(a) Limitation regarding annual benefit under IRC § 415.--

(1) (i) Notwithstanding any provisions of this part to the contrary, no benefit shall be payable to the extent that such benefit exceeds any limitation under IRC § 415 in effect with respect to governmental plans as the term is defined in IRC § 414(d) on the date the benefit payment becomes effective, provided, however, that any increase in any limitation under IRC § 415 shall be applicable to all current and future annuitants. No act of the General Assembly enacted after the effective date of this section that increases benefits under this part either for active members, inactive members, vestees or annuitants shall be deemed by the rules of statutory construction or otherwise to provide for benefits in excess of any limitation, as adjusted or subsequently increased, provided for under IRC § 415 unless specifically so provided by act of the General Assembly.

(ii) Notwithstanding subparagraph (i), any increase in benefits for any members of the system after the effective date of this section are intended to be applicable to the fullest extent allowed by law and this section authorizes any such increases in limitations or allowable benefits.

(2) In the event that annuities payable to a member from both the system and the Public School Employees' Retirement System are combined for purposes of determining whether annuities from the system and the Public School Employees' Retirement System are in excess of the limitations under IRC § 415(b), then:

(i) to the extent that the combined benefits exceed such limitations, but neither of the annuities from either the system or the Public School Employees' Retirement System would individually exceed such limitations, or the annuities payable under this part individually exceed such limitations and the annuity payable from the Public School Employees' Retirement System does not, then the limitations shall be applied to the annuities payable under this part to the extent required for such combined benefits to be within the limitations; or

(ii) to the extent that the annuity payable from the Public School Employees' Retirement System exceeds such limitation and the annuity from this part does not, or the annuities payable from the system and the Public School Employees' Retirement System individually exceed the limitations, then the limitation shall be applied first to the annuity payable from the Public School Employees' Retirement System so that the annuity from the Public School Employees' Retirement System is not in excess of such limitations and any remaining limitation will be applied to the benefits payable under this part.

(b) Vesting in event of plan termination.--

(1) In the event of termination of the system or upon complete discontinuance of contributions under this part, the rights of all members of the system to benefits accrued under this part to the date of such termination or discontinuance, to the extent then funded, and the amounts credited to the members' savings account are vested and nonforfeitable, except as allowed under the act of July 8, 1978 (P.L.752, No.140), known as the Public Employee Pension Forfeiture Act, and by or pursuant to section 16(b) of Article V of the Constitution of Pennsylvania or any provision of this part and any such member shall be eligible to be a vestee under section 5309 (relating to eligibility for vesting) or receive an annuity under section 5308(a) or (b) (relating to eligibility for annuities) without regard to any requirement that the member needs a specified number of eligibility points or years of credited service to be eligible to be a vestee or receive an annuity.

(2) This subsection shall not apply to benefits or contributions which, pursuant to the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury or his delegate to preclude the discrimination prohibited by IRC § 401(a)(4) as in effect on September 1, 1974, may not be used for such designated employees in the event of early termination of the system.

(c) Permissive service credit.--Nothing in this part shall be construed or deemed to imply that any member of the system shall be required to make contributions to the system for the purchase of State or nonstate permissive service credit in excess of the limits established by IRC § 415(n)(3)(A)(iii). Any contributions made by a member of the system for the purchase of State or nonstate service credit which are determined to be in excess of those limits shall be refunded to the member in a lump sum subject to withholding for all applicable taxes and penalties as soon as administratively possible after the determination is made. Any refund of excess contributions made under this section shall not affect the benefit payable to the member and shall not be treated as or deemed to be a withdrawal of the member's accumulated deductions.

(d) References to Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.--References in this part to provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Public Law 99-514, 26 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.) or the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-353, 108 Stat. 3149), including for this purpose administrative regulations promulgated under the acts, are intended to include such laws and regulations as are in effect on the effective date of this section and as they may be amended or supplemented or supplanted by successor provisions after the effective date of this section.

(e) Construction and administration of part.--This part shall be construed and administered in such a manner that the system shall satisfy the requirements necessary to qualify as a qualified pension plan under IRC § 401(a) and other applicable provisions of the IRC. The rules, regulations and procedures adopted and promulgated by the board under section 5902(h) (relating to administrative duties of the board) may include those necessary to accomplish the purpose of this section.

(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 subsec. (d).

2015 Amendment. Act 93 added section 5955.2.