(40 ILCS 5/15-154) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-154)
Sec. 15-154. Refunds.
(a) A participant whose status as an employee is terminated, regardless of cause, or who has been on lay off status for more than 120 days, and who is not on leave of absence, is entitled to a refund of contributions upon application; except that not more than one such refund application may be made during any academic year.
Except as set forth in subsections (a-1) and (a-2), the refund shall be the sum of the accumulated normal, additional, and survivors insurance contributions, plus the entire contribution made by the participant under Section 15-113.3, less the amount of interest credited on these contributions each year in excess of 4 1/2% of the amount on which interest was calculated.
(a-1) A person who elects, in accordance with the requirements of Section 15-134.5, to participate in the portable benefit package and who becomes a participating employee under that retirement program upon the conclusion of the one-year waiting period applicable to the portable benefit package election shall have his or her refund calculated in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a-2).
(a-2) The refund payable to a participant described in subsection (a-1) shall be the sum of the participant's accumulated normal and additional contributions, as defined in Sections 15-116 and 15-117, plus the entire contribution made by the participant under Section 15-113.3. If the participant terminates with 5 or more years of service for employment as defined in Section 15-113.1, he or she shall also be entitled to a distribution of employer contributions in an amount equal to the sum of the accumulated normal and additional contributions, as defined in Sections 15-116 and 15-117.
(b) Upon acceptance of a refund, the participant forfeits all accrued rights and credits in the System, and if subsequently reemployed, the participant shall be considered a new employee subject to all the qualifying conditions for participation and eligibility for benefits applicable to new employees. If such person again becomes a participating employee and continues as such for 2 years, or is employed by an employer and participates for at least 2 years in the Federal Civil Service Retirement System, all such rights, credits, and previous status as a participant shall be restored upon repayment of the amount of the refund, together with compound interest thereon from the date the refund was received to the date of repayment at the rate of 6% per annum through August 31, 1982, and at the effective rates after that date. When a participant in the portable benefit package who received a refund which included a distribution of employer contributions repays a refund pursuant to this Section, one-half of the amount repaid shall be deemed the member's reinstated accumulated normal and additional contributions and the other half shall be allocated as an employer contribution to the System, except that any amount repaid for previously purchased military service credit under Section 15-113.3 shall be accounted for as such.
(c) If a participant covered under the traditional benefit package has made survivors insurance contributions, but has no survivors insurance beneficiary upon retirement, he or she shall be entitled to elect a refund of the accumulated survivors insurance contributions, or to elect an additional annuity the value of which is equal to the accumulated survivors insurance contributions. This election must be made prior to the date the person's retirement annuity is approved by the System.
(d) A participant, upon application, is entitled to a refund of his or her accumulated additional contributions attributable to the additional contributions described in the last sentence of subsection (c) of Section 15-157. Upon the acceptance of such a refund of accumulated additional contributions, the participant forfeits all rights and credits which may have accrued because of such contributions.
(e) A participant who terminates his or her employee status and elects to waive service credit under Section 15-154.2, is entitled to a refund of the accumulated normal, additional and survivors insurance contributions, if any, which were credited the participant for this service, or to an additional annuity the value of which is equal to the accumulated normal, additional and survivors insurance contributions, if any; except that not more than one such refund application may be made during any academic year. Upon acceptance of this refund, the participant forfeits all rights and credits accrued because of this service.
(f) If a police officer or firefighter receives a retirement annuity under Rule 1 or 3 of Section 15-136, he or she shall be entitled at retirement to a refund of the difference between his or her accumulated normal contributions and the normal contributions which would have accumulated had such person filed a waiver of the retirement formula provided by Rule 4 of Section 15-136.
(g) If, at the time of retirement, a participant would be entitled to a retirement annuity under Rule 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 of Section 15-136, or under Section 15-136.4, that exceeds the maximum specified in clause (1) of subsection (c) of Section 15-136, he or she shall be entitled to a refund of the employee contributions, if any, paid under Section 15-157 after the date upon which continuance of such contributions would have otherwise caused the retirement annuity to exceed this maximum, plus compound interest at the effective rates.
(Source: P.A. 92-16, eff. 6-28-01; 92-424, eff. 8-17-01; 93-347, eff. 7-24-03.)
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Last modified: February 18, 2015