(a) Information on new employees.--Upon his assumption of duties, each new school employee shall furnish his employer with a complete record of his previous school or State service, or creditable nonschool service, proof of his date of birth, his home address, his current status in the system and the plan and in the State Employees' Retirement System and the State Employees' Defined Contribution Plan and such other information as the board may require. Willful failure to provide the information required by this subsection to the extent available or the provision of erroneous information upon entrance into the system or plan shall result in the forfeiture of the right of the member or participant to subsequently assert any right to benefits based on erroneous information or on any of the required information which he failed to provide. In any case in which the board finds that a member or participant is receiving an annuity based on false information, the additional amounts received predicated on such false information together with statutory interest doubled and compounded shall be deducted from the present value of any remaining benefits to which the member or participant is legally entitled and such remaining benefits shall be correspondingly decreased.

(b) Application for membership.--A new employee who is not currently a member of the system and whose membership is mandatory or a new employee whose membership in the system is not mandatory but who desires to become a member of the system shall execute an application for membership and a nomination of beneficiary.

(c) Multiple service membership.--Any active member who was formerly an active member in the State Employees' Retirement System may elect to become a multiple service member. Such election shall occur no later than 365 days after becoming an active member in this system. A school employee who is eligible to elect to become a multiple service member and who begins USERRA leave during the election period without having elected multiple service membership shall have the election period extended by the number of days on USERRA leave.

(d) Credit for previous service or change in membership status.--Any active member or multiple service member who is a State employee who desires to receive credit for his previous school service or creditable nonschool service to which he is entitled, or a member of Class T-A or Class T-B who desires to become a member of Class T-C, or a joint coverage member who desires to become a full coverage member shall so notify the board. Upon written agreement by the member and the board as to the manner of payment of the amount due, the member shall receive credit for such service as of the date of such agreement subject to the provisions of section 8325 (relating to incomplete payments) and subject to the provisions in this part relating to limitations under IRC § 415.

(d.1) School service for USERRA leave.--Any active member or inactive member who was reemployed from USERRA leave and who desires to receive school service credit for his USERRA leave shall notify the board within the time period required under 38 U.S.C. Ch. 43 (relating to employment and reemployment rights of members of the uniformed services) and IRC § 414(u) of his desire to make the required member contributions. Upon making the required member contributions within the allowed time period, the member shall receive credit for the service as of the date the contributions are made.

(d.2) Contributions for USERRA leave.--Any active participant or inactive participant or former participant who was reemployed from USERRA leave and who desires to make mandatory pickup participant contributions and voluntary contributions for his USERRA leave shall so notify the board within the time period required under 38 U.S.C. Ch. 43 (relating to employment and reemployment rights of members of the uniformed services) and IRC § 414(u) of his desire to make such contributions. Upon the participant making the permitted mandatory pickup participant contributions within the allowed time period, the employer shall make the corresponding employer defined contributions at the same time.

(d.3) Voluntary contributions by a participant.--Any participant who desires to make voluntary contributions to be credited to his individual investment account shall notify the board and, upon compliance with the requirements, procedures and limitations established by the board in the plan document, may do so subject to the limitations under IRC §§ 401(a) and 415 and other applicable law.

(e) Beneficiary for death benefits from system.--Every member shall nominate a beneficiary by written designation filed with the board to receive the death benefit or the benefit payable from the system under the provisions of Option 1. Such nomination may be changed at any time by the member by written designation filed with the board. A member may also nominate a contingent beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive the death benefit or the benefit payable under the provisions of Option 1.

(e.1) Beneficiary for death benefits from plan.--Every participant shall nominate a beneficiary by written designation filed with the board as provided in section 8506 (relating to duties of employers) to receive the death benefit payable under section 8408 (relating to death benefits). A participant may also nominate a contingent beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive the death benefit provided under section 8408. Such nominations may be changed at any time by the participant by written designation filed with the board.

(e.2) Beneficiary designation.--A school employee may designate or nominate different persons to be beneficiaries, survivor annuitants and successor payees for his benefits from the system and the plan.

(f) Termination of service by members.--Each member who terminates school service and who is not then a disability annuitant shall execute on or before the date of termination of service a written application, duly attested by the member or his legally constituted representative, electing to do one or more of the following:

(1) Withdraw his accumulated deductions.

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

(3) Receive an immediate annuity, if eligible, and may, if he is a joint coverage member, elect to become a full coverage member and agree to pay within 30 days of date of termination of service the lump sum required.

(g) Vesting of retirement rights.--If a member elects to vest his retirement rights, he shall nominate a beneficiary by written designation filed with the board and he may anytime thereafter withdraw the accumulated deductions standing to his credit or apply for an annuity if eligible as provided in section 8307(a) or (b) (relating to eligibility for annuities), provided that in no event shall a member begin receiving benefits on a date later than the required beginning date.

(g.1) Deferral of retirement rights.--If a participant terminates school service and does not commence receiving a distribution, he shall nominate a beneficiary by written designation filed with the board, and he may anytime thereafter, but no later than his required beginning date, withdraw the vested accumulated total defined contributions standing to his credit or apply for another form of distribution required by law or authorized by the board.

(h) Vestees attaining superannuation age.--Upon attainment of superannuation age a vestee shall execute and file within 90 days an application for an annuity. Any application filed after such 90 day period shall be effective as of the date it is filed with the board, subject to the provisions of section 8505(g) (relating to duties of board regarding applications and elections of members), provided that in no event shall a member begin receiving benefits on a date later than the required beginning date. If a vestee does not file an application within seven years after attaining superannuation age, he shall be deemed to have elected to receive his accumulated deductions upon attainment of superannuation age.

(i) Failure to apply for annuity.--If a member is eligible to receive an annuity from the system and does not file a proper application within 90 days of termination of service, he shall be deemed to have elected to vest, and his annuity will become effective as of the date an application is filed with the board or the date designated on the application whichever is later, provided that in no event shall a member begin receiving benefits on a date later than the required beginning date.

(j) Nomination of beneficiary or survivor annuitant.--A member who is eligible and elects to receive a reduced annuity under Option 1, 2, 3, or 4, shall nominate a beneficiary or a survivor annuitant, as the case may be, by written designation filed with the board at the time of his retirement. A member who has elected Option 1, may change his designated beneficiary at any time. A member having designated a survivor annuitant at time of retirement shall not be permitted to nominate a new survivor annuitant unless such survivor annuitant predeceases him or unless the member is awarded a divorce or becomes married subsequent to the election of the option. In such cases, the annuitant shall have the right to reelect an option and to nominate a beneficiary or a new survivor annuitant and to have his annuity recomputed to be actuarially equivalent as of the date of recomputation to the annuity in effect immediately prior to the recomputation. In no other case shall a benefit plan be changed by an annuitant.

(k) Disability annuities.--If service of a member is terminated due to his physical or mental incapacity for the performance of duty, in lieu of an application and election under subsection (f), an application for a disability annuity may be executed by him or by a person legally authorized to act on his behalf.

(July 22, 1983, P.L.104, No.31, eff. imd.; Dec. 19, 1984, P.L.1191, No.226, eff. imd.; Apr. 29, 1994, P.L.159, No.29, eff. 60 days; May 17, 2001, P.L.26, No.9, eff. July 1, 2001; Nov. 23, 2010, P.L.1269, No.120, eff. imd.; 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 the section heading and subsecs. (a), (c), (e), (f) and (i) and added subsecs. (d.2), (d.3), (e.1), (e.2) and (g.1).

2015 Amendment. Act 93 amended subsecs. (d), (g), (h) and (i).

2013 Amendment. Act 32 amended subsec. (c) and added subsec. (d.1).

2001 Amendment. See sections 29 and 36.1 of Act 9 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to election of multiple service membership in Public School Employees' Retirement System and applicability of amendment to Public School Employees' Retirement System members.

1994 Amendment. Act 29 amended subsecs. (f), (h) and (k).

1984 Amendment. Act 226 reenacted subsec. (b), retroactive to January 1, 1983.

Cross References. Section 8507 is referred to in sections 8342, 8344 of this title.