An Act To Update the Laws Governing the Maine Public Employees Retirement System as They Relate to Wartime Veterans
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1515
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: WARD, FECTEAU, FREDETTE, HOBBINS, HUBBELL, LUCHINI, PICKETT, VACHON
Amends: 5 MRSA §17760, 5 MRSA §18360

Legislative Document 
No. 1515 
H.P. 1040 
House of Representatives, January 6, 2016 
An Act To Update the Laws Governing the Maine Public Employees 
Retirement System as They Relate to Wartime Veterans 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative WARD of Dedham. 
Cosponsored by Representatives: FECTEAU of Biddeford, FREDETTE of Newport, 
HOBBINS of Saco, HUBBELL of Bar Harbor, LUCHINI of Ellsworth, PICKETT of Dixfield, 
VACHON of Scarborough. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §17760, sub-§3, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 693, §3, is 
amended to read: 
C.  For purposes of this subsection, "federally recognized period of conflict" means 
World War I, April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918 or to March 31, 1920 if service 
was in Russia; World War II, December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946; the Korean 
Conflict, June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955; the Vietnam War, August 5, 1964 to 
May 7, 1975 and the period beginning on February 28, 1961 and ending on May 7, 
1975 in the case of a veteran who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that 
period; and operations in Lebanon, August 21, 1982 to February 26, 1984; Operation 
Urgent Fury, October 25, 1983 to November 2, 1983; the Persian Gulf War, August 7 
2, 1990 to April 6, 1991; Operation Enduring Freedom, October 7, 2001 to December 
28, 2014; Operation Iraqi Freedom, March 19, 2003 to August 31, 2010; Operation 
New Dawn, September 1, 2010 to the date that the United States Government 
recognizes as the end of the Persian Gulf War Operation New Dawn; and Operation 
Freedom's Sentinel, January 1, 2015 to the date that the United States Government 
recognizes as the end of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. 
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §18360, sub-§2, ¶E, as amended by PL 2007, c. 249, §29, is 
further amended to read: 
E.  Except as provided in paragraph I, a member who served in the armed forces 
during any federally recognized period of conflict, is entitled to service credit under 
this subsection.  For purposes of this paragraph, "federally recognized period of 
conflict" means World War I, April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918 or to March 31, 
1920 if service was in Russia; World War II, December 7, 1941 to December 31, 
1946; the Korean Conflict, June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955; the Vietnam War, 
August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975 and the period beginning on February 28, 1961 and 
ending on May 7, 1975 in the case of a veteran who served in the Republic of 
Vietnam during that period; and operations in Lebanon, August 21, 1982 to February 
26, 1984; Operation Urgent Fury, October 25, 1983 to November 2, 1983; the Persian 
Gulf War, August 7 2, 1990 to April 6, 1991; Operation Enduring Freedom, October 
7, 2001 to December 28, 2014; Operation Iraqi Freedom, March 19, 2003 to August 
31, 2010; Operation New Dawn, September 1, 2010 to the date that the United States 
Government recognizes as the end of the Persian Gulf War Operation New Dawn; 
and Operation Freedom's Sentinel, January 1, 2015 to the date that the United States 
Government recognizes as the end of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. 
SUMMARY 
Current law allows members of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System to 
purchase military time to add those years to their years of creditable service for purposes 
of calculating their retirement benefits.  The cost of purchasing military time depends in 
part on whether a member served during a federally recognized period of conflict.  This 
bill updates the definition of "federally recognized period of conflict" to include service 
during operations in Lebanon, August 21, 1982 to February 26, 1984; operations in 
Grenada, October 25, 1983 to November 2, 1983; the Persian Gulf War, August 2, 1990 
to April 6, 1991; and operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, October 7, 2001 to the present.