An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Purchase of Military Time Served under the Maine State Retirement System (AFfER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1836
Committee: Labor
Sponsors: DUPREY, STANLEY, BREAULT, COLLINS, GOODWIN, LANDRY, LUNDEEN, PEAVEY-HASKELL, MARTIN, MAYO
Amends: 5 MRSA §17760

12lst MAINE LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 1836 
H.P. l360 
House of Representatives, January 30,2004 
An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Purchase of Military Time 
Served under the Maine State Retirement System 
(AFfER DEADLINE) 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205. 
Reference to the Committee on Labor suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative DUPREY of Medway. 
Cosponsored by Senator STANLEY of Penobscot and 
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/J7.1J?I!£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BREAULT of Buxton, COLLINS of Wells, GOODWIN of Pembroke, 
LANDRY of Sanford, LUNDEEN of Mars Hill, PEAVEY-HASKELL of Greenbush, 
Senators: MARTIN of Aroostook, MAYO of Sagadahoc. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §17760, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2001, c. 114, 
§§l to 3, is further amended to read: 
2. 
Service before becoming a member. A member who served as 
a full-time active duty member of the aFmea-feEees United States 
Armed Forces before becoming a member of the retirement system is 
entitled to service credit for the period of time ae that the 
member served in the armed forces, under the following terms and 
conditions. 
A. 
Except as provided 
retirement, 
the 
member 
creditable service. 
in paragraph 
must 
have 
at 
G, 
on 
least 
the date 
years 
of 
of 
C. 
The member must have separated 
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unde r 
dishonorable. 
from the 
aEmea--~Fees 
conditions 
other 
than 
D. 
Except as provided in paragraph E, the member must have 
begun membership before January 1, 1976. 
E. 
Except as provided in paragraph G, 
a member who served 
in the aFmeEi-.feEees United States Armed Forces during any 
federally recognized period of conflict, 
as-aefiBea-iB-~i~±e 
~ +-B T - 6 ee t.i eR"': .§.G4"7 - -s-uf:>.s.e.£-t.-i-€ffi- -4-,--pa-Fa<J-F-aJ!h- -A-J:. r - s ~ap a F aE3 F a pa 
~~t who 
is certified to 
be 
a 
wartime 
veteran 
by 
the 
Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, 
Bureau of Veterans' Seryices, 
Forces Expeditionary Medal, is 
under this subsection. 
or who was awarded an Armed 
enti tIed to service credit 
F. 
Upon complete payment of the back contributions under 
section 17713, 
the member saall must be granted service 
credit for the period of time for which the contributions 
have been made. 
Upon making partial payment of the back 
contributions under section 17713, the member saall must be 
granted service credit on a pro rata basis in accordance 
with rules adopted by the board. 
G. 
A member who fails to meet one or more of the terms and 
conditions required under paragraphs A, D and E may purchase 
service credit as provided in this paragraph. 
The member 
must have at least 5 years of creditable service and, before 
any retirement benefit becomes effective for that member, 
must pay into the Members' Contribution Fund, by a single 
direct payment or annual direct payments to the retirement 
system, 
an amount that, together with regular interest on 
that amount, is the actuarial equivalent, at the effective 
date of 
the 
retirement benefit, 
of 
the portion of 
the 
retirement 
benefit 
based 
on 
the 
additional 
creditable 
service. 
Annual direct payments must be made in accordance 
Page l-LR2648(1) 
with section 17701, subsection 4. 
Any member who purchases 
service 
credit 
under 
this 
paragraph 
who 
subsequently, 
without inclusion of the purchased service credit and prior 
to retirement, meets the terms and conditions of paragraphs 
A, D and E is entitled to purchase the service credit under 
section 17713, subsection 2 and to receive a refund of the 
amount paid under this paragraph that exceeds the cost to 
purchase the service credit under section 17713. 
SUMMARY 
This bill clarifies that 
a 
member 
of 
the 
Maine 
State 
Retirement System who was awarded an Armed Forces Expeditionary 
Medal is entitled to purchase service credit that is calculated 
at the contribution rate in effect during the member's period of 
service in the United States Armed Forces. 
This bill also replaces a reference to "federally recognized 
period of conflict," which was contained in a section of law that 
was repealed.