Sec. 23b.

(1) Notwithstanding section 18 and except as otherwise provided in subsection (4), if a retirant or a deferred vested member again becomes a legislator or lieutenant governor, the retirant or deferred vested member shall not again become a member unless within 30 days from the date of the beginning of the subsequent service he or she files with the board a written notice of election to again become a member and complies with this section. After the expiration of the 30-day period, a retirant or deferred vested member who again becomes a legislator or lieutenant governor who does not elect to again become a member is barred from again becoming a member during that term of office. During the 30-day period, the retirement allowance shall not be paid, but the contributions required by this act shall be deducted. The contributions shall be refunded if the legislator or lieutenant governor does not elect to again become a member.

(2) If the retirant or deferred vested member elects to again become a member, the subsequent membership in the retirement system shall be subject to the following conditions in addition to any other condition required of a member by this act:

(a) During the subsequent period of service as a legislator or lieutenant governor, payment of the retirement allowance shall not be made or accrued.

(b) The member shall repay to the retirement system all money received from the retirement system with interest at the rate of 6% per annum compounded annually before the expiration of 180 days of the term for which the member currently is elected. Failure to make the repayment within 180 days shall void the election to become a member.

(c) All prior applications for retirement shall be abrogated.

(d) The member's service credit shall be recalculated.

(3) If a retirant or deferred vested member again becomes a legislator or lieutenant governor and declines to again become a member, he or she shall not be entitled to a retirement allowance and payment of his or her retirement allowance shall not be made or accrued during his or her subsequent service. Upon termination of his or her subsequent service, payment of the retirement allowance shall be resumed effective as of the date of termination of the subsequent service without change because of the subsequent service.

(4) This section does not apply to a deferred vested member who is required to make an election under section 61.

History: Add. 1968, Act 229, Eff. July 1, 1968 ;-- Am. 1970, Act 237, Eff. Jan. 1, 1971 ;-- Am. 1974, Act 215, Eff. Dec. 31, 1974 ;-- Am. 1981, Act 123, Imd. Eff. July 23, 1981 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 486, Eff. Mar. 31, 1997 Compiler's Notes: Section 2 of Act 486 of 1996 provides:“Section 2. 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.”