38-842.01. Benefit election; eligibility; disability; death; employees hired on or after July 1, 2017

A. An employee who is hired on or after July 1, 2017 and who was not an active, an inactive or a retired member of the system or a member of the system with a disability on June 30, 2017 is eligible to participate in the system or the public safety personnel defined contribution retirement plan established pursuant to article 4.1 of this chapter, depending on the employee's election under this section. The employee's participation in either the system or the public safety personnel defined contribution retirement plan established pursuant to article 4.1 of this chapter begins ninety days after the date the employee is hired. Unless the elections made under this section are made before the ninetieth day after the date of employment, the employee is automatically enrolled in the system for the remainder of the employee's employment with any employer under the system. Any election made under this section is irrevocable and is the employee's election for the remainder of the employee's employment with any employer under the system, regardless of whether the employee's employment is continuous. The employee may make one of the following irrevocable elections:

1. To participate solely in the system.

2. To participate solely in the public safety personnel defined contribution retirement plan established pursuant to article 4.1 of this chapter.

B. An employee who makes an election to participate solely in the system or is automatically enrolled in the system pursuant to subsection A of this section and who is not covered by the federal old age and survivors insurance system is also enrolled in the public safety personnel defined contribution retirement plan established pursuant to article 4.1 of this chapter during any period that the employee is not covered by the federal old age and survivors insurance system through an employer under the system. If such employee is subsequently covered by the federal old age and survivors insurance system, the employee and the employer may not make any contributions on the employee's behalf to the public safety personnel defined contribution retirement plan established pursuant to article 4.1 of this chapter that are described in section 38-867, subsection A, paragraph 1 or subsection B during the period the employee is covered by the federal old age and survivors insurance system. If at any later time the employee is not covered by the federal old age and survivors insurance system through an employer under the system, the employee and the employer shall again be required to contribute on behalf of the employee to the public safety personnel defined contribution retirement plan established pursuant to article 4.1 of this chapter as required by section 38-867, subsection A, paragraph 1 and, if the employee made an irrevocable election to contribute more of the employee's gross pensionable compensation to the public safety personnel defined contribution retirement plan as provided in section 38-867, subsection B, such contributions shall be reestablished for the period the employee is not covered by the federal old age and survivors insurance system.

C. If an employee in the employee's first ninety days of employment is determined to be eligible for an accidental or catastrophic disability pension pursuant to section 38-844, the employee shall be automatically enrolled in the system for the remainder of the employee's employment with any employer under the system commencing on the employee's date of disability and shall receive an accidental or catastrophic disability pension as prescribed in this article.

D. If an employee in the employee's first ninety days of employment is killed in the line of duty or dies from injuries suffered in the line of duty, the employee shall be considered as having been enrolled in the system and the surviving spouse of the deceased employee is eligible for survivor benefits as prescribed in this article.