9-3-602. Definitions.

(a) As used in this article:

(i) "Accumulated contribution" means the sum of all the amounts deducted from the compensation of a member subsequent to the effective date of the Wyoming Retirement Act and credited to his individual account;

(ii) "Board" or "retirement board" means the retirement board of the Wyoming retirement system established by the Wyoming Retirement Act;

(iii) "Credited service" means service for which contributions were made and not refunded;

(iv) "Criminal investigator" means any full-time special agent employed by the division of criminal investigation of the attorney general's office who is a sworn peace officer;

(v) "Employee" means:

(A) Any person who is employed by the Wyoming state highway patrol division as a sworn law enforcement officer;

(B) Any person who is commissioned as a full time law enforcement officer of the Wyoming state game and fish department;

(C) Any criminal investigator as defined in paragraph (iv) of this subsection; or

(D) Any person designated and appointed as capitol police under W.S. 9-1-612 and qualified pursuant to W.S. 9-1-701 through 9-1-707.

(vi) "Final actual salary" means the gross salary paid to the employee during the last full month of credited service;

(vii) Repealed By Laws 2001, Ch. 32, § 2.

(viii) "Fund" or "retirement fund" means the Wyoming retirement account established in the Wyoming Retirement Act;

(ix) "Partial disability" means a medically determined physical or mental impairment which renders the employee unable to function as an employee and which is reasonably expected to last at least twelve (12) months;

(x) "Interest" means interest compounded annually at such rate or rates as shall be determined by the board, not exceeding the average amount of interest actually earned per annum by the fund;

(xi) "Retirement program" means the Wyoming state highway patrol, game and fish warden and criminal investigator retirement program created by this article;

(xii) "Salary" for W.S. 9-3-604 and 9-3-605 means the cash remuneration paid, including contributions required by W.S. 9-3-604, to an employee for his services;

(xiii) "Total disability" means a medically determined physical or mental impairment which renders the employee totally unable to work in any occupation for which he is reasonably suited by training or experience and which is reasonably expected to last at least twelve (12) months;

(xiv) "Service credit" means the credit earned by an employee for benefits and benefits payable under the retirement program. Service credit is earned on the basis of actual years of employment for an employer subject to this article under rules adopted by the board under W.S. 9-3-609;

(xv) "Public law enforcement agency" means a public agency having police power, charged with enforcing state criminal statutes or municipal ordinances and employing law enforcement personnel qualified pursuant to W.S. 9-1-701 through 9-1-707;

(xvi) "Highest average salary" means the employee's average annual salary for the highest paid three (3) continuous years of service;

(xvii) "This act" means W.S. 9-3-601 through 9-3-620;

(xviii) "Duty connected disability" means a disability from an illness, injury or disease which results primarily from a specific act or occurrence determinable by a definite time and place, from a physical or mental trauma which arises from the nature and in the course of a person's law enforcement employment;

(xix) "Eligible retirement plan" means as defined in W.S. 9-3-402(a)(xxvii);

(xx) "Rollover contribution" means as defined in W.S. 9-3-402(a)(xxviii);

(xxi) "Member account" means:

(A) For an employee who has six (6) or more years of service to his credit or an employee initially employed before July 1, 2018, the employee's contributions paid from any source;

(B) For an employee who has fewer than six (6) years of service to his credit and who is initially employed on or after July 1, 2018, only the employee's contributions paid by a reduction in cash salary of the employee.