(a) General rule.--A State employee who was not eligible to make an election under section 5306.5 (relating to election by active members to become a Class A-5 member, Class A-6 member or plan participant) and who otherwise is eligible for Class A-5 membership who has not previously elected or declined to elect Class A-6 membership or to be solely a participant in the plan may elect to become either a member of Class A-6 or solely a participant in the plan.

(b) Time for making election.--The election to become a Class A-6 member or solely a participant in the plan must be made by the member filing written notice with the board in a form and manner determined by the board no later than 45 days after notice from the board of the member's eligibility to elect Class A-6 membership or to be solely a participant in the plan. This notice shall be given upon a State employee first beginning State service in a position eligible to be a member of the system that is not as a Class A-5 exempt employee. A State employee who is eligible to elect to become a Class A-6 member or solely a participant in the plan who begins USERRA leave during the election period without having elected Class A-6 membership or to be solely a participant in the plan will have the election period extended by the number of days on USERRA leave.

(c) Effect of election to be a Class A-6 member.--An election to become a Class A-6 member shall be irrevocable and shall become effective on the effective date of membership in the system and shall remain in effect for all future creditable State service, other than service performed as a Class A-5 exempt employee. Payment and adjustment of regular member contributions and mandatory pickup participant contributions for Class A-5 State service and for Class A-6 State service performed prior to the election of Class A-6 membership shall be made in a form, manner and time determined by the board. Upon termination and subsequent reemployment, a member who elected Class A-6 membership shall be credited as a Class A-6 member for creditable State service performed after reemployment, except as a Class A-5 exempt employee, regardless of termination of employment, termination of membership by withdrawal of accumulated deductions or status as an annuitant, vestee or inactive member after the termination of service.

(d) Effect of election to be solely a participant in the plan.--An election to become solely a participant in the plan shall be irrevocable and shall become effective on the date that membership in the system would have been effective had the election not been made and shall remain in effect for all future State service, other than service performed as a Class A-5 exempt employee. Adjustment of regular member contributions for Class A-5 State service and payment of mandatory participant pickup contributions for service solely as a participant in the plan performed prior to the election shall be made in a form, manner and time determined by the board. Upon termination and subsequent reemployment, a State employee who elected to be solely a participant in the plan shall resume active participation for State service performed after reemployment, except as a Class A-5 exempt employee, regardless of termination of employment, termination of participation by a partial or total distribution of vested total defined contributions or status as an annuitant, vestee or inactive member of the system as a Class A-5 exempt employee after the termination of service.

(e) Effect of failure to make election.--Failure to elect to become a Class A-6 member or solely a participant in the plan within the election period set forth in subsection (b) shall result in all of the member's State service not performed as a Class A-5 exempt employee being credited as Class A-5 service and not subject to further election or crediting as Class A-6 service or solely as a participant in the plan. Upon termination and subsequent employment, a member who failed to elect to become a Class A-6 member or solely a participant in the plan shall not be eligible to make another election to become a Class A-6 member or solely a participant in the plan for either past or future State service.

(June 12, 2017, P.L.11, No.5, eff. imd.; July 2, 2019, P.L.434, No.72, eff. 60 days)

2019 Amendment. Act 72 amended subsecs. (c) and (d). See section 6.2 of Act 72 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to severability.

2017 Amendment. Act 5 added section 5306.4.

Cross References. Section 5306.4 is referred to in sections 5301, 5306 of this title.