19-6-802. Qualification of other Montana public service. (1) (a) A member may, at any time before retirement, make a written election with the board to qualify all or any portion of the member's service in the public employees', sheriffs', game wardens' and peace officers', firefighters' unified, or municipal police officers' retirement system for which the member either has received or is eligible to receive a refund of the member's membership contributions. To qualify this service, the member shall contribute to the pension trust fund the actuarial cost of granting the service credit in the highway patrol officers' retirement system, as determined by the board, based on the most recent actuarial valuation minus the employer contribution provided in subsection (1)(b).
     (b) Upon receiving the member's payment under subsection (1)(a), the board shall transfer from the member's former retirement system to the highway patrol officers' retirement system an amount equal to the employer contributions made during the member's service but no more than an amount equal to the normal contribution rate minus the employee contribution rate in the highway patrol officers' retirement system, according to the most recent actuarial valuation.
     (2) (a) A member may, at any time before retirement, make a written election with the board to qualify any full-time public service employment performed for the state or a political subdivision of the state. The member shall provide compensation and employment documentation certified by the member's public employer. The board shall grant service credit subject to rules adopted by the board upon contribution by the employee of the actuarial cost of granting this service in the highway patrol officers' retirement system, as determined by the board, based on the most recent actuarial valuation of the system.
     (b) The board is the sole authority under this subsection (2) in determining what constitutes full-time public service.

     History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 145, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 331, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 217, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 119, Ch. 265, L. 1993; Sec. , MCA 1991; redes. by Code Commissioner, 1993; amd. Sec. 16, Ch. 412, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 53, Ch. 51, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 53, Ch. 562, L. 1999.