This subtitle applies only to: a police employee as defined in § 2-101 of the Public Safety Article; and a Maryland State Police cadet.

An individual described in § 24–201 of this subtitle is a member of the State Police Retirement System as a condition of employment.

The Secretary of State Police is a member of the State Police Retirement System as a condition of employment.

If eligibility of an individual for membership is unclear, the Board of Trustees shall determine whether the individual is a member of the State Police Retirement System.

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a member’s contribution rate is 8% of the member’s earnable compensation. After 28 years of service as a member, a member does not make any further contributions.

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, regular interest is payable on member contributions at the rate of 4% a year, compounded annually, until retirement or withdrawal of the accumulated contributions. Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, no further interest shall be paid on member contributions after membership ends if the former member is not eligible to receive a vested allowance under Title 29, Subtitle 3 of this article. In this subsection, “active member” means a member who is not separated from employment with the State or a participating employer of one of the several systems. This subsection applies only to an individual who: is a former member of the State Police Retirement System; is not eligible to receive a vested allowance from the State Police Retirement System under Title 29, Subtitle 3 of this article; has not withdrawn the individual’s member contributions from the State Police Retirement System; and is an active member of one of the several systems. An individual described in paragraph (2) of this subsection shall receive regular interest at the rate described under subsection (a) of this section on the individual’s member contributions in a nonvested account in the State Police Retirement System while the individual is an active member of one of the several systems.

Membership ends if the member: is separated from employment for more than 4 years; withdraws the member’s accumulated contributions; becomes a retiree; dies; or elects to participate in the Deferred Retirement Option Program established under § 24-401.1 of this title.

This section applies to an individual who: on or before June 30, 2011, was a member of the State Police Retirement System; is separated from employment for 4 years or less; is separated from employment for military service that meets the requirements of the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act; and resumes employment within 1 year of leaving military service in a position that is included in the State Police Retirement System; or is separated from employment with the minimum eligibility service needed to be eligible for a vested allowance under Title 29, Subtitle 3 of this article; does not withdraw the member’s accumulated contributions; and does not become a retiree. An individual described in subsection (a) of this section who resumes employment in a position that is included in the State Police Retirement System is subject to the same requirements to which an individual who was a member of the State Police Retirement System on June 30, 2011, and remains a member on July 1, 2011, is subject.

If an individual was a member of any one of the several systems on June 30, 2011, and without incurring a break in employment of more than 30 days, becomes a member of the State Police Retirement System on or after July 1, 2011, the individual: shall be considered to be a new member of the State Police Retirement System as of the date the individual joins the system; and is subject to the same requirements to which an individual who was a member of the State Police Retirement System on June 30, 2011, and remains a member on July 1, 2011, is subject.