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<section article="gsp" article_name="State Personnel and Pensions" number="31-302" title_number="31" title_name="Participating Governmental Units" subtitle_number="3" subtitle_name="Withdrawal by a Participating Governmental Unit">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Subject to subsection (b) of this section, the legislative body of a participating governmental unit may withdraw from participation in a State system and transfer to a local pension system or another State system any of the following groups of employees of the governmental unit who consent to the withdrawal, and who qualify for membership in the State system or local pension system:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>all employees of the participating governmental unit;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>fire fighters;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>law enforcement personnel;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>detention center officers; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, a homogeneous unit of at least 10 employees.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>A participating governmental unit may withdraw from participation in a State system only if:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the new State system or local pension system of the participating governmental unit requires member contributions at the same rate as the member contribution rate applicable to employees of the participating governmental unit in the State system from which the participating governmental unit is withdrawing; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the participating governmental unit:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>does not provide for the employer pickup of member contributions to the current State system of the participating governmental unit within the meaning of § 414(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>certifies that it will not become an approved employer under § 21–313 of this article on or after the effective date of participation in the new State system or local pension system.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
