Sec. 19. (a) This section applies only to a person who:

(1) is a judge participating under this chapter;

(2) before becoming a judge was a member of an Indiana public employees' retirement fund;

(3) received credited service under an Indiana public employees' retirement fund for the employment described in subdivision (2), and the credited service is not eligible for service credit under section 18 of this chapter;

(4) has not attained vested status under a public employees' retirement fund for the employment described in subdivision (2); and

(5) has at least eight (8) years of service credit in the judges' retirement system.

(b) If a person becomes a participant in the judges' 1977 benefit system under this chapter, credit for service described in subsection (a) shall be granted under this chapter by the board if:

(1) the prior service was credited under an Indiana public employees' retirement fund; and

(2) the judge pays in a lump sum or in a series of payments determined by the board, not exceeding five (5) annual payments, the amount determined by the actuary for the 1977 benefit system as the total actual cost of the service.

(c) If the requirements of subsection (b) are not satisfied, a participant is entitled to credit only for years of service after the date of participation in the 1977 benefit system.

(d) An amortization schedule for contributions paid under this section must include interest at a rate determined by the board.

(e) If the requirements of subsection (b) are satisfied, the appropriate board shall transfer from the retirement fund described in subsection (a)(2) to the judges' 1977 benefit system the amount credited to the judge's annuity savings account and the present value of the retirement benefit payable at sixty-five (65) years of age that is attributable to the transferring participant.

(f) The amount a participant must contribute to the judges' 1977 benefit system under subsection (b) shall be reduced by the amount transferred to the judges' 1977 benefit system by the appropriate board under subsection (e).

(g) If the requirements of subsection (b) are satisfied, credit for prior service in a public employees' retirement fund that is purchased under this section is waived.

(h) To the extent permitted by the Internal Revenue Code and the applicable regulations, the judges' 1977 benefit system may accept, on behalf of a participant who is purchasing permissive service credit under subsection (b), a rollover of a distribution from any of the following:

(1) A qualified plan described in Section 401(a) or Section 403(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(2) An annuity contract or account described in Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(3) An eligible plan that is maintained by a state, a political subdivision of a state, or an agency or instrumentality of a state or political subdivision of a state under Section 457(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(4) An individual retirement account or annuity described in Section 408(a) or Section 408(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(i) To the extent permitted by the Internal Revenue Code and the applicable regulations, the judges' 1977 benefit system may accept, on behalf of a participant who is purchasing permissive service credit under subsection (b), a trustee to trustee transfer from any of the following:

(1) An annuity contract or account described in Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(2) An eligible deferred compensation plan under Section 457(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.

[Pre-2004 Recodification Citation: 33-13-9.1-10.5.]

As added by P.L.98-2004, SEC.17. Amended by P.L.122-2008, SEC.9; P.L.16-2011, SEC.4.