§537. Refund of contributions; application, payment, effect, repayment to system; restoration of service

A. Any member who withdraws from service under the provisions hereof may apply for and obtain a refund of the amount of his accumulated contributions credited to him in the employees' savings account. A refund shall not be paid unless an application form furnished by the system has been completed by the member, certified by the appointing authority or personnel officer of the agency, and filed with the system no earlier than the day after separation from state service, or with respect to a member who has an option of being in the system, as provided in Subsection B.

B. Refunds of accumulated contributions will not be made until the requesting member has separated from all state service and has remained out of state service for a period of thirty calendar days and until all contributions for the member have been submitted by his agency, unless such member has the option of being a member of the system in which event he shall be allowed to withdraw from membership in the system and his contributions shall be refunded at least thirty calendar days after receipt by the system of written notice of withdrawal. Refunds of accumulated contributions may be made in less than thirty calendar days for emergencies as provided by the board of trustees if the member signs an agreement indemnifying the system against overpayments and holding the system harmless for underpayments due to receipt of accumulated contributions from the agency after the date of refund.

C. Acceptance of a refund of accumulated contributions automatically cancels all rights in the system. In addition, a member forfeits all prior service and military service as well as membership service credits for the period refunded.

D. A member may repay a refund to the system upon returning to state service and contributing to the system for eighteen months, whether full time or part time, provided such repayment is made prior to retirement. Repayment of a refund shall include the amount refunded plus interest thereon charged at the board-approved actuarial valuation rate compounded annually from the date of refund to the date of repayment. All repayments of refund shall be made in lump sum only.

E. All creditable service forfeited upon refund shall be restored upon repayment of the refund plus interest. No service credit forfeited by reason of a refund to a member shall be restored upon repayment of a refund if the member receives the same service under a special provision of another law or if another law sets a limit on service credit that will be violated by the restoration.

F.(1) Any member who receives a refund of contributions shall, at the member's option, be eligible to repay all or any part of such refund, without regard to the provision of Subsection D of this Section requiring lump sum repayments. Any member who elects to partially repay a refund shall be restored only that service credit which is commensurate with such repayment.

(2) The system shall promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary for the management of partial repayment of refunds, all in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

Acts 1972, No. 135, §1, eff. July 26, 1972. Amended by Acts 1976, No. 239, §1; Acts 1983, No. 22, §1; Acts 1984, No. 804, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1985; Acts 1986, No. 367, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 1987; Acts 1987, No. 731, §1, eff. July 1, 1987; Acts 1988, No. 657, §1, eff. July 15, 1988; Acts 1989, No. 213, §1; Acts 1991, No. 831, §1; Redesignated from R.S. 42:657 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 1999, No. 256, §1, eff. June 11, 1999; Acts 2003, No. 196, §1, eff. June 5, 2003.