43:15A-129. Enrollment of veterans and nonveterans who elected not to enroll in 1955; purchase of credit

a. Any veteran who was in the employ of the State, or of a county, municipality, public agency, school district or board of education of this State on January 2, 1955 and who elected not to become a member of the retirement system by notifying the system in writing of his desire not to become a member, may join the retirement system at any time during the continuation of such employment by filing an application for membership and agreeing to purchase membership credit for all service rendered after January 1, 1955. If such veteran becomes a member pursuant to this section, service rendered by him prior to January 2, 1955 shall be credited to him in accordance with the provisions of paragraph a of section 60 of the act to which this section is a supplement. The employer of such public employee veteran on the date of his becoming a member shall pay the accrued liability on behalf of such prior service and such accrued liability shall be paid in such a manner that the total obligation will be met within the period of time fixed for the liquidation of all veteran accrued liabilities of the employer.

b. Any person other than a veteran who was in the employ of the State, or of a county, municipality, public agency, school district or board of education of this State on January 2, 1955 and who elected not to become a member of the retirement system by claiming a refund of his accumulated deductions may join the retirement system at any time during the continuation of such employment by filing an application for membership and agreeing to purchase membership credit for all service rendered subsequent to January 1, 1955. Any such member may also be permitted to purchase credit pursuant to any other applicable provision of the act to which this section is a supplement and to purchase credit for service previously established in the former "State Employees' Retirement System" in order to give such person the same credit for such service as he had at the time of withdrawing his membership.

c. The purchase of credit pursuant to this section shall be made by a member's paying into the retirement system the amount required by applying the factor supplied by the actuary as being applicable to the member's age at the time of his election to make the purchase to his salary at the time of such election. Such purchases may be made in regular installments equal to at least 1/2 of the full normal contribution to the retirement system over a maximum period of 10 years. In the event that such member retires before he completes the payment for all service for which he agreed to purchase credit, credit for such service shall be given in direct proportion as the amount paid bears to the total amount of the arrearage obligation, except that if any such veteran retires before he completes the purchase of credit for all service rendered by him subsequent to January 1, 1955, no credit for service rendered by him prior to January 2, 1955 shall be considered for retirement purposes.

d. Notwithstanding any other provision of the act of which this section is a supplement, any person becoming a member of the retirement system pursuant to the provisions of this section shall not be allowed any of the death benefits established by sections 41, 45, 46, 48 and 57 of the act to which this section is a supplement unless he shall have furnished satisfactory evidence of insurability.

L.1966, c. 217, s. 26, eff. Aug. 1, 1966.