§ 36-9-25.1. Leave service credits. (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of the retirement law or rulings of the retirement board in accordance with the powers vested therein, state employees with at least one year of service who have been granted by their appointing authority a leave of absence without pay to further their education in the field of their state employment, shall be entitled to credit as service for the various purposes of their retirement system, provided the person, upon completion of his or her educational leave, returns to state service for at least one year; and provided further that the employee makes arrangements to pay into the retirement system on or before the date of retirement and in such manner as the retirement board may prescribe an amount equal to the full actuarial cost as defined in subsection 36-8-1(10) based upon his or her expected compensation but for the granting of leave without pay.

(b) Any state employee who is granted a leave of absence without pay for illness, injury, or any other reason may receive credit therefor by making the full actuarial cost as defined in subsection 36-8-1(10); provided the employee returns to state service for at least one year upon completion of the leave. Credit for leaves of absence shall be limited in the aggregate during the total service of an employee to a period of four (4) years.

History of Section. (G.L. 1956, § 36-9-25.1; P.L. 1966, ch. 192, § 1; P.L. 1967, ch. 95, § 1; P.L. 1973, ch. 139, § 1; P.L. 1979, ch. 23, § 1; P.L. 1980, ch. 174, § 1; P.L. 1980, ch. 368, § 1; P.L. 1981, ch. 121, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 139, § 5; P.L. 2009, ch. 68, art. 7, § 2; P.L. 2011, ch. 408, § 6; P.L. 2011, ch. 409, § 6.)