An Act To Allow Certain Police Officers To Return to Participation in the Maine Public Employees Retirement System
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0711
Committee: Labor and Housing
Sponsors: BALDACCI, DUNPHY, BAILEY, DESCHAMBAULT, DILL, CARDONE, COSTAIN, O'CONNELL

Legislative Document
No. 711
S.P. 276
In Senate, March 5, 2021
An Act To Allow Certain Police Officers To Return to Participation 
in the Maine Public Employees Retirement System
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on March 3, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Labor and Housing pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator BALDACCI of Penobscot.
Cosponsored by Representative DUNPHY of Old Town and
Senators: BAILEY of York, DESCHAMBAULT of York, DILL of Penobscot, 
Representatives: CARDONE of Bangor, COSTAIN of Plymouth, O'CONNELL of Brewer.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  Police officer eligible to return to Participating Local District 
Retirement Program.  Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 
18252-A, subsection 1 or any other provision of law to the contrary, a police officer who 
was a member of the Participating Local District Retirement Program and who, pursuant 
to section 18252-A, subsection 1, did not elect to remain a member of that program and is 
covered under a plan provided by the employer under Title 5, section 18252-B may elect 
to become a member of the Participating Local District Retirement Program under the 
following conditions:
1.  The police officer must elect to return to the Participating Local District Retirement 
Program before January 1, 2022;
2.  The police officer must, in accordance with Title 5, section 18358, purchase service 
credit for the period during which the police officer elected not to be a member of the 
Participating Local District Retirement Program or for the police officer's total years of 
service if the police officer so chooses at the time of the election; and
3.  The police officer must, in accordance with Title 5, section 18304, repay 
contributions withdrawn unless doing so would require the employer, without the 
employer's agreement, to make an employer contribution to both the Participating Local 
District Retirement Program and the plan provided by the employer under Title 5, section 
18252-B.
A police officer who becomes a member of the Participating Local District Retirement 
Program under this Act and who terminates service, except by death or by retirement, may, 
at that member's discretion, withdraw accumulated contributions in accordance with Title 
5, section 18306-A but may not thereafter become a member of that program while 
employed by the same employer.
SUMMARY
Current law states that a member of the Participating Local District Retirement 
Program on the date on which an employer offers an alternative retirement program may 
make a one-time irrevocable election to remain under that program or to join the alternative 
retirement plan offered by the employer. This bill allows police officers to make a one-time 
election to rejoin the Participating Local District Retirement Program under certain 
conditions.