5306 - Classes of service.
§ 5306. Classes of service. (a) Class A membership.--A State employee who is a member of Class A on the effective date of this part or who becomes a member of the system subsequent to the effective date of this part shall be classified as a Class A member and receive credit for Class A service upon payment of regular and additional member contributions for Class A service, provided that the State employee does not become a member of Class AA pursuant to subsection (a.1) or a member of Class D-4 pursuant to subsection (a.2). (a.1) Class AA membership.-- (1) A person who becomes a State employee and an active member of the system after June 30, 2001, and who is not a State police officer and not employed in a position for which a class of service other than Class A is credited or could be elected shall be classified as a Class AA member and receive credit for Class AA State service upon payment of regular member contributions for Class AA service and, subject to the limitations contained in paragraph (7), if previously a member of Class A or previously employed in a position for which Class A service could have been earned, shall have all Class A State service (other than State service performed as a State police officer or for which a class of service other than Class A was earned or could have been elected) classified as Class AA service. (2) A person who is a State employee on June 30, 2001, and July 1, 2001, but is not an active member of the system because membership in the system is optional or prohibited pursuant to section 5301 (relating to mandatory and optional membership) and who becomes an active member after June 30, 2001, and who is not a State police officer and not employed in a position for which a class of service other than Class A is credited or could be elected shall be classified as a Class AA member and receive credit for Class AA State service upon payment of regular member contributions for Class AA service and, subject to the limitations contained in paragraph (7), if previously a member of Class A or previously employed in a position for which Class A service could have been earned, shall have all Class A State service (other than State service performed as a State Police officer or for which a class of service other than Class A was earned or could have been elected) classified as Class AA service. (3) Provided that an election to become a Class AA member is made pursuant to section 5306.1 (relating to election to become a Class AA member), a State employee, other than a State employee who is a State police officer on or after July 1, 1989, who on June 30, 2001, and July 1, 2001, is: (i) a member of Class A, other than a member of Class A who could have elected membership in a Class C, Class D-3, Class E-1 or Class E-2; or (ii) an inactive member on a leave without pay from a position in which the State employee would be a Class A active member if the employee was not on leave without pay, other than a position in which the State employee could elect membership in Class C, Class D-3, Class E-1 or Class E-2; shall be classified as a Class AA member and receive credit for Class AA State service performed after June 30, 2001, upon payment of regular member contributions for Class AA service and, subject to the limitations contained in paragraph (7), shall receive Class AA service credit for all Class A State service, other than State service performed as a State police officer or as a State employee in a position for which the member could have elected membership in Class C, Class D-3, Class E-1 or Class E-2, performed before July 1, 2001. (4) Provided that an election to become a Class AA member is made pursuant to section 5306.1, a former State employee, other than a former State employee who was a State police officer on or after July 1, 1989, who on June 30, 2001, and July 1, 2001, is a multiple service member and a school employee and a member of the Public School Employees' Retirement System, subject to the limitations contained in paragraph (7), shall receive Class AA service credit for all Class A State service, other than State service performed as a State police officer or as a State employee in a position in which the former State employee could have elected a class of service other than Class A, performed before July 1, 2001. (5) A former State employee, other than a former State employee who was a State police officer on or after July 1, 1989, who is a school employee and who on or after July 1, 2001, becomes a multiple service member, subject to the limitations contained in paragraph (7), shall receive Class AA service credit for all Class A State service other than State service performed as a State employee in a position in which the former State employee could have elected a class of service other than Class A. (6) A State employee who after June 30, 2001, becomes a State police officer or who is employed in a position in which the member could elect membership in a class of service other than Class AA or Class D-4 shall retain any Class AA service credited prior to becoming a State police officer or being so employed but shall be ineligible to receive Class AA credit thereafter and instead shall receive Class A credit unless a class of membership other than Class A is elected. (7) (i) State service performed as Class A service before July 1, 2001, and State service for which Class A service could have been credited but was not credited because membership in the system was optional or prohibited pursuant to section 5301 shall be credited as Class AA service only upon the completion of all acts necessary for the State service to be credited as Class A service had this subsection not been enacted and upon payment of required Class AA member contributions as provided in section 5504 (relating to member contributions for the purchase of credit for previous State service or to become a full coverage member). (ii) A person who is not a State employee or a school employee on June 30, 2001, and July 1, 2001, and who has previous State service (except a disability annuitant who returns to State service after June 30, 2001, upon termination of the disability annuity) shall not receive Class AA service credit for State service performed before July 1, 2001, until such person becomes an active member, or an active member of the Public School Employees' Retirement System and a multiple service member, and earns three eligibility points by performing credited State service or credited school service after June 30, 2001. (a.2) Class of membership for members of the General Assembly.-- (1) A person who: (i) becomes a member of the General Assembly and an active member of the system after June 30, 2001; or (ii) is a member of the General Assembly on July 1, 2001, but is not an active member of the system because membership in the system is optional pursuant to section 5301 and who becomes an active member after June 30, 2001; and who was not a State police officer on or after July 1, 1989, shall be classified as a Class D-4 member and receive credit as a Class D-4 member for all State service as a member of the General Assembly upon payment of regular member contributions for Class D-4 service and, subject to the limitations contained in subsection (a.1)(7), if previously a member of Class A or employed in a position for which Class A service could have been earned, shall receive Class AA service credit for all Class A State service, other than State service performed as a State police officer or for which a class of service other than Class A or Class D-4 was or could have been elected or credited. (2) Provided an election to become a Class D-4 member is made pursuant to section 5306.2 (relating to elections by members of the General Assembly), a State employee who was not a State police officer on or after July 1, 1989, who on July 1, 2001, is a member of the General Assembly and an active member of the system and not a member of Class D-3 shall be classified as a Class D-4 member and receive credit as a Class D-4 member for all State service performed as a member of the General Assembly not credited as another class other than Class A upon payment of regular member contributions for Class D-4 service and, subject to the limitations contained in paragraph (a.1)(7), shall receive Class AA service credit for all Class A State service, other than State service performed as a State police officer or as a State employee in a position in which the member could have elected a class of service other than Class A, performed before July 1, 2001. (3) A member of the General Assembly who after June 30, 2001, becomes a State police officer shall retain any Class AA service or Class D-4 service credited prior to becoming a State police officer or being so employed but shall be ineligible to receive Class AA or Class D-4 credit thereafter and instead shall receive Class A credit. (b) Other class membership.-- (1) A State employee who is a member of a class of service other than Class A on the effective date of this part shall retain his membership in that class until such service is discontinued; any service thereafter shall be credited as Class A service, Class AA service or Class D-4 service as provided for in this section. (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a State employee who is appointed bail commissioner of the Philadelphia Municipal Court under 42 Pa.C.S. § 1123(a)(5) (relating to jurisdiction and venue) may, within 30 days of the effective date of this sentence or within 30 days of his initial appointment as a bail commissioner, whichever is later, elect Class E-2 service credit for service performed as a bail commissioner. This class of service multiplier for E-2 service as a bail commissioner shall be 1.5. (c) Class membership for county service.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), county service that is converted to State service pursuant to section 5303.1 (relating to election to convert county service to State service) shall be credited as the following class of service: Class of service in a county of the second class A, third class, fourth class, fifth class, sixth class, seventh class or eighth class maintaining a retirement system or pension plan under the act of August 31, 1971 (P.L.398, No.96), known as the County Pension Law System Class of Service Class 1-120 G Class 1-100 H Class 1-80 I Class 1-70 J Class 1-60 K Rate of accrual of benefit for each year of service in a county of the first class or second class or credited in the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System System Class of Service .833% G 1.00% H 1.250% I 1.428% J 1.667% K 2.000% L 2.200% M 2.500% N (d) Class of service for converted school service and nonschool service.--If a member elects to convert credited service from the Public School Employees' Retirement System to the system pursuant to section 5303.2 (relating to election to convert school service to State service), then Class T-C school service and all nonschool service credited in the Public School Employees' Retirement System shall be converted to credited service in the system and credited as Class A State service or nonstate service respectively, and Class T-D school service credited in the Public School Employees' Retirement System shall be converted to credited service in the system and credited as Class AA State service. (July 22, 1983, P.L.104, No.31, eff. imd.; June 22, 1999, P.L.75, No.12, eff. imd.; May 17, 2001, P.L.26, No.9, eff. July 1, 2001; Apr. 23, 2002, P.L.272, No.38, eff. imd.; Dec. 10, 2003, P.L.228, No.40, eff. 45 days; Nov. 29, 2006, P.L.1628, No.188, eff. imd.) 2006 Amendment. Act 188 amended subsec. (b). See sections 2 and 3(2) of Act 188 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to liability for additional benefits and applicability. 2002 Amendment. Act 38 added subsec. (d). 2001 Amendment. Act 9 amended subsecs. (a) and (b) and added subsecs. (a.1) and (a.2). 1999 Amendment. Act 12 added subsec. (c). 1983 Amendment. See section 10 of Act 31 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to waiver of actuarial note requirement for retirement bills. References in Text. Section 9 of Act 98 of 2008 provided that references in other law to a bail commissiosner shall be deemed to be a reference to an arraignment court magistrate. Cross References. Section 5306 is referred to in sections 5303, 5303.2, 5304, 5706 of this title.