(A)

(1) A member participating in the STRS defined benefit plan may purchase service credit under section 3307.70 of the Revised Code for each year or portion of a year of service incurred by reason of having been on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States, as defined in section 3307.75 of the Revised Code.

(2) As used in division (A)(2) of this section, "reserves" means a reserve component of any of the armed forces of the United States enumerated in division (A)(1) of section 3307.75 of the Revised Code.

On presentation of documentation of the service and subject to state teachers retirement board rules, a member participating in the STRS defined benefit plan may purchase service credit under section 3307.70 of the Revised Code for each year or portion of a year of service incurred by reason of having been on active duty as a member of the Ohio national guard or reserves for which the member is not eligible to purchase credit under division (A)(1) of this section. For purposes of division (A)(2) of this section, active duty in the reserves or the Ohio national guard includes assembly for drill and instruction; training at encampments, maneuvers, outdoor target practice, or other exercises; and any training or duty in this state ordered by the governor.

(3) Credit shall not be granted for any period of duty during which the member was contributing to the retirement system.

The credit may be purchased at any time prior to the effective date of a benefit. The number of years purchased under this division shall not exceed five.

(B) For the purposes of this division, "prisoner of war" means any regularly appointed, enrolled, enlisted, or inducted member of the armed forces of the United States who was captured, separated, and incarcerated by an enemy of the United States.

A member participating in the STRS defined benefit plan may purchase service credit under section 3307.70 of the Revised Code for each year of service such member was a prisoner of war. The number of years purchased shall not exceed five. Service credit may be purchased for the same years of service used to purchase service credit described in division (A) of this section.

(C) The total number of years described in this section that may be purchased shall not exceed the member's total accumulated number of years of Ohio service.

(D) The retirement system shall calculate the number of years or portions of a year of credit the member is eligible to purchase under division (A)(2) of this section by dividing the number of days actually served by three hundred sixty-five.

A member of the state teachers retirement system is ineligible to purchase service credit described in this section for any year of military service that was:

(1) Used in the calculation of any retirement benefit currently being paid to such member or payable in the future under any other retirement program, except for retired pay for non-regular service under Chapter 1223 of Section 1662 of Title XVI of the "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995," 108 Stat. 2998 (1994), 10 U.S.C.A. 12731 to 12739, or social security;

(2) Used to obtain service credit pursuant to section 3307.75 or 3307.752 of the Revised Code.

At the time the credit is purchased, the member shall certify on a form furnished by the board that the member does and will conform to this requirement.

(E) Credit described in this section may be combined pursuant to section 3307.57 of the Revised Code with credit for military service purchased under sections 145.301 , 742.52, 3309.021, and 5505.25 of the Revised Code or military service credit purchased in the Cincinnati retirement system, except that not more than a total of five years of credit described in division (A) of this section, division (B) of section 145.301 , division (A) of section 742.52, division (A) of section 3309.021, and division (A) of section 5505.25 of the Revised Code and not more than a total of five years of credit described in division (B) of this section, division (C) of section 145.301 , division (B) of section 742.52, division (B) of section 3309.021and division (B) of section 5505.25 of the Revised Code or military service credit purchased in the Cincinnati retirement system shall be used in determining retirement eligibility or calculating benefits under section 3307.57 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.147, SB 342, §1, eff. 1/7/2013.

Effective Date: 07-13-2000; 03-30-2007