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<section article="gsp" article_name="State Personnel and Pensions" number="22-304" title_number="22" title_name="Employees' and Teachers' Retirement Systems" subtitle_number="3" subtitle_name="Service Credit">
  <level label="a">
    <text>A member may purchase service credit as provided in subsection (b) of this section for periods of employment described in subsection (c) or (d) of this section for which the member is not otherwise entitled to service credit.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A member who purchases service credit under this section shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>complete a claim for the service credit and file it with the Board of Trustees on a form that the Board of Trustees provides; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>pay to the Board of Trustees in a single payment the member contributions the member would have made for the period of employment for which service credit is being purchased plus regular interest to the date of payment.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A member may pay for service credit purchased under this section at any time before retirement.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A member of the Employees’ Retirement System may purchase service credit for a period of employment:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>by the State or a participating governmental unit;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>as a member of the State Police Retirement System for which the member was not vested in that State system;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>when the member was on an employer-approved leave of absence not exceeding 2 years that has qualified for purchase under regulations adopted by the Board of Trustees;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>by the Department of Legislative Services, the Office of the Attorney General, or as secretary to the Speaker of the House of Delegates or as secretary to the President of the Senate during a session of the General Assembly;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>by a member of the Senate or House of Delegates or the Office of the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Clerk of the House of Delegates;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>as a member of the Employees’ Retirement System or the Teachers’ Retirement System for which the member had withdrawn the member’s accumulated contributions after a prior termination of membership; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>when membership was mandatory but for which member contributions were not made.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>For service credit purchased under:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>paragraph (1)(iv) of this subsection, a year or part of a year of employment equals 1 year of service credit; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>paragraph (1)(v) of this subsection, employment for at least 130 days per year as a legislative employee equals 1 year of service credit.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>A member of the Teachers’ Retirement System may purchase service credit for periods of employment:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>during which a member held an emergency teaching certificate;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>as a member of the State Police Retirement System for which the member was not vested in that State system;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>when membership was mandatory but for which member contributions were not made;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>when the member was on an employer-approved leave of absence not exceeding 2 years that has qualified for purchase under regulations adopted by the Board of Trustees;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>as a member of the Employees’ Retirement System or the Teachers’ Retirement System for which the member had withdrawn the member’s accumulated contributions after a prior termination of membership; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>by the State or a participating governmental unit on a permanent basis.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
