§8505. Duties of board regarding applications and elections of members.

(a) Statement to new members.--As soon as practicable after each member shall have joined the system, the board shall issue to him a statement as to the aggregate length of total previous school service and creditable nonschool service for which he may receive credit.

(b) State employees electing multiple service status.--Upon receipt of notification from the State Employees' Retirement Board that a former school employee has become an active member in the State Employees' Retirement System and has elected to become a member with multiple service status, the board shall:

(1) In case of a member who is receiving an annuity from the system:

(i) Discontinue payments, transfer the present value of the member's annuity at the time of entering State service, plus the amount withdrawn in a lump sum payment, on or after the date of entering State service, pursuant to section 8345 (relating to member's options), with statutory interest to date of transfer, minus the amount to be returned to the board on account of return to service that the board has determined is to be credited in the members' savings account, from the annuity reserve account to the members' savings account and resume crediting of statutory interest on the amount restored to his credit.

(ii) Transfer the balance of the present value of the total annuity, minus the amount to be returned to the board on account of return to service that the board has determined is to be credited in the State accumulation account, from the annuity reserve account to the State accumulation account.

(iii) Certify to the member the amount of lump sum and annuity payments with statutory interest the member is to return to the board and, of those amounts, which amount shall be credited to the members' savings account and credited with statutory interest as such payments are returned and which amount shall be credited to the State accumulation account.

(2) In case of a member who is not receiving an annuity from the system and who has not withdrawn his accumulated deductions, continue or resume the crediting of statutory interest on his accumulated deductions.

(3) In case of a member who is not receiving an annuity from the system and his accumulated deductions were withdrawn, certify to the member the accumulated deductions as they would have been at the time of his separation had he been a full coverage member together with statutory interest for all periods of subsequent State and school service to the date of repayment. Such amount shall be restored by him and shall be credited with statutory interest as such payments are restored.

(c) Disability annuities.--In every case where the board has received an application duly executed by the member or by a person legally authorized to act in his behalf for a disability annuity based upon the member's physical or mental incapacity for the performance of the job for which he is employed, the board shall:

(1) Through the medical examiner, have the application and any supporting medical records and other documentation submitted with the application reviewed and, on the basis of said review and the subsequent recommendation by the medical examiner regarding the applicant's medical qualification for a disability annuity along with such other recommendations which he may make with respect to the permanency of disability or the need for subsequent reviews, make a finding of disability or nondisability and, in the case of disability, establish an effective date of disability and the terms and conditions regarding subsequent reviews.

(2) Upon the recommendation of the medical examiner on the basis of a review of subsequent medical reports submitted with an application for continuance of disability, make a finding of disability or nondisability and, in the case of a finding of nondisability, establish the date of termination of disability and at that time discontinue any annuity payments in excess of any annuity to which he may be otherwise entitled under section 8342 (relating to maximum single life annuity).

(3) Upon receipt of a written statement from a disability annuitant of his earned income of the previous year, adjust the payments of the disability annuity for the following year in accordance with the provisions for a reduction of disability payments of section 8344 (relating to disability annuities).

(d) Withdrawal of accumulated deductions.--(Deleted by amendment).

(e) Certification to vestees terminating service.--The board shall certify to a vestee within one year of termination of service of such member:

(1) The accumulated deductions standing to his credit at the date of termination of service.

(2) The number of years and fractional part of a year of credit in each class of service.

(3) The maximum single life annuity to which the vestee shall become entitled upon the attainment of superannuation age and the filing of an application for such annuity.

(f) Notification to vestees approaching superannuation age.--The board shall notify each vestee in writing 90 days prior to his attainment of superannuation age that he shall apply for his annuity within 90 days of attainment of superannuation age; that, if he does so apply, his effective date of retirement will be the date of attainment of superannuation age; that, if he does not so apply but defers his application to a later date, his effective date of retirement will be the date of filing the application or the date specified on the application, whichever is later; and that, if he does not file an application within seven years after attaining superannuation age, he shall be deemed to have elected to receive his accumulated deductions upon attainment of superannuation age.

(g) Initial annuity payment and certification.--The board shall make the first monthly payment to a member who is eligible for an annuity within 60 days of the filing of his application for an annuity or, in the case of a vestee who has deferred the filing of his application to a date later than 90 days following attainment of superannuation age, within 60 days of his effective date of retirement, and receipt of the required data from the employer of the member. Concurrently the board shall certify to such member:

(1) The accumulated deductions standing to his credit showing separately the amount contributed by the member, the pickup contribution and the interest credited to the date of termination of service.

(2) The number of years and fractional part of a year credited in each class of service.

(3) The final average salary on which his annuity is based as well as any applicable reduction factors due to age or election of an option or both.

(4) The total annuity payable under the option elected and the amount and effective date of any future reduction on account of social security old-age insurance benefits.

(h) Death benefits.--Upon receipt of notification of the death of a member or former member on USERRA leave, the board shall notify the designated beneficiary or survivor annuitant of the benefits to which he is entitled and shall make the first payment to the beneficiary under the plan elected by the beneficiary within 60 days of receipt of certification of death and other necessary data. If no beneficiary designation is in effect at the date of the member's death or no notice has been filed with the board to pay the amount of such benefits to the member's estate, the board is authorized to pay such benefits to the executor, administrator, surviving spouse or next-of-kin of the deceased member, and payment pursuant hereto shall fully discharge the fund from any further liability to make payment of such benefits to any other person. If the surviving spouse or next-of-kin of the deceased member cannot be found for the purpose of paying such benefits for a period of seven years from the date of death of the member, then such benefits shall be escheated to the Commonwealth for the benefit of the fund.

(i) Medical insurance coverage.--Upon receipt of notification from an insurance carrier offering a health insurance program approved by the board that an annuitant who has attained age 65 has elected medical, major medical, and hospitalization insurance coverage or notification that annuitants with less than 24 1/2 eligibility points (other than disability annuitants), spouses of annuitants and survivor annuitants eligible to elect to enroll in the approved health insurance program have elected participation in such health insurance program, the board may deduct from the annuity payments the appropriate annual charges in equal monthly installments. Such deductions shall be transmitted to the insurance carrier.

(j) Joint coverage annuitants.--The board shall notify in writing each joint coverage annuitant who retired prior to July 1, 1962 that he may elect any time prior to, but not later than, one year following the effective date of this part, to receive his annuity without reduction attributable to social security coverage. The board shall within 60 days of such election certify in writing to each annuitant who so elects the amount required to be paid. Upon receipt of a lump sum payment within 60 days in the amount certified to such annuitant, the board shall recompute the annuity payable to such annuitant and the annuity and/or lump sum, if any, payable upon his death to his beneficiary or survivor annuitant as though he had been a full coverage member on the effective date of retirement. Such recomputed annuity shall be paid beginning with the second monthly payment next following the month in which the lump sum payment is received.

(k) School employees electing multiple service status.--Upon receipt of notification from the State Employees' Retirement Board that a member who has elected multiple service membership has elected to restore State service or purchase creditable nonstate service in the State Employees' Retirement System or is obligated to return benefits to the State Employees' Retirement Board on account of electing multiple service membership has elected to pay all or part of the amount due to the State Employees' Retirement Board by salary deductions, the board shall collect from the employee the amounts certified by the State Employees' Retirement Board as due and owing by the member and shall certify and transfer to the State Employees' Retirement Board the amounts so collected.

(l) Notification of Class T-F membership.--The board shall inform any eligible school employee of the right to elect Class T-F membership.

(July 22, 1983, P.L.104, No.31, eff. imd.; Dec. 19, 1984, P.L.1191, No.226, eff. imd.; June 13, 1985, P.L.40, No.19, eff. imd.; Aug. 5, 1991, P.L.183, No.23, eff. imd.; Apr. 29, 1994, P.L.159, No.29, eff. 60 days; May 17, 2001, P.L.26, No.9, eff. July 1, 2001; Nov. 23, 2010, P.L.1269, No.120, eff. July 1, 2011; July 1, 2013, P.L.174, No.32, eff. July 1, 2013)

Notation

2013 Amendment.  Act 32 amended subsec. (h).

2010 Amendment.  Act 120 added subsec. (l).

2001 Amendment.  Act 9 amended subsec. (b) and added subsec. (k).

1994 Amendment.  Act 29 amended subsecs. (c), (f), (g) and (h).

1991 Amendment.  Act 23 amended subsec. (i).

1985 Amendment.  Act 19 amended subsec. (c) and deleted subsec. (d).

Cross References.  Section 8505 is referred to in sections 8307, 8344, 8502.2, 8507, 9101 of this title.