9-3-432. Law enforcement officers; contributions; benefit eligibility; service and disability benefits; death benefits; benefit options.

(a) Each law enforcement officer shall pay into the account eight and six-tenths percent (8.6%) of his salary to fund benefits provided to law enforcement officers. Any contribution required under this subsection or subsection (b) of this section shall be paid by the employer from the source of funds used to pay officer salaries in order to be treated as employer contributions for the sole purpose of determining tax treatment under the United States Internal Revenue Code, § 414(h). These payments by the employer are subject to W.S. 9-3-412(c).

(b) Each employer of a law enforcement officer covered under this article shall pay into the account a contribution equal to eight and six-tenths percent (8.6%) of the salary paid to each of its law enforcement officers covered under this article and may pay into the account any amount of the officer's share of contributions under subsection (a) of this section. Payments under this subsection shall be made monthly to the account in accordance with W.S. 9-3-413 and are subject to the penalties imposed under W.S. 9-3-413 for delinquent contributions. No additional contribution shall be imposed upon the state, any city, town or county for benefits provided law enforcement officers under this article.

(c) Normal retirement benefits are payable under this section to any law enforcement officer who:

(i) Has at least four (4) years of service credit as a law enforcement officer and is at least sixty (60) years of age; or

(ii) Has at least twenty (20) years of service credit as a law enforcement officer regardless of age.

(d) Early retirement benefits are payable to any law enforcement officer who has at least four (4) years but less than twenty (20) years of service credit and is at least fifty (50) years of age.

(e) The normal retirement benefit for a law enforcement officer under this section is equal to two and one-half percent (2.5%) of the highest average salary multiplied by the years of the officer's service credit, as determined under W.S. 9-3-417. The benefit under this subsection shall not exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of the officer's highest average salary. Notwithstanding W.S. 9-3-402(a)(xix), "highest average salary" as used in this section means the average annual salary of a law enforcement officer for the highest paid five (5) continuous years of service.

(f) The early retirement benefit payable under subsection (d) of this section is equal to the normal retirement benefit payable under subsection (e) of this section reduced to an actuarial equivalent amount as prescribed by rule and regulation of the board.

(g) Repealed By Laws 2012, Ch. 107, § 3.

(h) Notwithstanding W.S. 9-3-422, any law enforcement officer in service for which contributions have been paid because of a duty connected illness or injury, or except as otherwise provided under this subsection, any law enforcement officer with ten (10) years of service credit under this article because of a nonduty connected illness or injury, may retire on account of a total or partial disability in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the board. Any law enforcement officer previously covered under W.S. 15-5-301 through 15-5-314 and transferred under this article may because of a nonduty connected illness or injury and regardless of the number of years of service credit under this article, retire on account of total or partial disability. The board shall determine mental or physical incapacitation for disability retirement under this section in accordance with W.S. 9-3-422(a) and rules and regulation of the board, and the cost of any required examination or test shall be paid as provided by W.S. 9-3-422 and rule and regulation of the board. Any law enforcement officer receiving a nonduty-connected disability benefit under this section is subject to reporting, evaluation and excess earnings deduction requirements imposed under W.S. 9-3-423 and rule and regulation of the board. Upon retirement for a disability as determined and for which a member qualifies under this section, a law enforcement officer shall for the life of the officer or until the officer is no longer disabled, receive:

(i) For a partial or total duty connected disability incurred, a monthly retirement benefit for the period of qualified disability equal to sixty-two and one-half percent (62.5%) of his salary at the time the disability was incurred;

(ii) For a partial or total nonduty connected disability incurred, a monthly retirement benefit for the period of qualified disability equal to fifty percent (50%) of his salary at the time the disability was incurred.

(j) Notwithstanding W.S. 9-3-421, any surviving spouse of an officer who dies in the scope of employment shall receive a monthly payment equal to sixty-two and one-half percent (62.5%) of the officer's salary at the time of death, plus six percent (6%) of that salary for each child under age eighteen (18), not to exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the officer's salary. Any surviving spouse of an officer who dies outside of the scope of employment shall receive a monthly payment equal to fifty percent (50%) of the officer's salary at the time of death, plus six percent (6%) of that salary for each child under age eighteen (18), not to exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the officer's salary. Notwithstanding any other provision in this subsection, any surviving spouse of any officer who retired under W.S. 15-5-301 through 15-5-314 shall receive a monthly pension equal to two-thirds (2/3) of the pension the retired law enforcement officer was receiving at the time of his death, plus sixty dollars ($60.00) for each child under age eighteen (18), not to exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the officer's salary.

(k) Except as provided by subsection (j) of this section, benefits specified under W.S. 9-3-421 apply to beneficiaries of a deceased officer covered under this article.

(m) Instead of the service retirement benefits provided under this section, any officer may elect one (1) of the forms of retirement benefits specified under W.S. 9-3-420. Unless otherwise provided by a benefit option selected by the officer under W.S. 9-3-420, if an officer receiving benefits or his beneficiary receiving benefits under this section dies before the total amount of benefits paid to either the member or his beneficiary or both equals the amount of the officer's account at retirement, then the excess, if any, shall be paid to any other named beneficiary, if any, or to the officer's estate.

(n) Benefits shall not be payable under the system to the extent that they exceed the limitations imposed by section 415(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. The board shall provide any benefits in excess of the limitations under special pay plans authorized under W.S. 9-3-405(b) to the extent the benefits can be provided and the system retain qualified plan status under the Internal Revenue Code.

(o) Any peace officer as defined by W.S. 6-1-104(a)(vi)(P) shall be eligible for disability benefits and death benefits under this section if the peace officer s disabilities or death are duty connected. Contributions for the benefits shall be paid as follows:

(i) The department of state parks and cultural resources shall pay into the account from general or nongeneral fund sources a contribution equal to one percent (1%) of the salary paid to the officer. No additional contribution shall be imposed upon the state for benefits provided peace officers under this subsection;

(ii) Contributions under this subsection shall be made monthly to the account in accordance with W.S. 9-3-413 and are subject to the provisions of W.S. 9-3-413 for delinquent contributions;

(iii) Contributions under this subsection shall be paid by the employer from the source of funds used to pay peace officer salaries in order to be treated as employer contributions for the sole purpose of determining tax treatment under the United States Internal Revenue Code, § 414(h).