2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 19. Public Retirement Systems › Chapter 20. Teachers' Retirement › Part 4. Creditable Service › 19-20-415. Procedure for purchase of service credit and pick up

19-20-415. Procedure for purchase of service credit and pick up.
(1) A member who wishes to redeposit, pursuant to 19-20-427, amounts previously withdrawn or who is eligible to purchase service credit pursuant to this part shall make the following series of elections to accomplish the redeposit or purchase:
(a) The member may elect a lump-sum payment, a series of installment payments, or a combination of lump-sum payments and installment payments.
(b) If a series of installment payments is elected by the member, the member may elect to pay the installments directly to the board or to have the installments paid by payroll deduction or the member may select a combination of both.
(c) With respect to installments payable by payroll deduction, if the member's employer has adopted the resolution described in subsection (2), the member shall complete the irrevocable written application to purchase service provided for in subsection (4). If the member's employer has not adopted the resolution, the member may elect only a revocable written application to purchase service.
(2) An employer may adopt a resolution to pick up and pay the member's elective contributions made pursuant to a binding, irrevocable written application. The contributions picked up by the employer must be payable from the same source as is used to pay compensation to the member. The resolution must contain the following statements:
(a) that the member contributions, even though designated as member contributions for state law purposes, are being paid by the employer in lieu of the contributions by the member; and
(b) that the member may not choose to receive the contributed amounts directly instead of having them paid by the employer to the system.
(3) (a) With respect to any member's elective contributions, the effective date of the employer pickup is the later of:
(i) the adoption of the employer's resolution; or
(ii) the date that the irrevocable written application is signed by both the member and the member's employer.
(b) The pickup does not apply to a contribution made before the effective date of the employer's resolution. A written application to purchase additional service that is in effect on the effective date of the employer's resolution is void, and the provisions of subsection (1) apply.
(4) The irrevocable written application to purchase service must be signed by the member and the member's employer and filed with the board. Subject to any maximum amounts or duration established by state or federal law, the irrevocable written application must specify:
(a) the amount of the deduction;
(b) the number of installments;
(c) the number of years and type of service that the member is purchasing; and
(d) that the contributions being picked up, although designated as member contributions, are being paid by the employer directly to the board in lieu of contributions by the member.
(5) The minimum duration of the installments required by subsection (4)(b) is 3 months, and the maximum duration is 5 years. The maximum number of years that may be purchased may not exceed the total number of years that the member is eligible to purchase.
(6) The irrevocable written application does not give the member the option of receiving the deduction amounts directly instead of having them paid by the employer to the system. A member may not prepay any amounts under a binding, irrevocable written application.
(7) If a member terminates or dies prior to completion of the installment payments, the binding, irrevocable written application expires and the board shall prorate the service credit purchased based upon the amount paid as of the date of termination or death. In the case of a termination, the member may make a lump-sum contribution for the balance of the service subject to the limitations of section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code. In the case of the member's death, the payment to purchase service may be made from the member's estate subject to the limitations of section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code.
History: En. Sec. 9, Ch. 111, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 45, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 320, L. 2005.