AK Stat § 39.35.360 (2021)
2021 Alaska Statutes|Title 39. Public Officers and Employees|Chapter 35. Public Employees' Retirement System of Alaska|Article 6. Service.|Sec. 39.35.360. Earlier service.

(a) An employee who completes three years of credited service with the state after January 1, 1961, for which the employee makes contributions required by AS 39.35.095 - 39.35.680 is entitled to credited service for service rendered (1) before January 1, 1961, as an employee of the state and former Territory of Alaska; (2) before January 1, 1961, as an employee of the United States government in Alaska, excluding service in the armed forces of the United States; (3) after January 1, 1961, as a peace officer, correctional officer, or firefighter of a participating political subdivision of the state if the employee is vested and is an active peace officer, correctional officer, or firefighter in the plan on or before January 1, 1983; or (4) after January 1, 1961, as a special officer commissioned by the state troopers if the employee has not otherwise received credit for the service and if the employee was employed on or before January 1, 1983, is vested, and has been an active special officer, peace officer, correctional officer, or firefighter in the plan. The retirement benefits payable to an employee under this section shall be reduced by the amount of the retirement pension benefits paid to the employee by the United States government for the same period of service. (b) An employee who, under (a) of this section, is entitled to credited service for employment before January 1, 1961, is not required to make retroactive contributions under AS 39.35.095 - 39.35.680. (c) [Repealed, § 41 ch 146 SLA 1980.]  (d) [Repealed, § 2 ch 26 SLA 1974.]  (e) An employee of a detention facility provided by a local government unit to the territorial or state government under AS 33.30.031 or former AS 33.30.060, who continues in state employment upon transfer of the facility to the state, is entitled to credited service for prior service with the facility if the employee remains in continuous employment with the state until July 1, 1976. To obtain credited service the employee is required to make retroactive contributions for the period of service between January 1, 1961, and the effective date of the transfer of the facility to the state. (f) A surviving spouse receiving or entitled to receive a surviving spouse's pension under AS 39.35.440 or benefits under a joint and survivor option filed under AS 39.35.450 is eligible for increased benefits for any service credit authorized under (a) of this section, but not claimed or authorized by law before the employee's death. (g) An employee is eligible to receive up to 10 years of credited service for service rendered before July 1, 1979, as a temporary employee of the legislature of the state or territory during legislative sessions. To receive retroactive credited service under this subsection, an employee shall claim the service before July 1, 2003, or before retiring, whichever occurs first. When the employee claims the service, an indebtedness of the employee to the plan shall be established. For benefits that do not vary based on the amount of retroactive credited service, the indebtedness shall be established on the date the employee claims the credit, with interest accruing on the indebtedness beginning July 1, 2003. For benefits that vary based on the amount of retroactive credited service, the indebtedness shall be established on the date the employee retires, with interest accruing on the indebtedness beginning on the date of retirement. Any outstanding indebtedness that exists at the time the employee retires requires an actuarial adjustment to the benefits that are based upon retroactive credited service under this subsection. (h) An employee of the state is eligible to receive credited service under AS 39.35.300(b) for service rendered as a permanent part-time employee before January 1, 1976. When the employee claims retroactive credited service, an indebtedness of the employee to the plan shall be established. The amount of this indebtedness is equal to the contributions the employee would have made if the employee had been eligible for membership in the plan. The rate used to calculate the contributions may not be less than the rate in effect on January 1, 1961. Interest as prescribed by regulation accrues on the indebtedness beginning July 1, 1981, for employees claiming the service before that date, and beginning July 1, 1980, for employees claiming the service on or after July 1, 1981. Any outstanding indebtedness that exists at the time the employee retires requires an actuarial adjustment to the benefits that are based on retroactive credited service under this subsection. (i) An employee who completes three years of credited service with an employer, for which the employee makes contributions required by AS 39.35.095 - 39.35.680, is entitled to credited service on a year-for-year basis for service credited in the Civil Service Retirement System, rendered as an employee of an Alaska Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) school, other than service as a teacher. When eligibility for retroactive credited service under this subsection has been established, an indebtedness of the employee to the plan shall be determined as follows: (1) the employee's actual annual compensation, or the calculated annual compensation for an employee who works fewer than 12 months, for the most recent calendar year in which service is rendered to an employer before the calendar year in which the employee first becomes eligible to claim service under this subsection, multiplied by (2) the number of years of service in Alaska BIA schools that is credited under this subsection, and this product multiplied by (3) six percent for employees first eligible to claim this service before January 1, 1987, or eight and one-half percent for employees first eligible to claim this service on or after January 1, 1987. Interest as prescribed by regulation accrues on the indebtedness beginning on the date the employee may first claim the retroactive credited service. Any outstanding indebtedness that exists at the time the employee retires requires an actuarial adjustment to the benefits that are based on retroactive credited service under this subsection. A retirement benefit payable under this subsection for Alaska BIA service shall be reduced by an amount equal to the retirement benefits paid to the member by the United States government for the same service. (j) An employee who has not completed three years of credited service with an employer may claim credited service as an employee of an Alaska Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) school, other than service as a teacher under (i) of this section if, on the date of transfer of the Alaska BIA school to the state, the employee is employed at the school and needs fewer than three additional years of continuous full-time employment for normal retirement in the federal Civil Service Retirement System, and the employee completes a period of service with an employer, for which the employer makes contributions required by AS 39.35.095 - 39.35.680, equal to the additional period of service that would have been required for that employee's normal retirement under the federal Civil Service Retirement System. An employee who claims credited service under this subsection shall provide federal government verification of the employee's federal Civil Service Retirement System status when the claim is filed. (k) A vested member is eligible to receive credited service for employment after January 1, 1961, as a peace officer or firefighter in a municipality that is an employer under this plan but that was not an employer at the time of the employment. A vested member who claims retroactive credited service on or after July 1, 1988, is indebted to the plan. The amount of the indebtedness is the full actuarial cost of providing benefits for the credited service claimed. Interest as established by regulation accrues on the indebtedness under this subsection beginning the first of the month following establishment of the indebtedness. Any outstanding indebtedness that exists at the time the officer or firefighter retires requires an actuarial adjustment to the benefits that are based on retroactive credited service under this subsection. (l) An administrative director of the Alaska Court System who withdraws from the judicial retirement system under AS 22.25.012(b) is eligible for membership in the plan and shall receive credited service in this plan for service rendered as administrative director. To be eligible for membership in this plan under this subsection, the administrative director must contribute to the plan (1) the amount that would have been contributed if the administrative director had been a member during the period of the membership in the judicial retirement system; and (2) any contributions for service as administrative director refunded from the plan at the time the administrative director became a member of the judicial retirement system.