(a) Eligibility.--An active member or inactive member on leave without pay who was an employee transferred from the Department of Education to the Department of Corrections pursuant to section 908-B of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, and who on the effective date of that transfer did not participate in an independent retirement program approved by the Department of Education under 24 Pa.C.S. § 8301(a)(1) (relating to mandatory and optional membership in the system and participation in the plan) or section 5301(a)(12) (relating to mandatory and optional membership in the system and participation in the plan), notwithstanding any other provision of law or any collective bargaining agreement, arbitration award, contract or term or conditions of any retirement system or pension plan, may make a one-time election to convert all service credited in the Public School Employees' Retirement System as of June 30, 1999, and transfer to the system all accumulated member contributions and statutory interest credited in the members' savings account in the Public School Employees' Retirement System as of June 30, 1999, plus statutory interest on that amount credited by the Public School Employees' Retirement System from July 1, 1999, to the date of transfer to the system.

(b) Time for making election.--An election pursuant to subsection (a) must be made by the member filing written notice with the board on or before 90 days after the effective date of this section or before the member terminates State service, whichever occurs first.

(c) Effect of election.--An election to have credited service and accumulated deductions in the Public School Employees' Retirement System transferred to the system shall become effective when the election is filed with the board. If a member elects to transfer credited service from the Public School Employees' Retirement System to the system, then all school service and nonschool service credited in the Public School Employees' Retirement System on June 30, 1999, shall be converted to State service and nonstate service respectively and credited in the system in accordance with section 5306(d) (relating to classes of service). All accumulated member contributions and statutory interest credited in the members' savings account in the Public School Employees' Retirement System on June 30, 1999, plus statutory interest on that amount credited by the Public School Employees' Retirement System from July 1, 1999, to the date of transfer to the system shall be transferred to the system and credited in the members' savings account in the system. School service which would have been service as a corrections officer as defined in section 5102 (relating to definitions) had the employee been a member of the system at the time it was performed shall be credited as corrections officer service. After the effective date of the conversion, the converted service shall not be considered school or nonschool service for any purpose, but shall be considered State and nonstate service for all purposes.

(d) Effect of failure to make election.--Failure to elect to convert school service and nonschool service to State service and nonstate service within the election period set forth in subsection (b) shall result in the credited service in the Public School Employees' Retirement System not being converted. Transferred employees who do not elect to convert school service and nonschool service shall not have the opportunity to make a subsequent conversion election should they later obtain different employment in the Department of Corrections or other State employment eligible for membership in the system.

(e) Transfer.--Within 180 days after the effective date of this subsection, the Public School Employees' Retirement System shall transfer to the board for each member electing to convert under this section the accumulated member contributions and statutory interest credited in the Public School Employees' Retirement System, plus an amount equal to the value of all annual employer contributions made to the Public School Employees' Retirement System with interest at the annual rate adopted by the board for the calculation of the normal contribution rate under section 5508(b) (relating to actuarial cost method), from the date of each contribution to the date of the transfer of the funds to the board. Any debt owed by a member to the Public School Employees' Retirement System for whatever reason shall be transferred to the system and shall be paid in a manner and in accordance with conditions prescribed by the board.

(f) Determination of additional actuarial liability for converted school service.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this part or other law, as part of the first annual valuation made after the effective date of this section, the board shall determine the total additional actuarial accrued liability resulting from the conversion of service under this section. The Department of Corrections shall pay the amount of the additional actuarial accrued liability to the board in one lump sum within 180 days of the board's certification of the amount to the Department of Corrections.

(Apr. 23, 2002, P.L.272, No.38, eff. imd.; June 12, 2017, P.L.11, No.5, eff. imd.)

2017 Amendment. Act 5 amended subsec. (a).

2002 Amendment. Act 38 added section 5303.2. See section 22 of Act 38 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to cancellation of service in other retirement systems.

Cross References. Section 5303.2 is referred to in sections 5102, 5302, 5303, 5304, 5306, 5708.8, 5904, 5933, 5934 of this title.