North Carolina § 135-4 - 1. Reciprocity of creditable service with other State-administered retirement systems.

§ 135-4. 1. Reciprocity of creditable service with other State-administered retirement systems.

Members First Hired Prior to January 1, 2021. - Only for the purpose of determining eligibility for benefits accruing under this Article for members first hired prior to January 1, 2021, creditable service standing to the credit of a member of the Legislative Retirement System, Consolidated Judicial Retirement System, or the Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System or service standing to the credit of a member of the Optional Retirement Program shall be added to the creditable service standing to the credit of a member of this System; provided, that in the event a person is a retired member of any of the foregoing retirement systems or the Optional Retirement Program, such creditable service standing or service standing to the credit of the retired member prior to retirement shall be likewise counted. In no instance shall service credits maintained in the aforementioned retirement systems or the Optional Retirement Program be added to the creditable service in this System for application of this System's benefit accrual rate in computing a service retirement benefit unless specifically authorized by this Article. Members First Hired on or After January 1, 2021. - Only for the purpose of determining eligibility for benefits accruing under this Article for members first hired on or after January 1, 2021, creditable service standing to the credit of a member of the Legislative Retirement System, Consolidated Judicial Retirement System, or the Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System shall be added to the creditable service standing to the credit of a member of this System, provided that in the event a person is a retired member of any of the foregoing retirement systems such creditable service standing or service standing to the credit of the retired member prior to retirement shall be likewise counted. In no instance shall service credits maintained in the aforementioned retirement systems be added to the creditable service in this System for application of this System's benefit accrual rate in computing a service retirement benefit unless specifically authorized by this Article. A person who was a former member of this System and who has forfeited his creditable service in this System by receiving a return of contributions and who has creditable service in the Legislative Retirement System, Consolidated Judicial Retirement System, or the Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System may count such creditable service for the purpose of restoring the creditable service forfeited in this System under the terms and conditions as set forth in this Article and reestablish membership in this System. Creditable service under this section shall not be counted twice for the same period of time whether earned as a member, purchased, or granted as prior service credits. History (1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 1066, s. 35(c); 2006-264, s. 14; 2010-38, s. 1; 2018-52, s. 7.) Editor's Note. - This section was formerly codified as G.S. 135-4 A. It was recodified as G.S. 135-4.1 by Session Laws 2006-264, s. 14, effective August 27, 2006. Session Laws 2018-52 provides in its preamble: "Whereas, the employee benefit programs operated by the Department of State Treasurer are an intergenerational partnership between public employees and taxpayers of the State, it is incumbent upon the administrators of those programs to provide for Financial Accountability, Integrity, and Recovery of assets (FAIRness); and "Whereas, taxpayers should expect FAIRness in these employee benefit programs, and the Department of State Treasurer should be provided all tools necessary to promote that goal; and "Whereas, public employees who are participants in these employee benefit programs by virtue of deductions from compensation should also expect FAIRness as a baseline in the operation of these programs; and "Whereas, future generations of North Carolinians benefit from fiscally responsible management provided by FAIRness of these employee benefit programs by the current generation; Now, therefore," Session Laws 2018-52, s. 1, provides: "This act shall be known and cited as the 'Financial Accountability, Integrity, and Recovery Act of 2018'." Effect of Amendments. - Session Laws 2010-38, s. 1, effective July 1, 2010, in subsection (a), in the first sentence, inserted "or service standing to the credit of a member of the Optional Retirement Program," "or the Optional Retirement Program," and "or service standing," and, in the second sentence, inserted "or the Optional Retirement Program." Session Laws 2018-52, s. 7, effective June 25, 2018, in subsection (a), added subsection (a) heading, and substituted "Article for members first hired prior to January 1, 2021" for "Article" in the first sentence; and added subsection (a1).