305.  Social security integration credits.
     5305.1. Eligibility for actuarial increase factor.
     5306.  Classes of service.
     5306.1. Election to become a Class AA member.
     5306.2. Elections by members of the General Assembly.
     5307.  Eligibility points.
     5308.  Eligibility for annuities.
     5308.1. Eligibility for special early retirement.
     5308.2. Eligibility for limited early retirement.
     5309.  Eligibility for vesting.
     5309.1. Eligibility for special vesting.
     5310.  Eligibility for death benefits.
     5311.  Eligibility for refunds.

        Enactment.  Chapter 53 was added March 1, 1974, P.L.125,
     No.31, effective immediately.
     § 5301.  Mandatory and optional membership.
        (a)  Mandatory membership.--Membership in the system shall be
     mandatory as of the effective date of employment for all State
     employees except the following:
            (1)  Governor.
            (2)  Lieutenant Governor.
            (3)  Members of the General Assembly.
            (4)  Heads or deputy heads of administrative departments.
            (5)  Members of any independent administrative board or
        commission.
            (6)  Members of any departmental board or commission.
            (7)  Members of any advisory board or commission.
            (8)  Secretary to the Governor.
            (9)  Budget Secretary.
            (10)  Legislative employees.
            (11)  School employees who have elected membership in the
        Public School Employees' Retirement System.
            (12)  School employees who have elected membership in an
        independent retirement program approved by the employer,
        provided that in no case, except as hereinafter provided,
        shall the employer contribute on account of such elected
        membership at a rate greater than the employer normal
        contribution rate as determined in section 5508(b) (relating
        to actuarial cost method). For the fiscal year 1986-1987 an
        employer may contribute on account of such elected membership
        at a rate which is the greater of 7% or the employer normal
        contribution rate as determined in section 5508(b) and for
        the fiscal year 1992-1993 and all years after that at a rate
        of 9.29%.
            (13)  Persons who have elected to retain membership in
        the retirement system of the political subdivision by which
        they were employed prior to becoming eligible for membership
        in the State Employees' Retirement System.
            (14)  Persons who are not members of the system and are
        employed on a per diem or hourly basis for less than 100 days
        or 750 hours in a 12-month period.
            (15)  Employees of the Philadelphia Regional Port
        Authority who have elected to retain membership in the
        pension plan or retirement system in which they were enrolled
        as employees of the predecessor Philadelphia Port Corporation
        prior to the creation of the Philadelphia Regional Port
        Authority.
            (16)  Employees of the Juvenile Court Judges' Commission
        who, before the effective date of this paragraph, were
        transferred from the State System of Higher Education to the
        Juvenile Court Judges' Commission as a result of an
        interagency transfer of staff approved by the Office of
        Administration and who, while employees of the State System
        of Higher Education, had elected membership in an independent
        retirement program approved by the employer.
        (b)  Optional membership.--The State employees listed in
     subsection (a)(1) through (11) shall have the right to elect
     membership in the system; once such election is exercised,
     membership shall continue until the termination of State
     service.
        (c)  Prohibited membership.--The State employees listed in
     subsection (a)(12), (13), (14) and (15) shall not have the right
     to elect membership in the system.
        (d)  Return to service.--An annuitant who returns to service
     as a State employee shall resume active membership in the system
     as of the effective date of employment, except as otherwise
     provided in section 5706(a) (relating to termination of
     annuities), regardless of the optional membership category of
     the position.
        (e)  Election prohibited.--Notwithstanding subsections
     (a)(13) and (c), county employees who are transferred to State
     employment and become State employees pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. §
     1905 (relating to county-level court administrators) shall not
     have the election to remain a contributor in the retirement
     system or pension plan of the county by which they were employed
     prior to becoming eligible for membership in the State
     Employees' Retirement System. Such employees shall be mandatory
     members of the system provided they are otherwise eligible and
     unless they are eligible for optional membership pursuant to
     subsections (a)(1) through (11) and (b) or prohibited membership
     pursuant to subsections (a)(14) and (c).
        (f)  Additional optional membership.--The State employees
     listed in subsection (a)(16) shall be mandatory members of the
     system as of the effective date of employment with the Juvenile
     Court Judges' Commission unless they elect membership in an
     independent retirement program approved by the Juvenile Court
     Judges' Commission. Employees who elect membership in an
     independent retirement program approved by the Juvenile Court
     Judges' Commission shall be prohibited from being active members
     in the system while employed by the Juvenile Court Judges'
     Commission. If an employee described in this subsection becomes
     a State employee with an employer other than the Juvenile Court
     Judges' Commission, then membership for that employee shall be
     determined as otherwise provided for in this part. The election
     of membership in the independent retirement program approved by
     the Juvenile Court Judges' Commission must be made by the
     transferred employee filing written notice with the employer
     while a State employee no later than 90 days after the effective
     date of this subsection. Upon receipt of such an election, the
     Juvenile Court Judges' Commission shall certify the election to
     the board and the independent retirement program.
     (Oct. 7, 1975, P.L.348, No.101, eff. imd.; Mar. 4, 1982,
     P.L.141, No.45, eff. imd.; Dec. 15, 1986, P.L.1597, No.176, eff.
     imd.; Oct. 30, 1987, P.L.380, No.78, eff. imd.; Aug. 5, 1991,
     P.L.183, No.23, eff. imd.; Nov. 30, 1992, P.L.737, No.112, eff.
     imd.; June 22, 1999, P.L.75, No.12, eff. imd.; Apr. 23, 2002,
     P.L.272, No.38, eff. imd.)

        2002 Amendment.  Act 38 added subsecs. (a)(16) and (f).
        1999 Amendment.  Act 12 added subsec. (e). See sections 19
     and 22(b) of Act 12 in the appendix to this title for special
     provisions relating to required membership in State Employees'
     Retirement System and contributions left in county retirement
     system.
        1992 Amendment.  Act 112 amended subsec. (a)(12). See section
     5 of Act 112 in the appendix to this title for special
     provisions relating to annual employer contribution rates to
     optional alternate retirement programs.
        1991 Amendment.  Act 23 amended subsecs. (a) and (c).
        1982 Amendment.  Act 45 added subsec. (d).
        Special Provisions in Appendix.  See sections 2 and 3 of Act
     78 of 1987 in the appendix to this title for special provisions
     relating to annual employer contribution rates to optional
     alternate retirement programs and effective date and
     retroactivity.
        Cross References.  Section 5301 is referred to in sections
     5303, 5303.2, 5304, 5306, 5701.1 of this title.
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Last modified: November 27, 2007