Eligibility of members of the public employees retirement system, other than those subject to section 145.32 of the Revised Code, for age and service retirement shall be determined under this section.

(A) A member of the public employees retirement system is eligible for age and service retirement under this division if, not later than five years after January 7, 2013, the member meets one of the following requirements:

(1) Has attained age forty-eight and has at least twenty-five years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer;

(2) Has attained age fifty-two and has at least twenty-five years of total service credit as a PERS public safety officer or has service as a PERS public safety officer and service as a PERS law enforcement officer that when combined equal at least twenty-five years of total service credit;

(3) Has attained age sixty-two and has at least fifteen years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer.

(B)

(1) A member who would be eligible to retire not later than ten years after January 7, 2013, if the requirements of section 145.33 of the Revised Code as they existed immediately prior to January 7, 2013, were still in effect is eligible to retire under this division if the member meets one of the following requirements:

(a) Has attained age fifty and has at least twenty-five years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer;

(b) Has attained age fifty-four and has at least twenty-five years of total service credit as a PERS public safety officer or has service as a PERS public safety officer and service as a PERS law enforcement officer that when combined equal at least twenty-five years of total service credit;

(c) Has attained age sixty-four and has at least fifteen years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer.

(2) A member who on January 7, 2013, has twenty or more years of total service credit is eligible for age and service retirement under this division on meeting one of the requirements of division (B)(1) of this section, regardless of when the member meets the requirement unless, between January 7, 2013, and the date the member meets the requirement, the member receives a refund of accumulated contributions under section 145.40 of the Revised Code.

(C) A member who is not eligible for age and service retirement under division (A) or (B) of this section is eligible under this division if the member meets one of the following requirements:

(1) Has attained age fifty-two and has at least twenty-five years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer;

(2) Has attained age fifty-six and has at least twenty-five years of total service credit as a PERS public safety officer or has service as a PERS public safety officer and service as a PERS law enforcement officer that when combined equal at least twenty-five years of total service credit;

(3) Has attained age sixty-four and has at least fifteen years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer.

(D) Service credit purchased or obtained under this chapter shall be used in determining whether a member has the number of years of total service credit required under division (A) or (B) of this section only if the member was a member on January 7, 2013, or obtains credit under section 145.483 of the Revised Code that would have made the member a member on that date and one of the following applies:

(1) Except in the case of service credit that has been or will be purchased or obtained under section 145.295 or 145.37 of the Revised Code or is for service covered by the Cincinnati retirement system:

(a) For division (A) of this section, the service credit purchase is completed or the service credit is obtained not later than five years after January 7, 2013;

(b) For division (B) of this section, the service credit purchase is completed or the service credit is obtained not later than ten years after January 7, 2013.

(2) In the case of service credit that has been or will be purchased or obtained under section 145.295 or 145.37 of the Revised Code or is for service covered by the Cincinnati retirement system:

(a) For division (A) of this section, the service for which the credit has been or will be purchased or obtained occurs not later than five years after January 7, 2013;

(b) For division (B) of this section, the service for which the credit has been or will be purchased or obtained occurs not later than ten years after January 7, 2013.

(E)

(1) A member with at least twenty-five years of total service credit who would be eligible to retire under division (B)(1)(a) of this section had the member attained age fifty and who voluntarily resigns or is discharged for any reason except death, dishonesty, cowardice, intemperate habits, or conviction of a felony, on or after attaining age forty-eight, but before attaining age fifty, may elect to receive a reduced benefit. The benefit shall be the actuarial equivalent of the allowance calculated under division (F) of this section adjusted for age.

(2) A member with at least twenty-five years of total service credit who would be eligible to retire under division (C)(1) of this section had the member attained age fifty-two and who voluntarily resigns or is discharged for any reason except death, dishonesty, cowardice, intemperate habits, or conviction of a felony, on or after attaining age forty-eight, but before attaining age fifty-two, may elect to receive a reduced benefit. The benefit shall be the actuarial equivalent of the allowance calculated under division (F) of this section adjusted for age.

(3) A member with at least twenty-five years of total service credit who would be eligible to retire under division (A)(2) of this section had the member attained age fifty-two and who voluntarily resigns or is discharged for any reason except death, dishonesty, cowardice, intemperate habits, or conviction of a felony, on or after attaining age forty-eight, but before attaining age fifty-two, may elect to receive a reduced benefit.

(a) If eligibility to make the election under division (E)(3) of this section occurs not later than five years after January 7, 2013, the benefit shall be calculated in accordance with the following schedule:

Attained Age

Reduced Benefit

48

75% of the benefit payable under division (F) of this section

49

80% of the benefit payable under division (F) of this section

50

86% of the benefit payable under division (F) of this section

51

93% of the benefit payable under division (F) of this section

(b) If eligibility to make the election occurs after the date determined under division (E)(3)(a) of this section, the benefit shall be the actuarial equivalent of the allowance calculated under division (F) of this section adjusted for age.

(4) A member with at least twenty-five years of total service credit who would be eligible to retire under division (B)(1)(b) of this section had the member attained age fifty-four and who voluntarily resigns or is discharged for any reason except death, dishonesty, cowardice, intemperate habits, or conviction of a felony, on or after attaining age forty-eight, but before attaining age fifty-four, may elect to receive a reduced benefit. The benefit shall be the actuarial equivalent of the allowance calculated under division (F) of this section adjusted for age.

(5) A member with at least twenty-five years of total service credit who would be eligible to retire under division (C)(2) of this section had the member attained age fifty-six and who voluntarily resigns or is discharged for any reason except death, dishonesty, cowardice, intemperate habits, or conviction of a felony, on or after attaining age fifty-two, but before attaining age fifty-six, may elect to receive a reduced benefit. The benefit shall be the actuarial equivalent of the allowance calculated under division (F) of this section adjusted for age.

(6) If a member elects to receive a reduced benefit under division (E)(1), (2), (3), (4), or (5) of this section, the reduced benefit shall be based on the member's age on the member's most recent birthday. Once a member elects to receive a reduced benefit and has received a payment, the member may not change that election.

(F) A benefit paid under division (A), (B), or (C) of this section shall consist of an annual single lifetime allowance equal to the sum of two and one-half per cent of the member's final average salary multiplied by the first twenty-five years of the member's total service credit plus two and one-tenth per cent of the member's final average salary multiplied by the number of years of the member's total service credit in excess of twenty-five years.

(G) A member with at least fifteen years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer who voluntarily resigns or is discharged for any reason except death, dishonesty, cowardice, intemperate habits, or conviction of a felony may apply for an age and service retirement benefit, which shall consist of an annual single lifetime allowance equal to one and one-half per cent of the member's final average salary multiplied by the number of years of the member's total service credit.

(1) If the member will attain age fifty-two not later than ten years after January 7, 2013, the retirement allowance shall commence on the first day of the calendar month following the month in which application is filed with the board on or after the member's attainment of age fifty-two.

(2) If the member will not attain age fifty-two on or before the date determined under division (G)(1) of this section, the retirement allowance shall commence on the first day of the calendar month following the month in which application is filed with the board on or after the member's attainment of age fifty-six.

(H) A benefit paid under this section shall not exceed the lesser of ninety per cent of the member's final average salary or the limit established by section 415 of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C. 415, as amended.

(I) A member with service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer and other service credit under this chapter may elect one of the following:

(1) To have all the member's service credit under this chapter, including credit for service as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer, used in calculating a retirement allowance under section 145.33 of the Revised Code if the member qualifies for an allowance under that section;

(2) If the member qualifies for an allowance under division (A)(1), (B)(1), (C)(1), or (E)(1) or (2) of this section, to receive all of the following:

(a) A benefit under division (A)(1), (B)(1), (C)(1), or (E)(1) or (2) of this section for the member's service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer;

(b) A single life annuity having a reserve equal to the amount of the member's accumulated contributions for all service other than PERS law enforcement service;

(c) A pension equal to the annuity provided under division (I)(2)(b) of this section, excluding amounts of the member's accumulated contributions deposited under former division (Y) of section 145.01 or former sections 145.02, 145.29, 145.292, and 145.42, or sections 145.20, 145.201, 145.28, 145.291, 145.292, 145.293, 145.299, 145.2916, 145.301, 145.47, and 145.814 of the Revised Code for the purchase of service credit.

(3) If the member qualifies for an allowance under division (A)(2), (B)(2), (C)(2), or (E)(3), (4), or (5) of this section, to receive all of the following:

(a) A benefit under division (A)(2), (B)(2), (C)(2), or (E)(3), (4), or (5) of this section for the member's service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer;

(b) A single life annuity having a reserve equal to the amount of the member's accumulated contributions for all service other than PERS law enforcement service or PERS public safety officer service;

(c) A pension equal to the annuity provided under division (I)(3)(b) of this section, excluding amounts of the member's accumulated contributions deposited under former division (Y) of section 145.01 or former sections 145.02, 145.29, 145.292, and 145.42, or sections 145.20, 145.201, 145.28, 145.291, 145.292, 145.293, 145.299, 145.2916, 145.301, 145.47, and 145.814 of the Revised Code for the purchase of service credit.

(J) For the purposes of this section, "total service credit" includes credit for military service to the extent permitted by division (K) of this section and credit for service as a police officer or state highway patrol trooper to the extent permitted by division (L) of this section.

(K) Notwithstanding sections 145.01 and 145.30 of the Revised Code, not more than four years of military service credit granted or purchased under section 145.30 of the Revised Code and five years of military service credit purchased under section 145.301 or 145.302 of the Revised Code shall be used in calculating service as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer or the total service credit of that person.

(L)

(1) Only credit for the member's service as a PERS law enforcement officer, PERS public safety officer, or service credit obtained as a police officer or state highway patrol trooper shall be used in computing the benefit of a member who qualifies for a benefit under this section for the following:

(a) Any person who originally is commissioned and employed as a deputy sheriff by the sheriff of any county, or who originally is elected sheriff, on or after January 1, 1975;

(b) Any deputy sheriff who originally is employed as a criminal bailiff or court constable on or after April 16, 1993;

(c) Any person who originally is appointed as a township constable or police officer in a township police department or district on or after January 1, 1981;

(d) Any person who originally is employed as a county narcotics agent on or after September 26, 1984;

(e) Any person who originally is employed as an undercover drug agent as defined in section 109.79 of the Revised Code, department of public safety enforcement agent who prior to June 30, 1999, was a liquor control investigator, forest-fire investigator, natural resources officer, wildlife officer, park district police officer, conservancy district officer, veterans' home police officer, special police officer for a mental health institution, special police officer for an institution for persons with developmental disabilities, or municipal police officer on or after December 15, 1988;

(f) Any person who originally is employed as a state university law enforcement officer on or after November 6, 1996;

(g) Any person who is originally employed as a state university law enforcement officer by the university of Akron on or after September 16, 1998;

(h) Any person who originally is employed as a preserve officer on or after March 18, 1999;

(i) Any person who originally is employed as a natural resources law enforcement staff officer on or after March 18, 1999;

(j) Any person who is originally employed as a department of public safety enforcement agent on or after June 30, 1999;

(k) Any person who is originally employed as a house sergeant at arms or assistant house sergeant at arms on or after September 5, 2001;

(l) Any person who is originally appointed as a regional transit authority police officer or state highway patrol police officer on or after February 1, 2002;

(m) Any person who is originally employed as a municipal public safety director on or after September 29, 2005, but not later than March 24, 2009.

(2) Only credit for a member's service as a PERS public safety officer or service credit obtained as a PERS law enforcement officer, police officer, or state highway patrol trooper shall be used in computing the benefit of a member who qualifies for a benefit under division (B)(1)(b) or (c), (B)(2), (C)(1)(b) or (c), or (C)(2) of this section for any person who originally is employed as a Hamilton county municipal court bailiff on or after November 6, 1996.

(M) For purposes of this section, service prior to June 30, 1999, as a food stamp trafficking agent under former section 5502.14 of the Revised Code shall be considered service as a law enforcement officer.

(N)

(1) Retirement allowances determined under this section shall be paid as provided in section 145.46 of the Revised Code.

(2) If the monthly amount of a member's annual single lifetime allowance that is first payable on or after the effective date of this amendment under division (F) or (G) of this section would be less than fifty dollars, instead of a monthly payment, the retirement system shall pay the greater of the following in a single payment:

(a) An amount determined under section 145.40 of the Revised Code as a refund of accumulated contributions;

(b) An amount equal to the actuarial present value of the allowance as determined by the retirement system.

(3) If the monthly amount of a member's single life annuity that is first payable on or after the effective date of this amendment under division (I)(2) or (3) of this section for service other than PERS law enforcement service or PERS public safety service would be less than fifty dollars, instead of a monthly payment, the retirement system shall pay an amount determined under section 145.40 of the Revised Code as a refund of accumulated contributions.

(O) A member seeking to retire under this section shall file an application with the public employees retirement board.

Service retirement shall be effective as provided in division (E) of section 145.32 of the Revised Code.

(P) If fewer than one per cent of the retirement system's members are contributing as public safety officers, the board, pursuant to a rule it adopts, may treat service as a public safety officer as service as a law enforcement officer.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 572, §1, eff. 3/22/2019.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 158, §1, eff. 10/12/2016.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, SB 293, §1, eff. 9/14/2016.

Added by 129th General AssemblyFile No.148, SB 343, §1, eff. 1/7/2013.