A. In lieu of the transitional severance benefit provided in § 2.2-3203, any otherwise eligible employee who, on the date of involuntary separation, is also (i) a vested member of the Virginia Retirement System, the State Police Officers' Retirement System, or the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System and (ii) at least 50 years of age, may elect to have the Commonwealth purchase on his behalf years to be credited to either his age or creditable service or a combination of age and creditable service, except that any years of credit purchased on behalf of a member of the Virginia Retirement System, the State Police Officers' Retirement System, or the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System who is eligible for unreduced retirement shall be added to his creditable service and not his age. If the otherwise eligible employee is (a) a person who becomes a member on or after July 1, 2010, a person who does not have 60 months of creditable service as of January 1, 2013, or a person who is enrolled in the hybrid retirement program described in § 51.1-169; (b) not a member of the State Police Officers' Retirement System or the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System; and (c) a person to whom the provisions of subdivision B 3 of § 51.1-153 do not apply, then he must be at least 60 years of age on the date of involuntary separation to be eligible for the retirement program provided in this subsection. The cost of each year of age or creditable service purchased by the Commonwealth shall be equal to 15 percent of the employee's present annual compensation. The number of years of age or creditable service to be purchased by the Commonwealth shall be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (1) the cash value of the benefits to which the employee would be entitled under subsections A and D of § 2.2-3203 by (2) the cost of each year of age or creditable service. Partial years shall be rounded up to the next highest year. Deferred retirement under the provisions of subsection C of §§ 51.1-153, 51.1-205, and 51.1-216, and disability retirement under the provisions of § 51.1-156 et seq. and § 51.1-209, shall not be available under this section.

B. In lieu of the (i) transitional severance benefit provided in § 2.2-3203 and (ii) the retirement program provided in subsection A, any employee who is otherwise eligible may take immediate retirement pursuant to § 51.1-155.1.

C. 1. The retirement allowance for a person who (i) is not a member of the State Police Officers' Retirement System or the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System; (ii) becomes a member on or after July 1, 2010, does not have 60 months of creditable service as of January 1, 2013, or is enrolled in the hybrid retirement program described in § 51.1-169; (iii) elects to retire under this section; and (iv) by adding years to his age is between ages 60 and the age at his "normal retirement date" as defined in § 51.1-124.3 shall be reduced on the actuarial basis provided in subdivision A 3 of § 51.1-155, unless the provisions of subdivision B 3 of § 51.1-153 apply to him.

2. The retirement allowance for any other employee electing to retire under this section who, by adding years to his age, is between ages 55 and 65 shall be reduced on the actuarial basis provided in subdivision A 2 of § 51.1-155.

1995, cc. 152, 811, § 2.1-116.24; 2000, c. 911; 2001, c. 844; 2011, c. 880; 2014, c. 356.