(A) An active contributing member of the system may establish service credit in the system for the same types of service, and under the same conditions, that members of the South Carolina Retirement System may establish service credit in the South Carolina Retirement System pursuant to Section 9-1-1140. With the exception of nonqualified service, as defined in Section 9-1-10(20), an active contributing member may establish service credit under this section by making a payment to the system equal to the current member contribution required for earned service pursuant to Section 9-8-130 for each year of service purchased, prorated for periods of less than a year. The cost to establish nonqualified service under this section is the same as the cost for a member to establish nonqualified service in the South Carolina Retirement System pursuant to Section 9-1-1140. A member may not establish more than sixteen years of service credit in the system under this section. A judge may not establish additional service credit under this section after attaining twenty-five years of creditable service. A solicitor or circuit public defender may not establish additional service credit under this section after attaining twenty-four years of creditable service.

(B) An active contributing member of the system may transfer to the system nonconcurrent credited service under the South Carolina Retirement System, the South Carolina Police Officers Retirement System, or the Retirement System for Members of the General Assembly, by withdrawing the member's employee contributions and accumulated interest in the South Carolina Retirement System, the South Carolina Police Officers System, or the Retirement System for Members of the General Assembly, and by making a payment to the system equal to the member contribution required for earned service under Section 9-8-130 for each year of service transferred, prorated for periods of less than a year.

(C) When membership in the system ceases for any reason other than death or retirement, the service previously credited to the member of the system must be cancelled and if the person again becomes a member of the system, the person enters the system as a new member not entitled to credit for previous service, unless the person's accumulated contributions were left in the system or the person repays any amounts previously withdrawn, with interest to the date of repayment.

(D) A member upon termination may either:

(1) elect to receive a refund of the member's employee contributions and accumulated interest;

(2) elect to leave the member's employee contributions and interest on deposit in the system. Regular interest must continue to be credited to the member's account in the same manner that interest is credited to the accounts of active members. At a later date, the member may either:

(a) return to employment as a judge, solicitor, or circuit public defender and once again become an active contributing member of the system;

(b) receive a refund of the member's accumulated contributions and interest;

(c) if vested, receive a deferred annuity in accordance with subsection (E) of this section; or

(d) if the member has been hired or elected to a position covered by the South Carolina Retirement System, the Police Officers Retirement System, or the Retirement System for Members of the General Assembly, and becomes a member of one of these systems, the member may transfer the member's nonconcurrent service credit to the retirement system in which the member has become an active participant, by taking a refund of the member's employee contributions and accumulated interest in the system and by purchasing the nonconcurrent service as public service in the other system in which the member is an active participant; or

(3) if the member does not qualify for a monthly benefit, elect to transfer his service credit to the South Carolina Retirement System. Upon such election, the director must transfer to the South Carolina Retirement System the required employee and employer contributions. The required contributions shall be equal to the employer and employee contributions that would have been required under the South Carolina Retirement System had the member earned his highest career salary as a judge, solicitor, or circuit public defender in a position covered by the South Carolina Retirement System for each year of service credit transferred. Should either employee contributions or employer contributions be insufficient for the member to transfer all of his service credit, the member shall receive a prorated portion of his service credit in the South Carolina Retirement System and have the option to purchase the remaining service as public service pursuant to Section 9-1-1140. Any excess employer contributions following the transfer shall remain in the system and shall be held pursuant to Section 9-8-180. Any excess member contributions following the transfer shall be refunded to the member. Earned service credit transferred pursuant to this section shall be considered earned service credit in the South Carolina Retirement System as defined by Section 9-1-10(9). The member's salary as a judge, solicitor, or circuit public defender shall be considered earnable compensation in determining the member's average final compensation under the South Carolina Retirement System.

(E)(1) A judge is vested in the system after attaining ten years of earned service in the position of judge, a solicitor is vested in the system after attaining eight years of earned service as a solicitor, and a circuit public defender is vested in the system after attaining eight years of earned service as a circuit public defender.

(2) If a vested member who began service as a judge or solicitor before July 1, 2004, has terminated service and left contributions on deposit with the system, the member is eligible for a monthly benefit beginning at age fifty-five. The member's benefit under this section is calculated by multiplying the member's monthly benefit determined in accordance with Section 9-8-60 or 9-8-70, by a fraction in which the member's total credited service in the system is the numerator and twenty-four is the denominator. The monthly benefit under this section may not exceed the member's benefit as calculated pursuant to Section 9-8-60 or 9-8-70.

(3) If a vested member who began service as a judge, solicitor, or circuit public defender after June 30, 2004, has terminated service and left contributions on deposit with the system, the member is eligible for a monthly benefit beginning at age sixty-five. The member's benefit under this section is calculated by multiplying the member's monthly benefit determined in accordance with Section 9-8-60 or 9-8-70, by a fraction in which the member's total credited service in the system is the numerator and twenty-four is the denominator. The monthly benefit under this section may not exceed the member's benefit as calculated pursuant to Section 9-8-60 or 9-8-70.

HISTORY: 1979 Act No. 150 Section 5; 1983 Act No. 151 Part II Section 34A; 2004 Act No. 249, Section 2, eff July 1, 2004; 2007 Act No. 108, Sections 8.E, 8.F, and 8.G, eff June 21, 2007; 2010 Act No. 198, Section 1, eff June 3, 2010.