Arizona § 38-851 - Participation of new employers

§ 38-851. Participation of new employers

A. This state, any municipality, county or other political subdivision of the state, any Indian tribe or any public or quasi-public organization created wholly or partly by, or deriving its powers from, the legislature, may request to become a participating employer in the system on behalf of a designated eligible employee group. Such a request shall be made by the state departmental director or after a proper resolution has been adopted by the governing body of the political subdivision, Indian tribe or public organization, and after such resolution has been approved by any other party or officer required by law to approve the resolution. A certified copy of such resolution shall be filed with the board. This state or the political subdivision, Indian tribe or public organization shall be considered as a participating employer on proper execution of a joinder agreement in which the employer unconditionally accepts the provisions of the system and binds the employer's designated eligible employees to those provisions.  All members of an eligible group shall be designated for membership, unless written consent to the contrary is obtained from the board.  A member shall be qualified for participation in order to obtain written consent to the contrary from the board.

B. The effective date of participation in the system by this state or a political subdivision, Indian tribe or public organization shall be the July 1 next succeeding the approval of its participation, unless the board consents to another date, as shall be specifically stipulated in the joinder agreement.

C. The new employer shall designate the departments, groups or other classifications of public safety employees that are eligible to participate in the system and shall agree to make contributions each year that are sufficient to meet both the normal cost on a level cost method attributable to inclusion of its employees and the prescribed interest on the past service cost for its employees.

D. This state or any political subdivision, Indian tribe or public organization that is contemplating participation in the system shall request a preliminary actuarial survey to determine the estimated cost of participation, the benefits to be derived and such other information as may be deemed appropriate. The cost of such a survey shall be paid by this state or the political subdivision, Indian tribe or public organization requesting it.

E. As a condition to participation in the system an Indian tribe employer, by resolution of the governing body, shall:

1. Agree that all disputes involving interpretation of state statutes involving the system, and any amendments to such statutes, will be resolved through the court system of this state.

2. Agree to be bound by state statutes and laws that regulate and interpret the provisions of the system, including eligibility to membership in the system, service credits and the rights of any claimant to benefits and the amount of such benefits.

3. Agree to meet any requirement that the board may prescribe to ensure timely payment of member and employer contributions and any other amounts due from the employer to the system.

4. Include in the joinder agreement any other provision deemed necessary by the board for the administration or enforcement of the agreement.

F. Assets under any existing public employee defined benefit retirement program, except a military retirement program, necessary to equal the actuarial present value of projected benefits to the extent funded on a market value basis as of the most recent actuarial valuation attributable to the employer's designated employee group, calculated using the actuarial methods and assumptions adopted by the existing public employee retirement program, shall be transferred from such program to this fund no later than sixty days after the employer's effective date. That portion of the transferred assets that is attributable to employee contributions, including interest credits thereon, shall be properly allocated to each affected employee of the employer and credited to the employee's initial accumulated contributions, in accordance with a schedule furnished by the employer to the board.