2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 24 - GOVERNMENT - STATE (§§ 24-1-101 — 24-116-102) › PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEMS (§§ 24-51-101 — 24-54.8-204) › Article 51 - Public Employees' Retirement Association (§§ 24-51-101 — 24-51-1748) › Part 17 - DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS DIVISION (§§ 24-51-1701 — 24-51-1748) › Section 24-51-1704 - Service credit

(1)
"Accredited service", as used in the determination of benefits, allowed or allowable, shall include the following:
(a)
Subject to the express limitations in this section, all periods of employment with the district or with a charter school as a regular employee for which the employee received or receives payments in accordance with annual compensation.
(b)
All periods of employment with the district or with a charter school as a casual employee prior to the effective date of retirement for which the employee received or receives wages or salary from the district; except that no period of employment as a casual employee shall be counted as accredited service if such employee during such period is also a regular employee.
(c)
Leaves of absence or permitted absences commencing prior to July 1, 1962, as governed by the DPS plan document.
(d)
Leaves of absence or permitted absences commencing on or after July 1, 1962, under the following conditions:
(I)
A leave of absence for service in the United States armed forces, study, travel, or research shall count as accredited service if the entire period of said leave qualifies as contributing service.
(II)
If said leave is a sabbatical leave or a leave for restoration of health on a half-salary basis and if the normal contribution is based on the full annual compensation of the member and the leave qualifies as contributing service, then the entire period of such leave shall count as accredited service. If, however, the normal contribution is based only on a fraction of the annual compensation, then said fraction shall be multiplied by the total period of such leave to determine the portion of the leave that shall count as accredited service.
(III)
(A)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this subparagraph (III), an absence due to a temporary total disability compensable in accordance with the "Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado", articles
40
to
47
of title
8
, C.R.S., shall be deemed accredited service only in accordance with the provisions of this sub-subparagraph (A).
(B)
The portion of an absence due to a temporary total disability for which the employee is compensated by the district in accordance with its policies pertaining thereto from time to time shall be considered accredited service. If, however, the normal contribution is based only on a fraction of the annual compensation, then the fraction shall be multiplied by the total period of such leave to determine the portion of the leave that shall count as accredited service.
(C)
The portion of an absence due to a temporary total disability for which the employee is not compensated in the manner provided in sub-subparagraph (B) of this subparagraph (III) but for which the employee receives workers' compensation shall be considered accredited service only if qualified as such within the earlier of two years after the employee's return to work full time or thirty days prior to the effective date of the employee's retirement. Such qualification shall be accomplished by payment into the DPS plan of an amount equal to the normal contributions and pension assessments, together with interest as calculated, and within the time limits determined by the association board and computed as of the date the agreement to pay is made, for the portion of the absence covered by this sub-subparagraph (C) in accordance with subparagraph (VI) of this paragraph (d).
(D)
This subparagraph (III) shall become effective on January 1, 1986, and shall apply to absences covered by its terms that begin on or after that date.
(IV)
No portion of a period of absence for illness where said period exceeds fifteen consecutive working days, for which period no payments in accordance with the employee's annual compensation were made, shall count as accredited service.
(V)
Any other type of permitted absence not specified in this section may not be counted as accredited service unless the board of education, at the time such permitted absence is authorized, specifies that the time spent on such permitted absence shall be counted as accredited service for purposes of this retirement plan, subject to the requirement that the entire period of said absence shall qualify as contributing service. Notwithstanding this subparagraph (V), any such absence which is less than sixteen consecutive working days shall be counted as accredited service.
(VI)
The normal contribution for all permitted absences other than those compensated in any way by the district shall be based upon the annual compensation in effect immediately prior to the date of commencement of such absence.
(VII)
Service accrual for all permitted absences shall be consistent with service accruals that were allowed under this retirement plan immediately preceding the permitted absence. This shall include, without limitation, the retirement plan and associated rule definitions and provisions applicable to service accrual for job-sharing assignments as of any given date.
(e)
Leaves of absences or permitted absence commencing on or after January 1, 1980, which can qualify as accredited service in accordance with this subsection (1), must be qualified as contributing service within two years from the date the employee returns to work. On and after January 1, 1998, leaves of absence that are qualified as contributing service shall be qualified in accordance with provisions of the DPS plan document.
(f)
A person employed in a job-sharing assignment shall receive earned service accruals appropriate to reduce such service to its equivalent in full-time service.
(g)
A leave of absence granted to an employee to allow that employee to work in a charter school shall not count as accredited service unless the period of time spent in charter school employment is covered as contributing or affiliate membership, in which case the service shall be covered pursuant to the requirements of such membership.
L. 2009: Entire part added, (SB 09 -282), ch. 288, p. 1362, § 56, effective 1/1/2010.