Subtitle 3 – Plan Membership
Current through 2026-07-17. Source: City of Balt., Md., Ord. 26-129. Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference.
Balt., Md., Code art. 22A, § 3-1 (2026)
§ 3-1 Membership mandatory.LinkCopy Citation
Every employee who is initially employed or reemployed by a participating employer on or July 1, 2014, must, as a condition of that employment, become either a hybrid member or a non-hybrid member of the Retirement Savings Plan.
History: Ord. 14-216
Balt., Md., Code art. 22A, § 3-2 (2026)
§ 3-2 Commencement of participation.LinkCopy Citation
(a)Initial employment on or after July 1, 2014.
An employee initially employed by a participating employer on or after July 1, 2014, must make an election under City Code <cite data-path="|22|§9">Article 22, § 9</cite>.1, and, based on that election, will commence participation in the Plan as follows:
(i)
A hybrid member will commence participation on the 1<sup>st</sup> anniversary of the date on which his or her initial employment began.
(ii)
A non-hybrid member will commence participation on the 180<sup>th</sup> day after the date on which his or her initial employment began.
(b)Preemployment if initially employed before July 1, 2014.
(1)Prior employment terminated after earning vested benefit.
An employee who was employed by a participating employer before July 1, 2014, and who, after having terminated that employment with a vested benefit under a City retirement plan, is reemployed by that or another participating employer on or after July 1, 2014, automatically commences participation in the Plan as a non-hybrid member on the 30<sup>th</sup> day after the date of reemployment.
(2)Prior employment terminated before earning vested benefit.
An employee who was employed by a participating employer before July 1, 2014, and who, after having terminated that employment before earning a vested benefit under a City retirement plan, is reemployed by that or another participating employer on or after July 1, 2014, must make an election under City Code <cite data-path="|22|§9">Article 22, § 9</cite>.1, and, based on that election, will commence participation as a hybrid member or a non-hybrid member on the date provided in subsection (a) of this section.
(c)Breaks in service.
A Plan member who terminates employment with a participating employer and is subsequently reemployed by that or another participating employer will recommence participation in the Plan as a hybrid member or a non-hybrid member, based on his or her previous election under City Code <cite data-path="|22|§9">Article 22, § 9</cite>.1, on the 30<sup>th</sup> day after the date on which his or her reemployment began.
History: Ord. 14-216
History: Ord. 20-458
Balt., Md., Code art. 22A, § 3-3 (2026)
§ 3-3 Dual memberships precluded.LinkCopy Citation
(a)In general.
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a member of the Retirement Savings Plan may not, while a member of the Retirement Savings Plan, make contributions to, receive benefits from, or accrue service credit under any other City retirement plan.
(b)Exceptions.
Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to participation by a hybrid member of the Retirement Savings Plan as a Class D member of the Employees’ Retirement System.
(c)Membership in Plan after participation in other City plan.
(1)Scope of subsection.
This subsection applies to a person who:
(i)
as a member of any other City retirement plan, becomes eligible for a retirement benefit from that other plan; and
(ii)
either:
(A)
after terminating employment or exiting elected office and having begun to receive that benefit, becomes an employee on or after July 1, 2014;
(B)
after terminating active membership with the other City retirement plan on or after July 1, 2014, immediately becomes an employee through a transfer of employment; or
(C)
after terminating employment or exiting elected office, becomes an employee on or after July 1, 2014, before beginning to receive that benefit.
(2)Suspension or postponement.
(i)
For a person described in paragraph (1)(ii)(A) of this subsection, payment of his or her benefit from the other City retirement plan is suspended until the member later terminates employment.
(ii)
For a person described in paragraph (1)(ii)(B) or (c) of this subsection, receipt of her or his benefit from the other City retirement plan is postponed until the member later terminates employment.
(3)Death benefits.
If a person described in paragraph (1) of this subsection dies before later terminating employment, the following death benefits must be paid:
(i)
the death benefit provided for by <cite data-path="|22A|§9-4">§ 9-4 {“Distributable events – Death”} of this article</cite>; and
(ii)
a death benefit from the other City retirement plan in accordance with <cite data-path="|22|§48|(e)|(1)|(ii)">Article 22, § 48(e)(1)(ii)</cite>.
History: Ord. 14-216
Balt., Md., Code art. 22A, § 3-4 (2026)
§ 3-4 Termination of participation.LinkCopy Citation
A member’s participation in the Retirement Savings Plan terminates on the complete distribution to the member or the member’s beneficiary of the member’s vested account.
History: Ord. 14-216