19-3-512. Qualification of service from other public retirement systems. (1) A member with 5 or more years of membership service in the public employees' retirement system may qualify:
     (a) public service employment covered under a public retirement system other than a system provided for in Title 19 for which the member received a refund of the member's membership contribution; and
     (b) public service employment that occurred before the public employer adopted a public retirement system.
     (2) A member may not qualify more than 5 years of service under this section. To qualify this service, a member shall:
     (a) at any time before retirement make a written election with the board to qualify the service; and
     (b) contribute to the pension trust fund the actuarial cost of granting the service in the public employees' retirement system, as determined by the board based on the most recent actuarial valuation of the system.
     (3) Contributions to qualify service under this section may be made in a lump-sum payment or by making additional contributions in installments as agreed upon by the member and the board.
     (4) Service qualified under this section may not be:
     (a) credited in any other retirement system under Title 19; or
     (b) used to qualify a member to purchase military service under 19-3-503.
     (5) Service qualified under this section may not be used in calculating a member's retirement benefit unless the member's last 5 years of service credit were earned under the public employees' retirement system. If a member's qualified service may not be used in calculating the member's retirement benefit, the member may choose to receive a refund of the accumulated contributions made to qualify the service.

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 11, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 196, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 62, Ch. 265, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 11, Ch. 287, L. 1997.