Sec. 67a.

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section or section 33, a qualified participant who becomes totally incapacitated for duty because of a personal injury or disease shall be retired if all of the following apply:

(a) Within 1 year after the qualified participant becomes totally incapacitated or at a later date if the later date is approved by the retirement board, the qualified participant, the qualified participant's personal representative or guardian, his or her department head, or the state personnel director files an application on behalf of the member with the retirement board.

(b) The retirement board finds that the qualified participant's personal injury or disease is the natural and proximate result of the qualified participant's performance of duty.

(c) A medical advisor conducts a medical examination of the qualified participant and certifies in writing that the qualified participant is mentally or physically totally incapacitated for further performance of duty, that the total incapacitation is probably permanent, and that the qualified participant should be retired.

(d) The retirement board concurs in the recommendation of the medical advisor.

(2) If the retirement board grants the application of the qualified participant under subsection (1), the qualified participant shall be granted a supplemental benefit equivalent to the amount provided in section 23 as if the former qualified participant had retired under section 21, which supplemental benefit shall be offset by the value of the distribution of his or her accumulated balance as determined by the retirement system upon becoming a former qualified participant pursuant to section 67.

(3) If a qualified participant dies as a result of a personal injury or disease arising out of and in the course of his or her employment with this state, or if a former qualified participant who retired under subsection (1) who dies before becoming age 60 and within 3 years after the former qualified participant's disability retirement from the same causes from which he or she separated, and such death or illness or injuries resulting in death are found by the retirement board to have been the sole and exclusive result of employment with this state, a supplemental benefit shall be granted equivalent to the amount provided for in section 27 had the former qualified participant been considered retired under section 27, which supplemental benefit shall be offset by the value of the distribution of his or her accumulated balance upon becoming a former qualified participant pursuant to section 67.

(4) A qualified participant, former qualified participant, or beneficiary of a deceased participant, which participant is eligible for a duty disability retirement allowance pursuant to subsection (1), (2), or (3), is eligible for health insurance coverage under section 20d in all respects and under the same terms as would be a retirant and his or her beneficiaries under Tier 1.

(5) Except as otherwise provided in this section or section 33, a qualified participant who becomes totally incapacitated for duty because of a personal injury or disease that is not the natural and proximate result of the qualified participant's performance of duty may be retired if all of the following apply:

(a) Within 1 year after the qualified participant becomes totally incapacitated or at a later date if the later date is approved by the retirement board, the qualified participant, the qualified participant's personal representative or guardian, the qualified participant's department head, or the state personnel director files an application on behalf of the qualified participant with the retirement board.

(b) A medical advisor conducts a medical examination of the qualified participant and certifies in writing that the qualified participant is mentally or physically totally incapacitated for further performance of duty, that the incapacitation is likely to be permanent, and that the qualified participant should be retired.

(c) The qualified participant has been a state employee for at least 10 years.

(6) If the retirement board grants the application of the qualified participant under subsection (5), the qualified participant shall be granted a supplemental benefit equivalent to the amount provided for in section 25 as if the qualified participant had retired under section 24. The supplemental benefit shall be offset by the value of the distribution of his or her accumulated balance as determined by the retirement system upon becoming a former qualified participant pursuant to section 67.

(7) Except as otherwise provided in this section, if a qualified participant who has been a state employee for the number of years necessary to vest under Tier 1 dies as a result of causes occurring not in the performance of duty to this state, a supplemental benefit shall be granted equivalent to the amount provided for in section 25 had the former qualified participant been considered retired under section 24, which supplemental benefit shall be offset by the value of the distribution of his or her accumulated balance as determined by the retirement system upon becoming a former qualified participant pursuant to section 67.

(8) A qualified participant, former qualified participant, or beneficiary of a deceased participant, which participant is eligible for a disability retirement allowance pursuant to subsection (5), (6), or (7) is eligible for health insurance coverage under section 20d in all respects and under the same terms as would be a retirant and his or her beneficiaries under Tier 1.

(9) This section does not apply to a qualified participant or former qualified participant who was a member who meets the requirements of section 55(2)(d), (e), or (f).

(10) Subsections (4) and (8) do not apply to a qualified participant or former qualified participant who was first employed and entered upon the payroll of his or her employer on or after January 1, 2012.

History: Add. 1996, Act 487, Eff. Mar. 31, 1997 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 109, Imd. Eff. May 20, 2004 ;-- Am. 2011, Act 264, Imd. Eff. Dec. 15, 2011 Compiler's Notes: Section 2 of Act 487 of 1996 provides:“If any section or part of a section of this act is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional, the holding does not affect the validity of the remaining sections of this act or the act in its entirety.”Enacting section 1 of Act 264 of 2011 provides:"Enacting section 1. If the office of retirement services in the department of technology, management, and budget receives notification from the United States internal revenue service that any section or any portion of a section of this amendatory act will cause the retirement system to be disqualified for tax purposes under the internal revenue code, then the portion that will cause the disqualification does not apply."