74-4954b. Option of certain employers to affiliate with Kansas police and firemen's retirement system; entry date of employees; definition of credited service; application of Kansas public employees retirement system act. (1) On and after July 1, 1985, any city, county, township or other political subdivision of the state employing one or more firemen or policemen, as defined by subsections (11) and (12) of K.S.A. 74-4952 and amendments thereto, or emergency medical technician, as defined by subsection (f) of K.S.A. 65-4314 and amendments thereto, which is currently a participating employer in the Kansas public employees retirement system, may affiliate with the Kansas police and firemen's retirement system established under the provisions of K.S.A. 74-4951 et seq. and amendments thereto. All such agencies shall make application for affiliation with such system in the manner provided by K.S.A. 74-4954 and amendments thereto, to be effective on January 1 next following application.

(2) Each participating employer affiliating pursuant to the provisions of subsection (1) shall appropriate and pay to the system a sum sufficient to satisfy the obligations hereunder as certified by the board.

(3) Except as otherwise required by the provisions of USERRA, any policeman or fireman who shall be appointed on or after the entry date of such agency shall become a member of the Kansas police and firemen's retirement system upon the first day of such employment.

(4) For the purposes of determining and computing retirement benefits and death and disability benefits computed upon the basis of credited service of policemen or firemen appointed under the provisions of this act, the term "credited service," as used in K.S.A. 74-4951 et seq. and amendments thereto, means and includes only participating service with the participating employer, except as hereinafter provided:

(a) Credited service of any employee with any participating employer prior to becoming a member under these provisions shall be considered and included in determining if the death or disability of such employee was service connected under the provisions of subsection (10) of K.S.A. 74-4952 and amendments thereto and for the purposes of determining the eligibility of such officer for nonservice-connected death and disability benefits under the provisions of subsection (2) of K.S.A. 74-4959 and amendments thereto and subsection (2) of K.S.A. 74-4960 and amendments thereto.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of K.S.A. 74-4957 and 74-4963 and amendments thereto, all credited service of any employee with any participating employer prior to becoming a member under these provisions shall be included and counted together with credited participating service for the meeting of requirements of years of service fixed under the provisions of such sections.

Any rights and benefits accruing to any employee of an agency prior to the effective date of affiliation shall be determined and computed pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 74-4901 et seq. and amendments thereto. Any member who becomes a member pursuant to this section, who has a vested retirement benefit pursuant to K.S.A. 74-4917 and amendments thereto and who terminates employment prior to attaining a vested benefit pursuant to K.S.A. 74-4963 and amendments thereto may have such service credited for purposes of determining and computing retirement benefits pursuant to K.S.A. 74-4901 et seq. and amendments thereto.

History: L. 1985, ch. 254, § 29; L. 1998, ch. 64, § 67; July 1.