Michigan § 38.1375 - Separation from service or reduction of hours for purposes of parental leave; purchase of service credit; refund; application; member ineligible to initiate service credit purchase; "parental leave" defined.

(1) Until September 29, 2017 at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time, a member who left or leaves service as a public school employee; who left or leaves out-of-system public education service; or a member of the state employees' retirement system under section 13 of the state employees' retirement act, 1943 PA 240, MCL 38.13, who left or leaves service as a state employee for purposes of parental leave who subsequently becomes a member of this retirement system without other intervening employment of more than 20 hours per week for each week for which service credit was claimed may purchase service credit for the time period or periods during which the person was separated from service because of parental leave if the member satisfies the requirements of this section. The member shall submit an application as described in subsection (5) and shall pay the actuarial cost to the retirement system. The total service credited under this section must not exceed 5 years. A member requesting purchase of service credit under this section shall certify to the retirement system the purpose for which the member took leave or was separated from service as a public school employee; a person performing out-of-system public education service; or a member of the state employees' retirement system under section 13 of the state employees' retirement act, 1943 PA 240, MCL 38.13.

(2) Service credit purchased under this section must not be used to satisfy the minimum of 10 years of service credit required to receive a retirement allowance under this act.

(3) If a member who made payment under this section dies and a retirement allowance beneficiary has not been designated, or if the member leaves reporting unit service before his or her retirement becomes effective, the payment made by the member must be refunded on request to the member or to the member's refund beneficiary.

(4) A member who reduces hours of employment with a reporting unit for purposes of parental leave or a person who reduces hours of out of system public education service for purposes of parental leave and who subsequently becomes a member of the retirement system may purchase service credit for those hours by which employment was reduced if all other requirements of this section are met.

(5) A member requesting purchase of service credit under this section shall submit an application as prescribed by the retirement system in which the member shall certify the time period claimed for parental leave and the purpose of the parental leave. If the request for purchase of service credit under this section is a result of leave taken to care for the member's child by birth or adoption, the member also shall submit a certified copy of a birth certificate or adoption document from the appropriate court of jurisdiction.

(6) Parental leave is creditable under this act until the child, by birth or adoption, attains age 18 or is married, whichever occurs first.

(7) After September 29, 2017 at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time, a member is not eligible to initiate a service credit purchase under this section.

(8) As used in this section, "parental leave" means either of the following:

(a) The presence of the member in the active participation or supervision in the day-to-day, ongoing care or maintenance of his or her child by birth or adoption, for which the member reduced or eliminated the number of hours worked for this state, in out-of-system public education service, or for the reporting unit in a normal work time period.

(b) A member's pregnancy that occurred while a member, whether brought to full term or not, childbirth, and recuperation, for which the member reduced or eliminated the number of hours worked for this state, in out-of-system public education service, or for the reporting unit in a normal work time period.