19-20-602. Annuity savings fund -- member's contribution. The annuity savings fund is a fund in which the contributions for the members to provide for their retirement allowance or benefits must be accumulated in individual accounts for each member. The normal contribution of each member is 7.044% of the member's earned compensation. Contributions to and payments from the annuity savings fund must be made in the following manner:
     (1) (a) Each employer, pursuant to section 414(h)(2) of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended and applicable on July 1, 1985, shall pick up and pay the contributions that would be payable by the member under this section for service rendered after June 30, 1985.
     (b) The member's contributions picked up by the employer must be designated for all purposes of the retirement system as the member's contributions, except for the determination of a tax upon a distribution from the retirement system. These contributions must become part of the member's accumulated contributions but must be accounted for separately from those previously accumulated.
     (c) The member's contributions picked up by the employer must be payable from the same source as is used to pay compensation to the member and must be included in the member's earned compensation as defined in 19-20-101. The employer shall deduct from the member's compensation an amount equal to the amount of the member's contributions picked up by the employer and remit the total of the contributions to the retirement board.
     (d) The deductions must be made notwithstanding that the minimum compensation provided by law for a member may be reduced by the deductions. Each member is considered to consent to the deductions prescribed by this section, and payment of salary or compensation less the deductions is a complete discharge of all claims for the services rendered by the member during the period covered by the payment, except as to the benefits provided by the retirement system.
     (2) In addition to the normal contributions and subject to the approval of the retirement board, a member may redeposit in the annuity savings fund, by a single payment or by an increased rate of contribution, an amount equal to accumulated contributions that the member has previously withdrawn, plus interest in the amount the contributions would have earned had the contributions not been withdrawn.
     (3) The accumulated contributions of a member withdrawn by the member or paid to the member's estate or to the member's designated beneficiary in event of the member's death must be paid from the annuity savings fund. Upon the retirement of a member, the member's accumulated contributions must be transferred from the annuity savings fund to the pension accumulation fund.

     History: En. 75-6207 by Sec. 102, Ch. 5, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 57, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 422, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 507, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 26, L. 1975; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 127, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 331, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 443, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 75-6207(2); amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 198, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 527, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 464, L. 1985; Sec. 19-4-602, MCA 1991; redes. 19-20-602 by Code Commissioner, 1993; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 111, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 12, Ch. 442, L. 1997.