2023 Arizona Revised Statutes › Title 38 - Public Officers and Employees › § 38-885.01 - Reverse deferred retirement option plan; purpose

38-885.01.
Reverse deferred retirement option plan;  purpose
A. A reverse deferred retirement option plan is established. The purpose of the reverse deferred retirement option plan is to add flexibility to the plan and to provide members who elect to participate in the reverse deferred retirement option plan access to a lump sum benefit in addition to their normal monthly retirement benefit on actual retirement.
B. The board shall offer the reverse deferred retirement option plan to members on a voluntary basis as an alternative method of benefit accrual under the plan.
C. Any member who is eligible for a normal pension pursuant to section 38-885,  who is not awarded an accidental,  ordinary or total and permanent disability pension and who has at least twenty-four years of credited service,  or in the case of a dispatcher,  who has at least twenty-five years of credited service,  is eligible to participate in the reverse deferred retirement option plan.
D. A member who elects to participate in the reverse deferred retirement option plan shall voluntarily and irrevocably:
1. Designate a reverse deferred retirement option plan date that is the first day of the calendar month immediately following a member's completion of twenty-four years of credited service or a date not more than sixty consecutive months before the date the member elects to participate in the reverse deferred retirement option plan,  whichever is later.
2. Agree to terminate employment on the date the member elects to participate in the reverse deferred retirement option plan.
3. Receive benefits from the plan on termination of employment at the same time and in the same manner as otherwise prescribed in this article using the factors of credited service and average monthly salary in effect on the reverse deferred retirement option plan date.
E. On election,  a reverse deferred retirement option plan participation account is established within the plan on behalf of each reverse deferred retirement option plan participant. All benefits accrued pursuant to this article shall be accounted for in the reverse deferred retirement option plan participation account. A reverse deferred retirement option plan participant does not have a claim on the assets of the plan with respect to the member's reverse deferred retirement option plan participation account and assets shall not be set aside for any reverse deferred retirement option plan participant that are separate from all other system assets.
F. All amounts credited to a member's reverse deferred retirement option plan participation account are fully vested.
G. A member's reverse deferred retirement option plan participation account shall be credited with the following:
1. An amount that is credited as though accrued monthly from the reverse deferred retirement option plan date to the date the member elected to participate in the reverse deferred retirement option plan and that is computed in the same manner as a normal retirement benefit using the factors of credited service and average monthly salary in effect on the reverse deferred retirement option plan date.
2. An amount that is credited as though accrued monthly and that represents interest at a rate equal to the yield on a five year treasury note as of the first day of the month as published by the federal reserve board.
H. Employee and employer contributions pursuant to section 38-891 that are deposited during the period of the reverse deferred retirement option plan are not eligible to be refunded to the employer or member.
I. The participant is not entitled to receive any amount prescribed by section 38-906 during the reverse deferred retirement option plan participation period.
J. The form of payment shall be a lump sum distribution that is directly deposited in an account created for the member in the public safety personnel defined contribution retirement plan established pursuant to article 4.1 of this chapter. On deposit of the lump sum payment,  the member shall immediately be able to either withdraw all or any portion of the lump sum deposit or directly transfer all or any portion of the lump sum deposit to an eligible retirement plan as required by section 401(a)(31) of the internal revenue code.
K. The reverse deferred retirement option plan shall not jeopardize in any way the tax qualified status of the plan under the rules of the internal revenue service. The board may adopt additional provisions to the extent necessary or appropriate for the reverse deferred retirement option plan to comply with applicable federal laws or rules.