(a) Status of members and participants.--The employer shall, each month, notify the board in a manner prescribed by the board of the salary changes effective during the past month, the date of all removals from the payroll, and the type of leave of any member or participant who has been removed from the payroll for any time during that month, and:

(1) if the removal is due to leave without pay, the employer shall furnish the board with the date of beginning leave, the date of return to service, and the reason for leave;

(2) if the removal is due to a transfer to another employer, the former employer shall furnish such employer and the board with a complete school service record, including credited or creditable nonschool service; or

(3) if the removal is due to termination of school service, the employer shall furnish the board with a complete school service record including credited or creditable nonschool service and in the case of death of the member or participant the employer shall so notify the board.

(b) Records and information.--At the direction of the board, the employer shall furnish service and compensation records as well as other information requested by the board and shall maintain and preserve such records as the board may require for the expeditious discharge of its duties.

(c) Member and employer contributions.--The employer shall certify to its treasurer the required member contributions picked up and any other contributions, including, but not limited to, amounts collected for the State Employees' Retirement Board for the reinstatement of previous State service or creditable nonstate service and amounts paid to return benefits paid after the date of return to State service or entering school service, deducted from each payroll. On July 1, 1996, and upon any later effective date of employment of any noneligible member to whom limitations under IRC § 401(a)(17) or 415 applies or is expected to apply, the employer shall identify to its treasurer or other payroll administrator the member or members to whom such limit applies or may apply and shall cause any such member's contributions deducted from payroll and the employer's contribution on his behalf to cease at the limitations under IRC § 401(a)(17) or 415 on the payroll date if and when such limit shall be reached. The treasurer shall remit to the secretary of the board each month the total of the member contributions and the amount due from the employer determined in accordance with section 8327 (relating to payments by employers). If, upon crediting the remittance of a noneligible member's contributions to the member's savings account, the board shall determine that such account shall have been credited with pickup contributions attributable to compensation which is in excess of the annual compensation limit under IRC § 401(a)(17) or 415, or with total member contributions for such member which would cause such member's contributions or benefits to exceed any applicable limitation on contributions or benefits under IRC § 401(a)(17) or 415, the board shall as soon as practicable refund to the member from his individual member account such amount, together with the statutory interest thereon, as will cause the member's total member contributions not to exceed the applicable limit. The payment of any such refund to the member shall be charged to the member's savings account.

(c.1) Participant and employer defined contributions.--The employer shall cause the mandatory pickup participant contributions on behalf of a participant to be made and shall cause to be deducted any voluntary contributions authorized by a participant. The employer shall also cause the employer defined contributions on behalf of a participant to be made. The employer shall notify the board at times and in a manner prescribed by the board of the compensation of any participant to whom the limitation under IRC § 401(a)(17) either applies or is expected to apply and shall cause the participant's contributions to be deducted from payroll to cease at the limitation under IRC § 401(a)(17) on the payroll date if and when such limit shall be reached. The employer shall certify to the board the amounts picked up and deducted and the employer defined contributions being made and shall send the total amount picked up, deducted and contributed together with a duplicate of such voucher to the secretary of the board every pay period or on such schedule as established by the board.

(d) New employees subject to mandatory membership or participation.--Upon the assumption of duties of each new school employee whose membership in the system or plan is mandatory, the employer shall no later than 30 days thereafter cause an application for membership or participation, which application shall include the employee's home address, birthdate certified by the employer, previous school or State service and any other information requested by the board, and a nomination of beneficiary to be made by such employee and filed with the board and shall make pickup contributions or mandatory pickup participant contributions from the effective date of school employment.

(e) New employees subject to optional membership or participation.--The employer shall inform any eligible school employee whose membership in the system or participation in the plan is not mandatory of his opportunity to become a member of the system or participant in the plan provided that he elects to purchase credit for all such continuous creditable service. If such employee so elects, the employer shall no later than 30 days thereafter cause an application for membership or participation which application shall include the employee's home address, birthdate certified by the employer, previous school or State service and any other information requested by the board, and a nomination of beneficiary to be made by him and filed with the board and shall cause proper contributions to be made from the date of election of membership or participation.

(f) Advising members of duties.--The employer shall advise his employees of their duties as members of the system and participants of the plan. Local school districts shall be held harmless from decisions made by the employee in this regard.

(g) Former State employee contributors.--The employer shall, upon the employment of a former member of the State Employees' Retirement System who is not an annuitant of the State Employees' Retirement System, advise such employee of his right to elect multiple service membership within 365 days of entry into the system and, in the case any such employee who so elects has withdrawn his accumulated deductions, require him to restore his accumulated deductions as they would have been at the time of his separation had he been a full coverage member, together with statutory interest for all periods of subsequent State and school service to date of repayment. The employer shall advise the board of such election.

(h) Former State employee annuitants.--The employer shall, upon the employment of an annuitant of the State Employees' Retirement System who applies for membership in the system, advise such employee that he may elect multiple service membership within 365 days of entry into the system and that if he so elects his annuity from the State Employees' Retirement System will be discontinued effective upon the date of his return to school service and, upon termination of school service and application for an annuity, the annuity will be adjusted in accordance with section 8346 (relating to termination of annuities). The employer shall advise the board of such election.

(i) Termination of service by members.--The employer shall, in the case of any member terminating school service, advise such member in writing of any benefits from the system to which he may be entitled under the provisions of this part and shall have the member prepare, on or before the date of termination of school service, one of the following three forms, a copy of which shall be given to the member and the original of which shall be filed with the board:

(1) An application for the return of accumulated deductions.

(2) An election to vest his retirement rights, if eligible, and, if he is a joint coverage member and so desires, an election to become a full coverage member and an agreement to pay within 30 days of the date of termination of service the lump sum required.

(3) An application for an immediate annuity, if eligible, and, if he is a joint coverage member and so desires, an election to become a full coverage member and an agreement to pay within 30 days of date of termination of service the lump sum required.

(j) Date of application for benefits.--Any application properly executed and filed with the employer under subsection (i) or properly executed and filed with the employer after termination of service shall be deemed to have been filed with the board on the date filed with the employer.

(k) School employees performing USERRA or military-related leave of absence.--The employer shall report to the board all of the following:

(1) Any school employee who:

(i) ceases to be an active member or active participant to perform USERRA service; or

(ii) is granted a leave of absence under 51 Pa.C.S. § 4102 (relating to leaves of absence for certain government employees) or a military leave of absence under 51 Pa.C.S. § 7302 (relating to granting military leaves of absence).

(2) The date on which the USERRA service, leave of absence or military leave of absence began.

(3) The date on which the school employee is reemployed from USERRA leave or returns after the leave of absence or military leave of absence, if applicable.

(4) Any other information the board may require.

(l) Differential wage payments and military leave of absence payments.--Notwithstanding the exclusion of differential wage payments as defined in IRC § 414(u)(12) from compensation under this part, the employer of any school employee on USERRA leave shall report differential wage payments made to the employee to the board, and the employer of any school employee on leave of absence under 51 Pa.C.S. § 4102 shall report any payment made to the employee in the form and manner established by the board.

(July 22, 1983, P.L.104, No.31, eff. imd.; Dec. 19, 1984, P.L.1191, No.226, eff. imd.; Dec. 20, 1995, P.L.689, No.77, eff. July 1, 1996; May 17, 2001, P.L.26, No.9; July 1, 2013, P.L.174, No.32, eff. July 1, 2013; Dec. 28, 2015, P.L.529, No.93, eff. imd.; June 12, 2017, P.L.11, No.5, eff. imd.)

2017 Amendment. Act 5 amended subsecs. (a), (d), (e), (f), (i) and (k) and added subsecs. (c.1) and (l).

2015 Amendment. Act 93 amended subsec. (c).

2001 Amendment. Act 9 amended subsecs. (c), (g) and (h), effective immediately as to subsec. (c) and July 1, 2001, as to the remainder of the section.

Cross References. Section 8506 is referred to in sections 8502, 8507 of this title.