To amend sections 145.01, 145.191, 145.38, 145.384, 145.471, 145.473, 145.58, 145.82, 742.26, 3307.35, 3307.352, 3309.341, 3309.344, and 3501.13; to enact sections 145.386, 742.261, 3307.354, and 3309.346; and to repeal section 5505.161 of the Revised Code to suspend, during the period of employment, the retirement benefit of a public retirement system retiree who returns to public employment.

Section 1.  That sections 145.01, 145.191, 145.38, 145.384, 145.471, 145.473, 145.58, 145.82, 742.26, 3307.35, 3307.352, 3309.341, 3309.344, and 3501.13 be amended and sections 145.386, 742.261, 3307.354, and 3309.346 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 145.01.  As used in this chapter:

(A) "Public employee" means:

(1) Any person holding an office, not elective, under the state or any county, township, municipal corporation, park district, conservancy district, sanitary district, health district, metropolitan housing authority, state retirement board, Ohio historical society, public library, county law library, union cemetery, joint hospital, institutional commissary, state university, or board, bureau, commission, council, committee, authority, or administrative body as the same are, or have been, created by action of the general assembly or by the legislative authority of any of the units of local government named in division (A)(1) of this section, or employed and paid in whole or in part by the state or any of the authorities named in division (A)(1) of this section in any capacity not covered by section 742.01, 3307.01, 3309.01, or 5505.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) A person who is a member of the public employees retirement system and who continues to perform the same or similar duties under the direction of a contractor who has contracted to take over what before the date of the contract was a publicly operated function. The governmental unit with which the contract has been made shall be deemed the employer for the purposes of administering this chapter.

(3) Any person who is an employee of a public employer, notwithstanding that the person's compensation for that employment is derived from funds of a person or entity other than the employer. Credit for such service shall be included as total service credit, provided that the employee makes the payments required by this chapter, and the employer makes the payments required by sections 145.48 and 145.51 of the Revised Code.

(4) A person who elects in accordance with section 145.015 of the Revised Code to remain a contributing member of the public employees retirement system.

In all cases of doubt, the public employees retirement board shall determine whether any person is a public employee, and its decision is final.

(B) "Member" means any public employee, other than a public employee excluded or exempted from membership in the retirement system by section 145.03, 145.031, 145.032, 145.033, 145.034, 145.035, or 145.38 of the Revised Code. "Member" includes a PERS retirant who becomes a member under division (C) of section 145.38 of the Revised Code. "Member" also includes a disability benefit recipient.

(C) "Head of the department" means the elective or appointive head of the several executive, judicial, and administrative departments, institutions, boards, and commissions of the state and local government as the same are created and defined by the laws of this state or, in case of a charter government, by that charter.

(D) "Employer" or "public employer" means the state or any county, township, municipal corporation, park district, conservancy district, sanitary district, health district, metropolitan housing authority, state retirement board, Ohio historical society, public library, county law library, union cemetery, joint hospital, institutional commissary, state medical university, state university, or board, bureau, commission, council, committee, authority, or administrative body as the same are, or have been, created by action of the general assembly or by the legislative authority of any of the units of local government named in this division not covered by section 742.01, 3307.01, 3309.01, or 5505.01 of the Revised Code. In addition, "employer" means the employer of any public employee.

(E) "Prior service" means all service as a public employee rendered before January 1, 1935, and all service as an employee of any employer who comes within the state teachers retirement system or of the school employees retirement system or of any other retirement system established under the laws of this state rendered prior to January 1, 1935, provided that if the employee claiming the service was employed in any capacity covered by that other system after that other system was established, credit for the service may be allowed by the public employees retirement system only when the employee has made payment, to be computed on the salary earned from the date of appointment to the date membership was established in the public employees retirement system, at the rate in effect at the time of payment, and the employer has made payment of the corresponding full liability as provided by section 145.44 of the Revised Code. "Prior service" also means all service credited for active duty with the armed forces of the United States as provided in section 145.30 of the Revised Code.

If an employee who has been granted prior service credit by the public employees retirement system for service rendered prior to January 1, 1935, as an employee of a board of education establishes, before retirement, one year or more of contributing service in the state teachers retirement system or school employees retirement system, then the prior service ceases to be the liability of this system.

If the board determines that a position of any member in any calendar year prior to January 1, 1935, was a part-time position, the board shall determine what fractional part of a year's credit shall be allowed by the following formula:

(1) When the member has been either elected or appointed to an office the term of which was two or more years and for which an annual salary is established, the fractional part of the year's credit shall be computed as follows:

First, when the member's annual salary is one thousand dollars or less, the service credit for each such calendar year shall be forty per cent of a year.

Second, for each full one hundred dollars of annual salary above one thousand dollars, the member's service credit for each such calendar year shall be increased by two and one-half per cent.

(2) When the member is paid on a per diem basis, the service credit for any single year of the service shall be determined by using the number of days of service for which the compensation was received in any such year as a numerator and using two hundred fifty days as a denominator.

(3) When the member is paid on an hourly basis, the service credit for any single year of the service shall be determined by using the number of hours of service for which the compensation was received in any such year as a numerator and using two thousand hours as a denominator.

(F) "Contributor" means any person who has an account in the employees' savings fund created by section 145.23 of the Revised Code. When used in the sections listed in division (B) of section 145.82 of the Revised Code, "contributor" includes any person participating in a PERS defined contribution plan.

(G) "Beneficiary" or "beneficiaries" means the estate or a person or persons who, as the result of the death of a member, contributor, or retirant, qualify for or are receiving some right or benefit under this chapter.

(H)(1) "Total service credit," except as provided in section 145.37 of the Revised Code, means all service credited to a member of the retirement system since last becoming a member, including restored service credit as provided by section 145.31 of the Revised Code; credit purchased under sections 145.293 and 145.299 of the Revised Code; all the member's prior service credit; all the member's military service credit computed as provided in this chapter; all service credit established pursuant to section 145.297 of the Revised Code; and any other service credited under this chapter. In addition, "total service credit" includes any period, not in excess of three years, during which a member was out of service and receiving benefits under Chapters 4121. and 4123. of the Revised Code. For the exclusive purpose of satisfying the service credit requirement and of determining eligibility for benefits under sections 145.32, 145.33, 145.331, 145.35, 145.36, and 145.361 of the Revised Code, "five or more years of total service credit" means sixty or more calendar months of contributing service in this system.

(2) "One and one-half years of contributing service credit," as used in division (B) of section 145.45 of the Revised Code, also means eighteen or more calendar months of employment by a municipal corporation that formerly operated its own retirement plan for its employees or a part of its employees, provided that all employees of that municipal retirement plan who have eighteen or more months of such employment, upon establishing membership in the public employees retirement system, shall make a payment of the contributions they would have paid had they been members of this system for the eighteen months of employment preceding the date membership was established. When that payment has been made by all such employee members, a corresponding payment shall be paid into the employers' accumulation fund by that municipal corporation as the employer of the employees.

(3) Where a member also is a member of the state teachers retirement system or the school employees retirement system, or both, except in cases of retirement on a combined basis pursuant to section 145.37 of the Revised Code or as provided in section 145.383 of the Revised Code, service credit for any period shall be credited on the basis of the ratio that contributions to the public employees retirement system bear to total contributions in all state retirement systems.

(4) Not more than one year of credit may be given for any period of twelve months.

(5) "Ohio service credit" means credit for service that was rendered to the state or any of its political subdivisions or any employer.

(I) "Regular interest" means interest at any rates for the respective funds and accounts as the public employees retirement board may determine from time to time.

(J) "Accumulated contributions" means the sum of all amounts credited to a contributor's individual account in the employees' savings fund together with any interest credited to the contributor's account under section 145.471 or 145.472 of the Revised Code.

(K)(1) "Final average salary" means the quotient obtained by dividing by three the sum of the three full calendar years of contributing service in which the member's earnable salary was highest, except that if the member has a partial year of contributing service in the year the member's employment terminates and the member's earnable salary for the partial year is higher than for any comparable period in the three years, the member's earnable salary for the partial year shall be substituted for the member's earnable salary for the comparable period during the three years in which the member's earnable salary was lowest.

(2) If a member has less than three years of contributing service, the member's final average salary shall be the member's total earnable salary divided by the total number of years, including any fraction of a year, of the member's contributing service.

(3) For the purpose of calculating benefits payable to a member qualifying for service credit under division (Z) of this section, "final average salary" means the total earnable salary on which contributions were made divided by the total number of years during which contributions were made, including any fraction of a year. If contributions were made for less than twelve months, "final average salary" means the member's total earnable salary.

(L) "Annuity" means payments for life derived from contributions made by a contributor and paid from the annuity and pension reserve fund as provided in this chapter. All annuities shall be paid in twelve equal monthly installments.

(M) "Annuity reserve" means the present value, computed upon the basis of the mortality and other tables adopted by the board, of all payments to be made on account of any annuity, or benefit in lieu of any annuity, granted to a retirant as provided in this chapter.

(N)(1) "Disability retirement" means retirement as provided in section 145.36 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Disability allowance" means an allowance paid on account of disability under section 145.361 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Disability benefit" means a benefit paid as disability retirement under section 145.36 of the Revised Code, as a disability allowance under section 145.361 of the Revised Code, or as a disability benefit under section 145.37 of the Revised Code.

(4) "Disability benefit recipient" means a member who is receiving a disability benefit.

(O) "Age and service retirement" means retirement as provided in sections 145.32, 145.33, 145.331, 145.34, 145.37, and 145.46 of the Revised Code.

(P) "Pensions" means annual payments for life derived from contributions made by the employer that at the time of retirement are credited into the annuity and pension reserve fund from the employers' accumulation fund and paid from the annuity and pension reserve fund as provided in this chapter. All pensions shall be paid in twelve equal monthly installments.

(Q) "Retirement allowance" means the pension plus that portion of the benefit derived from contributions made by the member.

(R)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (R) of this section, "earnable salary" means all salary, wages, and other earnings paid to a contributor by reason of employment in a position covered by the retirement system. The salary, wages, and other earnings shall be determined prior to determination of the amount required to be contributed to the employees' savings fund under section 145.47 of the Revised Code and without regard to whether any of the salary, wages, or other earnings are treated as deferred income for federal income tax purposes. "Earnable salary" includes the following:

(a) Payments made by the employer in lieu of salary, wages, or other earnings for sick leave, personal leave, or vacation used by the contributor;

(b) Payments made by the employer for the conversion of sick leave, personal leave, and vacation leave accrued, but not used if the payment is made during the year in which the leave is accrued, except that payments made pursuant to section 124.383 or 124.386 of the Revised Code are not earnable salary;

(c) Allowances paid by the employer for full maintenance, consisting of housing, laundry, and meals, as certified to the retirement board by the employer or the head of the department that employs the contributor;

(d) Fees and commissions paid under section 507.09 of the Revised Code;

(e) Payments that are made under a disability leave program sponsored by the employer and for which the employer is required by section 145.296 of the Revised Code to make periodic employer and employee contributions;

(f) Amounts included pursuant to divisions (K)(3) and (Y) of this section.

(2) "Earnable salary" does not include any of the following:

(a) Fees and commissions, other than those paid under section 507.09 of the Revised Code, paid as sole compensation for personal services and fees and commissions for special services over and above services for which the contributor receives a salary;

(b) Amounts paid by the employer to provide life insurance, sickness, accident, endowment, health, medical, hospital, dental, or surgical coverage, or other insurance for the contributor or the contributor's family, or amounts paid by the employer to the contributor in lieu of providing the insurance;

(c) Incidental benefits, including lodging, food, laundry, parking, or services furnished by the employer, or use of the employer's property or equipment, or amounts paid by the employer to the contributor in lieu of providing the incidental benefits;

(d) Reimbursement for job-related expenses authorized by the employer, including moving and travel expenses and expenses related to professional development;

(e) Payments for accrued but unused sick leave, personal leave, or vacation that are made at any time other than in the year in which the sick leave, personal leave, or vacation was accrued;

(f) Payments made to or on behalf of a contributor that are in excess of the annual compensation that may be taken into account by the retirement system under division (a)(17) of section 401 of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C.A. 401(a)(17), as amended;

(g) Payments made under division (B), (C), or (E) of section 5923.05 of the Revised Code, Section 4 of Substitute Senate Bill No. 3 of the 119th general assembly, Section 3 of Amended Substitute Senate Bill No. 164 of the 124th general assembly, or Amended Substitute House Bill No. 405 of the 124th general assembly;

(h) Anything of value received by the contributor that is based on or attributable to retirement or an agreement to retire, except that payments made on or before January 1, 1989, that are based on or attributable to an agreement to retire shall be included in earnable salary if both of the following apply:

(i) The payments are made in accordance with contract provisions that were in effect prior to January 1, 1986;

(ii) The employer pays the retirement system an amount specified by the retirement board equal to the additional liability resulting from the payments.

(3) The retirement board shall determine by rule whether any compensation not enumerated in division (R) of this section is earnable salary, and its decision shall be final.

(S) "Pension reserve" means the present value, computed upon the basis of the mortality and other tables adopted by the board, of all payments to be made on account of any retirement allowance or benefit in lieu of any retirement allowance, granted to a member or beneficiary under this chapter.

(T)(1) "Contributing service" means all service credited to a member of the system since January 1, 1935, for which contributions are made as required by sections 145.47, 145.48, and 145.483 of the Revised Code. In any year subsequent to 1934, credit for any service shall be allowed by the following formula:

(a) For each month for which the member's earnable salary is two hundred fifty dollars or more, allow one month's credit.

(b) For each month for which the member's earnable salary is less than two hundred fifty dollars, allow a fraction of a month's credit. The numerator of this fraction shall be the earnable salary during the month, and the denominator shall be two hundred fifty dollars, except that if the member's annual earnable salary is less than six hundred dollars, the member's credit shall not be reduced below twenty per cent of a year for a calendar year of employment during which the member worked each month. Division (T)(1)(b) of this section shall not reduce any credit earned before January 1, 1985.

(2) Notwithstanding division (T)(1) of this section, an elected official who prior to January 1, 1980, was granted a full year of credit for each year of service as an elected official shall be considered to have earned a full year of credit for each year of service regardless of whether the service was full-time or part-time. The public employees retirement board has no authority to reduce the credit.

(U) "State retirement board" means the public employees retirement board, the school employees retirement board, or the state teachers retirement board.

(V) "Retirant" means any former member who retires and is receiving a monthly allowance as provided in sections 145.32, 145.33, 145.331, 145.34, and 145.46 of the Revised Code.

(W) "Employer contribution" means the amount paid by an employer as determined under section 145.48 of the Revised Code.

(X) "Public service terminates" means the last day for which a public employee is compensated for services performed for an employer or the date of the employee's death, whichever occurs first.

(Y) When a member has been elected or appointed to an office, the term of which is two or more years, for which an annual salary is established, and in the event that the salary of the office is increased and the member is denied the additional salary by reason of any constitutional provision prohibiting an increase in salary during a term of office, the member may elect to have the amount of the member's contributions calculated upon the basis of the increased salary for the office. At the member's request, the board shall compute the total additional amount the member would have contributed, or the amount by which each of the member's contributions would have increased, had the member received the increased salary for the office the member holds. If the member elects to have the amount by which the member's contribution would have increased withheld from the member's salary, the member shall notify the employer, and the employer shall make the withholding and transmit it to the retirement system. A member who has not elected to have that amount withheld may elect at any time to make a payment to the retirement system equal to the additional amount the member's contribution would have increased, plus interest on that contribution, compounded annually at a rate established by the board and computed from the date on which the last contribution would have been withheld from the member's salary to the date of payment. A member may make a payment for part of the period for which the increased contribution was not withheld, in which case the interest shall be computed from the date the last contribution would have been withheld for the period for which the payment is made. Upon the payment of the increased contributions as provided in this division, the increased annual salary as provided by law for the office for the period for which the member paid increased contributions thereon shall be used in determining the member's earnable salary for the purpose of computing the member's final average salary.

(Z) "Five years of service credit," for the exclusive purpose of satisfying the service credit requirements and of determining eligibility for benefits under section 145.33 of the Revised Code, means employment covered under this chapter or under a former retirement plan operated, recognized, or endorsed by the employer prior to coverage under this chapter or under a combination of the coverage.

(AA) "Deputy sheriff" means any person who is commissioned and employed as a full-time peace officer by the sheriff of any county, and has been so employed since on or before December 31, 1965; any person who is or has been commissioned and employed as a peace officer by the sheriff of any county since January 1, 1966, and who has received a certificate attesting to the person's satisfactory completion of the peace officer training school as required by section 109.77 of the Revised Code; or any person deputized by the sheriff of any county and employed pursuant to section 2301.12 of the Revised Code as a criminal bailiff or court constable who has received a certificate attesting to the person's satisfactory completion of the peace officer training school as required by section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(BB) "Township constable or police officer in a township police department or district" means any person who is commissioned and employed as a full-time peace officer pursuant to Chapter 505. or 509. of the Revised Code, who has received a certificate attesting to the person's satisfactory completion of the peace officer training school as required by section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(CC) "Drug agent" means any person who is either of the following:

(1) Employed full time as a narcotics agent by a county narcotics agency created pursuant to section 307.15 of the Revised Code and has received a certificate attesting to the satisfactory completion of the peace officer training school as required by section 109.77 of the Revised Code;

(2) Employed full time as an undercover drug agent as defined in section 109.79 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(DD) "Department of public safety enforcement agent" means a full-time employee of the department of public safety who is designated under section 5502.14 of the Revised Code as an enforcement agent and who is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(EE) "Natural resources law enforcement staff officer" means a full-time employee of the department of natural resources who is designated a natural resources law enforcement staff officer under section 1501.013 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(FF) "Park officer" means a full-time employee of the department of natural resources who is designated a park officer under section 1541.10 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(GG) "Forest officer" means a full-time employee of the department of natural resources who is designated a forest officer under section 1503.29 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(HH) "Preserve officer" means a full-time employee of the department of natural resources who is designated a preserve officer under section 1517.10 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(II) "Wildlife officer" means a full-time employee of the department of natural resources who is designated a wildlife officer under section 1531.13 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(JJ) "State watercraft officer" means a full-time employee of the department of natural resources who is designated a state watercraft officer under section 1547.521 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(KK) "Park district police officer" means a full-time employee of a park district who is designated pursuant to section 511.232 or 1545.13 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(LL) "Conservancy district officer" means a full-time employee of a conservancy district who is designated pursuant to section 6101.75 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(MM) "Municipal police officer" means a member of the organized police department of a municipal corporation who is employed full time, is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code, and is not a member of the Ohio police and fire pension fund.

(NN) "Veterans' home police officer" means any person who is employed at a veterans' home as a police officer pursuant to section 5907.02 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(OO) "Special police officer for a mental health institution" means any person who is designated as such pursuant to section 5119.14 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(PP) "Special police officer for an institution for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled" means any person who is designated as such pursuant to section 5123.13 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(QQ) "State university law enforcement officer" means any person who is employed full time as a state university law enforcement officer pursuant to section 3345.04 of the Revised Code and who is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(RR) "House sergeant at arms" means any person appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives under division (B)(1) of section 101.311 of the Revised Code who has arrest authority under division (E)(1) of that section.

(SS) "Assistant house sergeant at arms" means any person appointed by the house sergeant at arms under division (C)(1) of section 101.311 of the Revised Code.

(TT) "Regional transit authority police officer" means a person who is employed full time as a regional transit authority police officer under division (Y) of section 306.35 of the Revised Code and is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(UU) "State highway patrol police officer" means a special police officer employed full time and designated by the superintendent of the state highway patrol pursuant to section 5503.09 of the Revised Code or a person serving full time as a special police officer pursuant to that section on a permanent basis on October 21, 1997, who is in compliance with section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(VV) "Municipal public safety director" means a person who serves full time as the public safety director of a municipal corporation with the duty of directing the activities of the municipal corporation's police department and fire department.

(WW) Notwithstanding section 2901.01 of the Revised Code, "PERS law enforcement officer" means a sheriff or any of the following whose primary duties are to preserve the peace, protect life and property, and enforce the laws of this state: a deputy sheriff, township constable or police officer in a township police department or district, drug agent, department of public safety enforcement agent, natural resources law enforcement staff officer, park officer, forest officer, preserve officer, wildlife officer, state watercraft officer, park district police officer, conservancy district officer, veterans' home police officer, special police officer for a mental health institution, special police officer for an institution for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled, state university law enforcement officer, municipal police officer, house sergeant at arms, assistant house sergeant at arms, regional transit authority police officer, or state highway patrol police officer. PERS law enforcement officer also includes a person serving as a municipal public safety director at any time during the period from September 29, 2005, to March 24, 2009, if the duties of that service were to preserve the peace, protect life and property, and enforce the laws of this state.

(XX) "Hamilton county municipal court bailiff" means a person appointed by the clerk of courts of the Hamilton county municipal court under division (A)(3) of section 1901.32 of the Revised Code who is employed full time as a bailiff or deputy bailiff, who has received a certificate attesting to the person's satisfactory completion of the peace officer basic training described in division (D)(1) of section 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(YY) "PERS public safety officer" means a Hamilton county municipal court bailiff, or any of the following whose primary duties are other than to preserve the peace, protect life and property, and enforce the laws of this state: a deputy sheriff, township constable or police officer in a township police department or district, drug agent, department of public safety enforcement agent, natural resources law enforcement staff officer, park officer, forest officer, preserve officer, wildlife officer, state watercraft officer, park district police officer, conservancy district officer, veterans' home police officer, special police officer for a mental health institution, special police officer for an institution for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled, state university law enforcement officer, municipal police officer, house sergeant at arms, assistant house sergeant at arms, regional transit authority police officer, or state highway patrol police officer. "PERS public safety officer" also includes a person serving as a municipal public safety director at any time during the period from September 29, 2005, to March 24, 2009, if the duties of that service were other than to preserve the peace, protect life and property, and enforce the laws of this state.

(ZZ) "Fiduciary" means a person who does any of the following:

(1) Exercises any discretionary authority or control with respect to the management of the system or with respect to the management or disposition of its assets;

(2) Renders investment advice for a fee, direct or indirect, with respect to money or property of the system;

(3) Has any discretionary authority or responsibility in the administration of the system.

(AAA) "Actuary" means an individual who satisfies all of the following requirements:

(1) Is a member of the American academy of actuaries;

(2) Is an associate or fellow of the society of actuaries;

(3) Has a minimum of five years' experience in providing actuarial services to public retirement plans.

(BBB) "PERS defined benefit plan" means the plan described in sections 145.201 to 145.79 of the Revised Code.

(CCC) "PERS defined contribution plans" means the plan or plans established under section 145.81 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 145.191.  (A) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, a public employees retirement system member or contributor who, as of the last day of the month immediately preceding the date on which the public employees retirement board first establishes a PERS defined contribution plan, has less than five years of total service credit is eligible to make an election under this section. A member or contributor who is employed in more than one position subject to this chapter is eligible to make only one election. The election applies to all positions subject to this chapter.

Not later than one hundred eighty days after the day the board first establishes a PERS defined contribution plan, an eligible member or contributor may elect to participate in a PERS defined contribution plan. If a form evidencing an election is not received by the system not later than the last day of the one-hundred-eighty-day period, a member or contributor to whom this section applies is deemed to have elected to continue participating in the PERS defined benefit plan.

(B) An election under this section shall be made in writing on a form provided by the system and filed with the system.

(C) On receipt of an election under this section, the system shall do both of the following:

(1) Credit to the plan elected both of the following:

(a) Any employer contributions attributable to the member for the period beginning on the day the board first established a PERS defined contribution plan;

(b) All accumulated contributions attributable to the member or contributor.

(2) Cancel all service credit and eligibility for any payment, benefit, or right under the PERS defined benefit plan.

(D) An election under this section is effective as of the date the board first established a PERS defined contribution plan and, except as provided in section 145.814 of the Revised Code or rules governing the PERS defined benefit plan, is irrevocable on receipt by the system.

(E) An election may not be made under this section by a member or contributor who is either of the following:

(1) A PERS retirant who is a member under division (C) of section 145.38 of the Revised Code;

(2) A a PERS law enforcement officer or a PERS public safety officer.

Sec. 145.38.  (A) As used in this section and sections 145.381 and 145.384 of the Revised Code:

(1) "PERS retirant" means a former member of the public employees retirement system who is receiving one of the following:

(a) Age and service retirement benefits under section 145.32, 145.33, 145.331, 145.34, or 145.46 of the Revised Code;

(b) Age and service retirement benefits paid by the public employees retirement system under section 145.37 of the Revised Code;

(c) Any benefit paid under a PERS defined contribution plan.

(2) "Other system retirant" means both of the following:

(a) A member or former member of the Ohio police and fire pension fund, state teachers retirement system, school employees retirement system, state highway patrol retirement system, or Cincinnati retirement system who is receiving age and service or commuted age and service retirement benefits or a disability benefit from a system of which the person is a member or former member;

(b) A member or former member of the public employees retirement system who is receiving age and service retirement benefits or a disability benefit under section 145.37 of the Revised Code paid by the school employees retirement system or the state teachers retirement system.

(3) "Employed" includes providing services to an employer as an independent contractor and service for which a PERS retirant or other system retirant, the retirant's employer, or both, have waived any earnable salary for the service.

(B)(1) Subject to this section and section 145.381 of the Revised Code, a PERS retirant or other system retirant may be employed by a public employer. If so employed, the a PERS retirant or other system retirant shall contribute to the public employees retirement system in accordance with section 145.47 of the Revised Code, and the employer shall make contributions in accordance with section 145.48 of the Revised Code. During the period of employment, the retirement allowance for the period beginning on the first day of the month following the month in which employment commences and ending on the first day of the month following the month the employment ends shall be suspended and placed in an account maintained by the retirement system for the retirant.

Payment of the retirement allowance shall resume on the first day of the month following termination of the employment. In addition to the retirement allowance and any amount paid under section 145.384 of the Revised Code, the retirant shall receive a monthly annuity or lump sum payment under section 145.386 of the Revised Code.

(2) A public employer that employs a PERS retirant or other system retirant, or enters into a contract for services as an independent contractor with a PERS retirant, shall notify the retirement board of the employment or contract not later than the end of the month in which the employment or contract commences. Any overpayment of benefits to a PERS retirant by the retirement system resulting from delay or failure of the employer to give the notice shall be repaid to the retirement system by the employer.

(3) On receipt of notice from a public employer that a person who is an other system retirant has been employed, the retirement system shall notify the retirement system of which the other system retirant was a member of such employment.

(4)(a) A PERS retirant who has received a retirement allowance for less than two months when employment subject to this section commences shall forfeit the retirement allowance for any month the PERS retirant is employed prior to the expiration of the two-month period. Service and contributions for that period shall not be included in calculation of any benefits payable to the PERS retirant, and those contributions shall be refunded on the retirant's death or termination of the employment.

(b) An other system retirant who has received a retirement allowance or disability benefit for less than two months when employment subject to this section commences shall forfeit the retirement allowance or disability benefit for any month the other system retirant is employed prior to the expiration of the two-month period. Service and contributions for that period shall not be included in the calculation of any benefits payable to the other system retirant, and those contributions shall be refunded on the retirant's death or termination of the employment.

(c) Contributions made on compensation earned after the expiration of the two-month period shall be used in the calculation of the benefit or payment due under section 145.384 of the Revised Code.

(5) On receipt of notice from the Ohio police and fire pension fund, school employees retirement system, or state teachers retirement system of the re-employment of a PERS retirant, the public employees retirement system shall not pay, or if paid, shall recover, the amount to be forfeited by the PERS retirant in accordance with section 742.26, 3307.35, or 3309.341 of the Revised Code.

(6) A PERS retirant who enters into a contract to provide services as an independent contractor to the employer by which the retirant was employed at the time of retirement or, less than two months after the retirement allowance commences, begins providing services as an independent contractor pursuant to a contract with another public employer, shall forfeit the pension portion of the retirement benefit for the period beginning the first day of the month following the month in which the services begin and ending on the first day of the month following the month in which the services end. The annuity portion of the retirement allowance shall be suspended on the day services under the contract begin and shall accumulate to the credit of the retirant to be paid in a single payment after services provided under the contract terminate. A PERS retirant subject to division (B)(6)(4) of this section shall not contribute to the retirement system and shall not become a member of the system.

(7) As used in this division, "employment" includes service for which a PERS retirant or other system retirant, the retirant's employer, or both, have waived any earnable salary for the service.

(C)(1) Except as provided in division (C)(3) of this section, this division applies to both of the following:

(a) A PERS retirant who, prior to September 14, 2000, was subject to division (C)(1)(b) of this section as that division existed immediately prior to September 14, 2000, and has not elected pursuant to Am. Sub. S.B. 144 of the 123rd general assembly to cease to be subject to that division;

(b) A PERS retirant to whom both of the following apply:

(i) The retirant held elective office in this state, or in any municipal corporation, county, or other political subdivision of this state at the time of retirement under this chapter.

(ii) The retirant was elected or appointed to the same office for the remainder of the term or the term immediately following the term during which the retirement occurred.

(2) A PERS retirant who is subject to this division is a member of the public employees retirement system with all the rights, privileges, and obligations of membership, except that the membership does not include survivor benefits provided pursuant to section 145.45 of the Revised Code or, beginning on the ninetieth day after September 14, 2000, any amount calculated under section 145.401 of the Revised Code. The pension portion of the PERS retirant's retirement allowance shall be forfeited until the first day of the first month following termination of the employment. The annuity portion of the retirement allowance shall accumulate to the credit of the PERS retirant to be paid in a single payment after termination of the employment. The retirement allowance shall resume on the first day of the first month following termination of the employment. On termination of the employment, the PERS retirant shall elect to receive either a refund of the retirant's contributions to the retirement system during the period of employment subject to this section or a supplemental retirement allowance based on the retirant's contributions and service credit for that period of employment.

(3) This division does not apply to any of the following:

(a) A PERS retirant elected to office who, at the time of the election for the retirant's current term, was not retired but, not less than ninety days prior to the primary election for the term or the date on which a primary for the term would have been held, filed a written declaration of intent to retire before the end of the term with the director of the board of elections of the county in which petitions for nomination or election to the office are filed;

(b) A PERS retirant elected to office who, at the time of the election for the retirant's current term, was a retirant and had been retired for not less than ninety days;

(c) A PERS retirant appointed to office who, at the time of appointment to the retirant's current term, notified the person or entity making the appointment that the retirant was already retired or intended to retire before the end of the term.

(D)(1) Except as provided in division (C) of this section, a A PERS retirant or other system retirant subject to this section is not a member of the public employees retirement system, and, except as specified in this section does not have any of the rights, privileges, or obligations of membership. Except as specified in division (D)(C)(2) of this section, the retirant is not eligible to receive health, medical, hospital, or surgical benefits under section 145.58 of the Revised Code for employment subject to this section.

(2) A PERS retirant subject to this section shall receive primary health, medical, hospital, or surgical insurance coverage from the retirant's employer, if the employer provides coverage to other employees performing comparable work. Neither the employer nor the PERS retirant may waive the employer's coverage, except that the PERS retirant may waive the employer's coverage if the retirant has coverage comparable to that provided by the employer from a source other than the employer or the public employees retirement system. If a claim is made, the employer's coverage shall be the primary coverage and shall pay first. The benefits provided under section 145.58 of the Revised Code shall pay only those medical expenses not paid through the employer's coverage or coverage the PERS retirant receives through a source other than the retirement system.

(E)(D) If the disability benefit of an other system retirant employed under this section is terminated, the retirant shall become a member of the public employees retirement system, effective on the first day of the month next following the termination with all the rights, privileges, and obligations of membership. If such person, after the termination of the disability benefit, earns two years of service credit under this system or under the Ohio police and fire pension fund, state teachers retirement system, school employees retirement system, or state highway patrol retirement system, the person's prior contributions as an other system retirant under this section shall be included in the person's total service credit as a public employees retirement system member, and the person shall forfeit all rights and benefits of this section. Not more than one year of credit may be given for any period of twelve months.

(F)(E) This section does not affect the receipt of benefits by or eligibility for benefits of any person who on August 20, 1976, was receiving a disability benefit or service retirement pension or allowance from a state or municipal retirement system in Ohio and was a member of any other state or municipal retirement system of this state.

(G)(F) The public employees retirement board may adopt rules to carry out this section.

Sec. 145.384. (A) As used in this section, "PERS retirant" means a PERS retirant who is not subject to division (C) of has the same meaning as in section 145.38 of the Revised Code. For purposes of this section, "PERS retirant", except that, it also includes both of the following:

(1) A member who retired under section 145.383 of the Revised Code;

(2) A retirant whose retirement allowance resumed under section 145.385 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) An other system retirant or PERS retirant who has made contributions under section 145.38 or 145.383 of the Revised Code or, in the case of a retirant described in division (A)(2) of this section, section 145.47 of the Revised Code may file an application with the public employees retirement system to receive either a benefit, as provided in division (B)(2) of this section, or payment of the retirant's contributions made under those sections, as provided in division (H) of this section.

(2) A benefit under this section shall consist of an annuity having a reserve equal to the amount of the retirant's accumulated contributions for the period of employment, other than the contributions excluded pursuant to division (B)(4)(a) or (b) of section 145.38 of the Revised Code, and an amount of the employer's contributions determined by the board.

(a) Unless, as described in division (I) of this section, the application is accompanied by a statement of the spouse's consent to another form of payment or the board waives the requirement of spousal consent, a PERS retirant or other system retirant who is married at the time of application for a benefit under this section shall receive a monthly annuity under which the actuarial equivalent of the retirant's single life annuity is paid in a lesser amount for life and one-half of the lesser amount continues after the retirant's death to the surviving spouse.

(b) A PERS retirant or other system retirant who is not subject to division (B)(2)(a) of this section shall elect either to receive the benefit as a monthly annuity or a lump sum payment discounted to the present value using a rate of interest determined by the board. A retirant who elects to receive a monthly annuity shall select one of the following as the plan of payment:

(i) The retirant's single life annuity;

(ii) The actuarial equivalent of the retirant's single life annuity in an equal or lesser amount for life and continuing after death to a surviving beneficiary designated at the time the plan of payment is selected.

If a retirant who is eligible to select a plan of payment under division (B)(2)(b) of this section fails to do so, the benefit shall be paid as a monthly annuity under the plan of payment specified in rules adopted by the public employees retirement board.

(c) Notwithstanding divisions (B)(2)(a) and (b) of this section, if a monthly annuity would be less than twenty-five dollars per month, the retirant shall receive a lump sum payment.

(C)(1) The death of a spouse or other designated beneficiary under a plan of payment described in division (B)(2) of this section cancels that plan of payment. The PERS retirant or other system retirant shall receive the equivalent of the retirant's single life annuity, as determined by the board, effective the first day of the month following receipt by the board of notice of the death.

(2) On divorce, annulment, or marriage dissolution, a PERS retirant or other system retirant receiving a benefit described in division (B)(2) of this section under which the beneficiary is the spouse may, with the written consent of the spouse or pursuant to an order of the court with jurisdiction over the termination of the marriage, elect to cancel the plan and receive the equivalent of the retirant's single life annuity as determined by the board. The election shall be made on a form provided by the board and shall be effective the month following its receipt by the board.

(D) Following a marriage or remarriage, a PERS retirant or other system retirant who is receiving a benefit described in division (B)(2)(b)(i) of this section may elect a new plan of payment under division (B)(2)(b) of this section based on the actuarial equivalent of the retirant's single life annuity as determined by the board.

If the marriage or remarriage occurs on or after the effective date of this amendment June 6, 2005, the election must be made not later than one year after the date of the marriage or remarriage.

The plan elected under this division shall be effective on the date of receipt by the board of an application on a form approved by the board, but any change in the amount of the benefit shall commence on the first day of the month following the effective date of the plan.

(E) A benefit payable under division (B)(2) of this section shall commence on the latest of the following:

(1) The last day for which compensation for all employment subject to section 145.38, 145.383, or 145.385 of the Revised Code was paid;

(2) Attainment by the PERS retirant or other system retirant of age sixty-five;

(3) If the PERS retirant or other system retirant was previously employed under section 145.38, 145.383, or 145.385 of the Revised Code and is receiving or previously received a benefit under this section, completion of a period of twelve months since the effective date of the last benefit under this section;

(4) A date specified by the retirant.

(F)(1) If a PERS retirant or other system retirant dies while employed in employment subject to section 145.38, 145.383, or 145.385 of the Revised Code, a lump sum payment calculated in accordance with division (B)(2) of this section shall be paid to the retirant's beneficiary under division (G) of this section.

(2) If at the time of death a PERS retirant or other system retirant receiving a monthly annuity under division (B)(2)(b)(i) of this section has received less than the retirant would have received as a lump sum payment, the difference between the amount received and the amount that would have been received as a lump sum payment shall be paid to the retirant's beneficiary under division (G) of this section.

(3) If a beneficiary receiving a monthly annuity under division (B)(2) of this section dies and, at the time of the beneficiary's death, the total of the amounts paid to the retirant and beneficiary are less than the amount the retirant would have received as a lump sum payment, the difference between the total of the amounts received by the retirant and beneficiary and the amount that the retirant would have received as a lump sum payment shall be paid to the beneficiary's estate.

(G) A PERS retirant or other system retirant employed under section 145.38, 145.383, or 145.385 of the Revised Code may designate one or more persons as beneficiary to receive any benefits payable under division (B)(2)(b) of this section due to death. The designation shall be in writing duly executed on a form provided by the public employees retirement board, signed by the PERS retirant or other system retirant, and filed with the board prior to death. The last designation of a beneficiary revokes all previous designations. The PERS retirant's or other system retirant's marriage, divorce, marriage dissolution, legal separation, withdrawal of account, birth of a child, or adoption of a child revokes all previous designations. If there is no designated beneficiary, the beneficiary is the beneficiary determined under division (D) of section 145.43 of the Revised Code. If any benefit payable under this section due to the death of a PERS retirant or other system retirant is not claimed by a beneficiary within five years after the death, the amount payable shall be transferred to the income fund and thereafter paid to the beneficiary or the estate of the PERS retirant or other system retirant on application to the board.

(H)(1) A PERS retirant or other system retirant who applies under division (B)(1) of this section for payment of the retirant's contributions and is unmarried or is married and, unless the board has waived the requirement of spousal consent, includes with the application a statement of the spouse's consent to the payment, shall be paid the contributions made under section 145.38 or 145.383 of the Revised Code or, in the case of a retirant described in division (A)(2) of this section, section 145.47 of the Revised Code, plus interest as provided in section 145.471 of the Revised Code, if the following conditions are met:

(a) The retirant has not attained sixty-five years of age and has terminated employment subject to section 145.38, 145.383, or 145.385 of the Revised Code for any cause other than death or the receipt of a benefit under this section.

(b) Three months have elapsed since the termination of the retirant's employment subject to section 145.38, 145.383, or 145.385 of the Revised Code, other than employment exempted from contribution pursuant to section 145.03 of the Revised Code.

(c) The retirant has not returned to public service, other than service exempted from contribution pursuant to section 145.03 of the Revised Code, during the three-month period.

(2) Payment of a retirant's contributions cancels the retirant's right to a benefit under division (B)(2) of this section.

(I) A statement of a spouse's consent under division (B)(2) of this section to the form of a benefit or under division (H) of this section to a payment of contributions is valid only if signed by the spouse and witnessed by a notary public. The board may waive the requirement of spousal consent if the spouse is incapacitated or cannot be located, or for any other reason specified by the board. Consent or waiver is effective only with regard to the spouse who is the subject of the consent or waiver.

(J) No amount received under this section shall be included in determining an additional benefit under section 145.323 of the Revised Code or any other post-retirement benefit increase.

Sec. 145.386. (A) The annuity paid by the public employees retirement system under this section shall have a reserve equal to the amount placed in the PERS retirant's account under division (B)(1) of section 145.38 of the Revised Code, except that if the annuity would be less than twenty-five dollars per month, the retirant shall receive as a lump sum payment an amount equal to the reserve.

(1) If the retirant is married at the time of application, the annuity shall consist of the actuarial equivalent of a single life annuity paid in a lesser amount for life and one-half of the lesser amount continuing after the retirant's death to the surviving spouse unless, as described in division (G) of this section, the retirant's application is accompanied by a statement of the spouse's consent to another form of payment or the public employees retirement board waives the requirement of spousal consent.

(2) A retirant who is not subject to division (A)(1) of this section shall elect one of the following as the annuity plan of payment:

(a) A single life annuity;

(b) The actuarial equivalent of a single life annuity in an equal or lesser amount for life and continuing after death to a surviving beneficiary designated at the time the plan of payment is selected.

If the retirant fails to select a plan of payment, the annuity shall be paid under the plan of payment specified in rules adopted by the board.

(B)(1) The death of a spouse or other designated beneficiary under a plan of payment described in division (A) of this section cancels that plan of payment. The retirant shall receive the equivalent of the single life annuity, as determined by the board, effective the first day of the first month following the date of death.

(2) On divorce, annulment, or marriage dissolution, a retirant receiving an annuity under which the beneficiary is the spouse may, with the written consent of the spouse or pursuant to an order of the court with jurisdiction over termination of the marriage, elect to cancel the plan and receive the equivalent of the single life annuity as determined by the board. The election shall be made on a form provided by the board and shall be effective the month following its receipt by the board.

(C) Following a marriage or remarriage, a retirant who is receiving an annuity under division (A)(2)(a) of this section may elect a new plan of payment under division (A)(2)(b) based on the actuarial equivalent of the single life annuity as determined by the board. The election must be made not later than one year after the date of the marriage or remarriage.

The plan elected under this division shall be effective on the date of receipt by the board of an application on a form approved by the board, but any change in the annuity amount shall commence on the first day of the month following the effective date of the plan.

(D) Payment of the annuity shall commence on the first day of the month following termination of employment as described in division (B)(1) of section 145.38 of the Revised Code.

(E) If a retirant dies while in employment described in division (B)(1) of section 145.38 of the Revised Code, a lump sum payment calculated by the retirement system shall be paid to the retirant's beneficiary under division (F) of this section.

If at the time of death, a retirant receiving a monthly annuity under this section has received less than an amount equal to the annuity reserve, the difference between the amount received and the reserve shall be paid to the retirant's beneficiary under division (F) of this section.

If a beneficiary receiving a monthly annuity under this section dies, and at the time of the beneficiary's death, the total of the amounts paid to the retirant and beneficiary are less than an amount equal to the annuity reserve, the difference between the total amounts received and the reserve shall be paid to the beneficiary's estate.

(F) A retirant may designate one or more persons as beneficiary to receive any amount payable under division (E) of this section. The designation shall be in writing duly executed on a form provided by the board, signed by the retirant, and filed with the board prior to the retirant's death. The last designation revokes all previous designations. The retirant's marriage, divorce, marriage dissolution, legal separation, withdrawal of account, birth of a child, or adoption of a child revokes all previous designations. If there is no designated beneficiary, the beneficiary is the beneficiary determined under division (D) of section 145.43 of the Revised Code. If any amount payable under division (E) of this section is not claimed by a beneficiary within five years after the retirant's death, that amount shall remain in the employees' savings fund or may be transferred to the income fund and thereafter shall be paid to the beneficiary or the estate of the retirant on application to the board.

(G) A statement of a spouse's consent under division (A) of this section to a plan of payment is valid only if signed by the spouse and witnessed by a notary public. The board may waive the requirement of spousal consent if the spouse is incapacitated or cannot be located, or for any other reason specified by the board. Consent or waiver is effective only with regard to the spouse who is the subject of the consent or waiver.

(H) No amount received under this section shall be included in determining an additional benefit under section 145.323 of the Revised Code or any other post-retirement benefit increase.

Sec. 145.471.  (A)(1) On and after December 13, 2000, the public employees retirement board shall credit interest to the individual accounts of contributors, except that interest shall not be credited to the individual account of a PERS or other system retirant, as defined in section 145.38 of the Revised Code, for contributions received during the period described in the amount placed in the retirant's account under division (B)(4)(a) or (b)(1) of section 145.38 of the Revised Code. For amounts deposited by a contributor under section 145.62 or the version of division (C) of section 145.23 of the Revised Code as it existed immediately prior to the effective date of this amendment April 6, 2007, interest or earnings shall be credited in accordance with that section and former division.

(2) Except as provided in section 145.472 of the Revised Code, the board shall not credit interest to individual accounts for the period beginning December 31, 1958, and ending on December 13, 2000.

(B) For contributions received in a calendar year, interest shall be earned beginning on the first day of the calendar year next following and ending on the last day of that year, except that interest shall be earned, in the case of an application for retirement or payment under section 145.40 or 145.43 of the Revised Code, ending on the last day of the month prior to retirement or payment under those sections. The board shall credit interest at the end of the calendar year in which it is earned.

Sec. 145.473.  (A) Except as provided in division (C) of this section, the rate of interest credited to individual accounts of contributors under sections 145.471 and 145.472 of the Revised Code shall be as follows:

(1) Four per cent per annum, compounded annually, to and including December 31, 1955;

(2) Three per cent per annum, compounded annually, from January 1, 1956, to and including December 31, 1963;

(3) Three and one-quarter per cent per annum, compounded annually, from January 1, 1964, to and including December 31, 1969;

(4) Four per cent per annum, compounded annually, from January 1, 1970, to and including the day before December 13, 2000;

(5) An amount determined by the public employees retirement board that is not greater than six per cent per annum, compounded annually, on and after December 13, 2000.

(B) Except as provided in division (C) of this section, for the purpose of determining the reserve value of a contributor's annuity, the rate of interest shall be as follows:

(1) Four per cent per annum, compounded annually, for contributors retiring before October 1, 1956;

(2) Three per cent per annum, compounded annually, for contributors retiring on or after October 1, 1956, but before January 1, 1964;

(3) Three and one-quarter per cent per annum, compounded annually, for contributors retiring on or after January 1, 1964, but before January 1, 1970;

(4) Four per cent per annum, compounded annually, for contributors retiring on or after January 1, 1970, but before December 13, 2000;

(5) An amount determined by the board based on the recommendation of the board's actuary, compounded annually, for contributors retiring on or after December 13, 2000.

(C) For a PERS retirant who is not subject to division (C) of section 145.38 of the Revised Code or an other system retirant, as those terms are defined in section 145.38 of the Revised Code, or a member of the public employees retirement system who retires in accordance with section 145.383 of the Revised Code, the rate of interest shall be the current actuarial assumption rate of interest, as determined by the board's actuary, for the purposes described in divisions (A) and (B) of this section.

Sec. 145.58.  (A) As used in this section, "ineligible individual" means all of the following:

(1) A former member receiving benefits pursuant to section 145.32, 145.33, 145.331, 145.34, or 145.46 of the Revised Code for whom eligibility is established more than five years after June 13, 1981, and who, at the time of establishing eligibility, has accrued less than ten years' service credit, exclusive of credit obtained pursuant to section 145.297 or 145.298 of the Revised Code, credit obtained after January 29, 1981, pursuant to section 145.293 or 145.301 of the Revised Code, and credit obtained after May 4, 1992, pursuant to section 145.28 of the Revised Code;

(2) The spouse of the former member;

(3) The beneficiary of the former member receiving benefits pursuant to section 145.46 of the Revised Code.

(B) The public employees retirement board may enter into agreements with insurance companies, health insuring corporations, or government agencies authorized to do business in the state for issuance of a policy or contract of health, medical, hospital, or surgical benefits, or any combination thereof, for those individuals receiving age and service retirement or a disability or survivor benefit subscribing to the plan, or for PERS retirants employed under section 145.38 of the Revised Code, for coverage of benefits in accordance with division (D)(C)(2) of section 145.38 of the Revised Code. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the policy or contract may also include coverage for any eligible individual's spouse and dependent children and for any of the individual's sponsored dependents as the board determines appropriate. If all or any portion of the policy or contract premium is to be paid by any individual receiving age and service retirement or a disability or survivor benefit, the individual shall, by written authorization, instruct the board to deduct the premium agreed to be paid by the individual to the company, corporation, or agency.

The board may contract for coverage on the basis of part or all of the cost of the coverage to be paid from appropriate funds of the public employees retirement system. The cost paid from the funds of the system shall be included in the employer's contribution rate provided by sections 145.48 and 145.51 of the Revised Code. The board may by rule provide coverage to ineligible individuals if the coverage is provided at no cost to the retirement system. The board shall not pay or reimburse the cost for coverage under this section or section 145.325 of the Revised Code for any ineligible individual.

The board may provide for self-insurance of risk or level of risk as set forth in the contract with the companies, corporations, or agencies, and may provide through the self-insurance method specific benefits as authorized by rules of the board.

(C) The board shall, beginning the month following receipt of satisfactory evidence of the payment for coverage, pay monthly to each recipient of service retirement, or a disability or survivor benefit under the public employees retirement system who is eligible for medical insurance coverage under part B of Title XVIII of "The Social Security Act," 79 Stat. 301 (1965), 42 U.S.C.A. 1395j, as amended, an amount determined by the board for such coverage that is not less than ninety-six dollars and forty cents, except that the board shall make no such payment to any ineligible individual or pay an amount that exceeds the amount paid by the recipient for the coverage.

At the request of the board, the recipient shall certify to the retirement system the amount paid by the recipient for coverage described in this division.

(D) The board shall establish by rule requirements for the coordination of any coverage, payment, or benefit provided under this section or section 145.325 of the Revised Code with any similar coverage, payment, or benefit made available to the same individual by the Ohio police and fire pension fund, state teachers retirement system, school employees retirement system, or state highway patrol retirement system.

(E) The board shall make all other necessary rules pursuant to the purpose and intent of this section.

Sec. 145.82.  (A) Except as provided in divisions (B) and (C) of this section, sections 145.201 to 145.70 of the Revised Code do not apply to a PERS defined contribution plan, except that a PERS defined contribution plan may incorporate provisions of those sections as specified in the plan document.

(B) The following sections of Chapter 145. of the Revised Code apply to a PERS defined contribution plan: 145.22, 145.221, 145.23, 145.25, 145.26, 145.27, 145.296, 145.38, 145.382, 145.383, 145.384, 145.386, 145.391, 145.47, 145.48, 145.483, 145.51, 145.52, 145.53, 145.54, 145.55, 145.56, 145.563, 145.57, 145.571, 145.572, 145.573, 145.69, and 145.70 of the Revised Code.

(C) A PERS defined contribution plan that includes definitely determinable benefits may incorporate by reference all or part of sections 145.201 to 145.79 of the Revised Code to allow a member participating in the plan to purchase service credit or to be eligible for any of the following:

(1) Retirement, disability, survivor, or death benefits;

(2) Health or long-term care insurance or any other type of health care benefit;

(3) Additional increases under section 145.323 of the Revised Code;

(4) A refund of contributions made by or on behalf of a member.

With respect to the benefits described in division (C)(1) of this section, the public employees retirement board may establish eligibility requirements and benefit formulas or amounts that differ from those of members participating in the PERS defined benefit plan. With respect to the purchase of service credit by a member participating in a PERS defined contribution plan, the board may reduce the cost of the service credit to reflect the different benefit formula established for the member.

Sec. 742.26.  (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Actuarial present value" means the calculation under which the probability of occurrence, based on a specified mortality table, and the discount for future monetary growth at a specified interest rate are considered by an actuary to determine the value of an annuity.

(2) "Other system retirant" means a former member of the public employees retirement system, state teachers retirement system, school employees retirement system, state highway patrol retirement system, or Cincinnati retirement system who is receiving a disability benefit or an age and service or commuted age and service retirement benefit or allowance from a system of which the person is a former member.

(3) "OPFPF retirant" means any person who is receiving a retirement allowance, other than a disability benefit, from the Ohio police and fire pension fund.

(B) The mortality table and interest rate used in determining actuarial present value shall be determined by the board of trustees of the fund based on the recommendations of an actuary employed by the board.

(C)(1) An OPFPF retirant or other system retirant may be employed as a member of a police or fire department. If so employed, the a retirant shall make contributions to the fund in accordance with section 742.31 of the Revised Code, and the employer shall make contributions in accordance with sections 742.33 and 742.34 of the Revised Code. During the period of employment, the retirement allowance for the period beginning on the first day of the month following the month in which employment commences and ending on the first day of the month following the month the employment ends shall be suspended and placed in an account maintained by the fund for the retirant.

Payment of the retirement allowance shall resume on the first day of the month following termination of the employment. In addition to the retirement allowance and any amount paid under division (E) of this section, the retirant shall receive a monthly annuity or lump sum payment under section 742.261 of the Revised Code.

(2) An employer that employs an OPFPF retirant or other system retirant shall notify the board of trustees of the fund of the employment not later than the end of the month in which the employment commences. On receipt of notice from an employer that a person who is an other system retirant has been employed, the fund shall notify the retirement system of which the other system retirant was a member of such employment.

(D) An OPFPF retirant or other system retirant who has received a retirement allowance or benefit for less than two months when employment subject to this section commences shall forfeit the retirement allowance or benefit for the period that begins on the date the employment commences and ends on the earlier of the date the employment terminates or the date that is two months after the date on which the retirement allowance or benefit commenced. Service and contributions for that period shall not be included in the calculation of any benefits payable under this section, and those contributions shall be refunded on the retirant's death or termination of the employment.

(E) On receipt of notice from the public employees retirement system, school employees retirement system, or state teachers retirement system of the re-employment of an OPFPF retirant, the Ohio police and fire pension fund shall not pay, or if paid shall recover, the amount to be forfeited by the OPFPF retirant in accordance with section 145.38, 3307.35, or 3309.341 of the Revised Code.

(F)(1) On termination of employment under this section, an OPFPF retirant or other system retirant may file an application with the board of trustees of the fund to receive either a benefit, as provided in division (F)(D)(2) of this section, or payment of the retirant's contributions made under this section, as provided in division (H)(F) of this section.

(2) A benefit under this section shall consist of an annuity the actuarial present value of which is equal to two times the sum of all amounts deducted from the salary of the OPFPF retirant or other system retirant and credited to the retirant's individual account in the fund, other than contributions excluded pursuant to division (D) of this section, together with interest credited thereon at the rate determined by the board.

(a) Unless, as described in division (I)(G) of this section, the application is accompanied by a statement of the spouse's consent to another form of payment or the board of trustees waives the requirement of spousal consent, a retirant who is married at the time of application under this division shall receive a monthly annuity under which the actuarial equivalent of the retirant's single life annuity is paid in a lesser amount for life and one-half of the lesser amount continues after the retirant's death to the surviving spouse.

(b) A retirant who is not subject to division (F)(D)(2)(a) of this section shall elect to receive either a monthly annuity or a lump-sum lump sum payment. If the retirant fails to elect a plan of payment, the annuity shall be paid as a monthly annuity under the plan of payment specified in rules adopted by the board of trustees of the fund.

A retirant who elects to receive a monthly annuity shall select one of the following as the plan of payment:

(i) The retirant's single life annuity;

(ii) The actuarial equivalent of the retirant's single life annuity in an equal or lesser amount for life and continuing after death to a surviving beneficiary designated at the time the plan of payment is selected.

(c) Notwithstanding divisions (F)(D)(2)(a) and (b) of this section, if a monthly annuity would be less than twenty-five dollars per month, the retirant shall receive a lump sum payment.

(3) Interest shall be credited to accounts only at the time of calculation of a benefit payable under division (F)(D)(2) of this section.

(4) A benefit payable under this division shall commence on the first day of the month immediately after the latest of the following:

(a) The last day for which compensation for employment subject to this section was paid;

(b) Attainment by the OPFPF retirant or other system retirant of age sixty;

(c) If the OPFPF retirant or other system retirant was previously employed under this section and is receiving or previously received a benefit under this division, completion of a period of twelve months since the last benefit paid under this section commenced.

(5) No amount received under this division shall be included in determining an additional benefit under section 742.3711, 742.3716, or 742.3717 of the Revised Code or any other post-retirement benefit increase.

(G)(E)(1) If an OPFPF retirant or other system retirant dies while employed in employment subject to this section, a lump-sum lump sum payment calculated in accordance with division (F)(D)(2) of this section shall be paid to the retirant's surviving spouse, or if there is no surviving spouse, to the retirant's estate.

(2) If at the time of death an OPFPF retirant or other system retirant receiving a monthly annuity under division (F)(D)(2) of this section has received less than would have been received as a lump-sum lump sum payment under division (F)(D)(2) of this section, the difference between the amount received and the amount that would have been received as a lump-sum lump sum payment shall be paid to the retirant's surviving spouse, or if there is no surviving spouse, to the retirant's estate.

(3) If a beneficiary receiving a monthly annuity under division (F)(D)(2) of this section dies and, at the time of the beneficiary's death, the total of the amounts paid to the retirant and beneficiary are less than the amount the retirant would have received as a lump sum payment, the difference between the total of the amounts received by the retirant and beneficiary and the amount that the retirant would have received as a lump sum payment shall be paid to the beneficiary's estate.

(H)(F)(1) An OPFPF retirant or other system retirant who applies under division (F)(D)(1) of this section for payment of the retirant's contributions and is unmarried or is married and, unless the board of trustees has waived the requirement of spousal consent, includes with the application a statement of the spouse's consent to the payment shall be paid the contributions made under division (C) of this section, plus interest, if the following conditions are met:

(a) The retirant has not attained sixty years of age and has terminated employment subject to this section for any cause other than death or the receipt of a benefit under division (F)(D) of this section.

(b) Three months have elapsed since the termination of employment subject to this section.

(c) The retirant has not returned to service subject to this chapter or Chapter 145., 3307., or 3309. of the Revised Code, other than service exempted from contribution to the public employees retirement system pursuant to section 145.03 of the Revised Code, during the three-month period.

(2) Payment of a retirant's contributions cancels the retirant's right to a benefit under division (F)(D) of this section.

(I)(G) A statement of a spouse's consent under division (F)(D) of this section to the form of a benefit or under division (H)(F) of this section to a payment of contributions is valid only if signed by the spouse and witnessed by a notary public. The board of trustees may waive the requirement of spousal consent if the spouse is incapacitated or cannot be located, or for any other reason specified by the board. Consent or waiver is effective only with regard to the spouse who is the subject of the consent or waiver.

(J)(H) An other system retirant subject to this section is not a member of the Ohio police and fire pension fund, does not have any of the rights, privileges, or obligations of membership, except as specified in this section, and is not eligible to receive health, medical, hospital, or surgical benefits under section 742.45 of the Revised Code for employment subject to this section.

(K)(I) If any payment is made by the Ohio police and fire pension fund to an OPFPF retirant or other system retirant to which the retirant is not entitled, the retirant shall repay it to the fund. If the retirant fails to make the repayment, the fund shall withhold the amount due from any allowances or other amounts due the OPFPF retirant or other system retirant.

(L)(J) An OPFPF retirant who is employed under this section is not eligible to receive any benefits under section 742.37 of the Revised Code for the employment under this section.

(M)(K) This section does not affect the receipt of benefits by or eligibility for benefits of any person who on August 20, 1976, was receiving a disability benefit or service retirement pension or allowance from a state or municipal retirement system in Ohio and was a member of any other state or municipal retirement system of this state.

(N)(L) The board of trustees of the fund may adopt rules to carry out this section.

Sec. 742.261. (A) The annuity paid by the Ohio police and fire pension fund under this section shall have a reserve equal to the amount placed in the retirant's account under division (C)(1) of section 742.26 of the Revised Code, except that if the annuity would be less than twenty-five dollars per month, the retirant shall receive as a lump sum payment an amount equal to the reserve.

(1) If the retirant is married at the time of application, the annuity shall consist of the actuarial equivalent of a single life annuity paid in a lesser amount for life and one-half of the lesser amount continuing after the retirant's death to the surviving spouse unless, as described in division (D) of this section, the retirant's application is accompanied by a statement of the spouse's consent to another form of payment or the Ohio police and fire pension fund board of trustees waives the requirement of spousal consent.

(2) A retirant who is not subject to division (A)(1) of this section shall elect one of the following as the annuity plan of payment:

(a) A retirant's single life annuity;

(b) The actuarial equivalent of a single life annuity in an equal or lesser amount for life and continuing after death to a surviving beneficiary at the time the plan of payment is selected.

If the retirant fails to select a plan of payment, the annuity shall be paid under the plan of payment specified in rules adopted by the board of trustees.

(B) Payment of the annuity shall commence on the first day of the month following termination of employment as described in division (C)(1) of section 742.26 of the Revised Code.

(C) If a retirant dies while in employment described in division (C)(1) of section 742.26 of the Revised Code, a lump sum payment calculated by the board of trustees shall be paid to the retirant's surviving spouse, or if there is no surviving spouse, to the retirant's estate.

If at the time of death, a retirant receiving a monthly annuity under this section has received less than an amount equal to the annuity reserve, the difference between the amount received and the reserve shall be paid to the retirant's surviving spouse, or if there is no surviving spouse, to the retirant's estate.

If a beneficiary receiving a monthly annuity under this section dies, and at the time of the beneficiary's death, the total of the amounts paid to the retirant and beneficiary are less than an amount equal to the annuity reserve, the difference between the total amounts received and the reserve shall be paid to the beneficiary's estate.

(D) A statement of a spouse's consent under division (A) of this section to a plan of payment is valid only if signed by the spouse and witnessed by a notary public. The board of trustees may waive the requirement of spousal consent if the spouse is incapacitated or cannot be located, or for any other reason specified by the board. Consent or waiver is effective only with regard to the spouse who is the subject of the consent or waiver.

(E) No amount received under this section shall be included in determining an additional benefit under section 742.3711, 742.3716, or 742.3717 of the Revised Code or any other post-retirement benefit increase.

Sec. 3307.35.  (A) As used in this section and section 3307.352 of the Revised Code, "other system retirant" means a member or former member of the public employees retirement system, Ohio police and fire pension fund, school employees retirement system, state highway patrol retirement system, or Cincinnati retirement system who is receiving age and service or commuted age and service retirement, or a disability benefit from a system of which the retirant is a member or former member.

(B) Subject to this section and section 3307.353 of the Revised Code, a superannuate or other system retirant may be employed as a teacher.

(C). A superannuate or other system retirant employed in accordance with this section shall contribute to the state teachers retirement system in accordance with section 3307.26 of the Revised Code and the employer shall contribute in accordance with sections 3307.28 and 3307.31 of the Revised Code. Such contributions shall be received as specified in section 3307.14 of the Revised Code. A During the period of employment, the retirement allowance for the period beginning on the first day of the month following the month in which employment commences and ending on the first day of the month following the month the employment ends shall be suspended and placed in an account maintained by the retirement system for the superannuate.

Payment of the retirement allowance shall resume on the first day of the month following termination of the employment. In addition to the retirement allowance and any amount paid under section 3307.352 of the Revised Code, the superannuate shall receive a monthly annuity or lump sum payment under section 3307.354 of the Revised Code.

(C) A superannuate or other system retirant employed as a teacher under this section is not a member of the state teachers retirement system, does not have any of the rights, privileges, or obligations of membership, except as provided in this section, and is not eligible to receive health, medical, hospital, or surgical benefits under section 3307.39 of the Revised Code for employment subject to this section.

(D) The employer that employs a superannuate or other system retirant shall notify the state teachers retirement board of the employment not later than the end of the month in which the employment commences. Any overpayment of benefits to a superannuate by the retirement system resulting from an employer's failure to give timely notice may be charged to the employer and may be certified and deducted as provided in section 3307.31 of the Revised Code.

(E) On receipt of notice from an employer that a person who is an other system retirant has been employed, the state teachers retirement system shall notify the state retirement system of which the other system retirant was a member of such employment.

(F) A superannuate or other system retirant who has received an allowance or benefit for less than two months when employment subject to this section commences shall forfeit the allowance or benefit for any month the superannuate or retirant is employed prior to the expiration of such period. Contributions shall be made to the retirement system from the first day of such employment, but service and contributions for that period shall not be used in the calculation of any benefit payable to the superannuate or other system retirant, and those contributions shall be refunded on the superannuate's or retirant's death or termination of the employment. Contributions made on compensation earned after the expiration of such period shall be used in calculation of the benefit or payment due under section 3307.352 of the Revised Code.

(G) On receipt of notice from the Ohio police and fire pension fund, public employees retirement system, or school employees retirement system of the re-employment of a superannuate, the state teachers retirement system shall not pay, or if paid shall recover, the amount to be forfeited by the superannuate in accordance with section 145.38, 742.26, or 3309.341 of the Revised Code.

(H) If the disability benefit of an other system retirant employed under this section is terminated, the retirant shall become a member of the state teachers retirement system, effective on the first day of the month next following the termination, with all the rights, privileges, and obligations of membership. If such person, after the termination of the retirant's disability benefit, earns two years of service credit under this retirement system or under the public employees retirement system, Ohio police and fire pension fund, school employees retirement system, or state highway patrol retirement system, the retirant's prior contributions as an other system retirant under this section shall be included in the retirant's total service credit, as defined in section 3307.50 of the Revised Code, as a state teachers retirement system member, and the retirant shall forfeit all rights and benefits of this section. Not more than one year of credit may be given for any period of twelve months.

(I)(G) This section does not affect the receipt of benefits by or eligibility for benefits of any person who on August 20, 1976, was receiving a disability benefit or service retirement pension or allowance from a state or municipal retirement system in Ohio and was a member of any other state or municipal retirement system of this state.

(J)(H) The state teachers retirement board may make the necessary rules to carry into effect this section and to prevent the abuse of the rights and privileges thereunder.

Sec. 3307.352.  For purposes of this section, "superannuate" includes a member who retired under section 3307.351 of the Revised Code.

(A) Except as provided in division (B)(3) of this section, a superannuate or other system retirant who has made contributions under section 3307.35 or 3307.351 of the Revised Code may file an application with the state teachers retirement system for a benefit consisting of a single life annuity. The annuity shall have a reserve equal to the amount of the superannuate's or retirant's accumulated contributions, as defined in section 3307.50 of the Revised Code, for the period of employment, other than the contributions excluded pursuant to division (F) of section 3307.35 of the Revised Code, and an amount determined by the state teachers retirement board from the employers' trust created by section 3307.14 of the Revised Code, plus interest credited to the date of retirement at a rate of interest determined by the board. The superannuate or other system retirant shall elect either to receive the benefit as a monthly annuity for life or a lump sum payment discounted to the present value using a rate of interest determined by the board, except that if the monthly annuity would be less than twenty-five dollars per month the superannuate or retirant shall receive a lump sum payment.

A benefit payable under this division shall commence on the latest of the following:

(1) The last day for which compensation for all employment as a teacher was paid;

(2) Attainment by the superannuate or other system retirant of age sixty-five;

(3) If the superannuate or other system retirant was previously employed under section 3307.35 or 3307.351 of the Revised Code and previously received or is receiving a benefit under this division, completion of a period of twelve months since the effective date of the last benefit under this division.

(B)(1) A superannuate or other system retirant under age sixty-five who has made contributions under section 3307.35 or 3307.351 of the Revised Code may file an application with the state teachers retirement system for a return of those contributions if both of the following conditions are met:

(a) The superannuate or retirant has terminated, for any reason other than death, the employment for which the contributions were made.

(b) If the superannuate or retirant received a return of contributions under this division for a previous period of employment under section 3307.35 or 3307.351 of the Revised Code, twelve months have passed since the date the retirement system returned the contributions.

(2) A return of contributions under this division shall consist of the sum of the following:

(a) The contributions the superannuate or other system retirant made under section 3307.35 or 3307.351 of the Revised Code;

(b) Interest at a rate determined by the state teachers retirement board credited to the date that the superannuate or retirant terminated the employment for which the contributions are made.

(3) Payment of a return of contributions under this division cancels the superannuate or retirant's right to a benefit under division (A) of this section for the service for which the contributions were made.

(C)(1) If a superannuate or other system retirant who made contributions under section 3307.35 or 3307.351 of the Revised Code dies before receiving a benefit under division (A) of this section or a return of contributions under division (B) of this section, a lump sum payment shall be paid to the beneficiary designated under division (D) of section 3307.562 of the Revised Code. The lump sum shall be calculated in accordance with division (A) of this section, except that the interest shall be credited as follows:

(a) If the superannuate or retirant was under age sixty-five at the time of death, the interest shall be credited through the month of death.

(b) If the superannuate or retirant was age sixty-five or older at the time of death, the interest shall be credited through the later of the month in which the superannuate or retirant terminated the employment for which the contributions are made or the month the superannuate or retirant attained age sixty-five.

(2) If at the time of death a superannuate or other system retirant receiving a monthly annuity under division (A) of this section has received less than the superannuate or retirant would have received as a lump sum payment, the difference between the amount received and the amount that would have been received as a lump sum payment shall be paid to the superannuate's or retirant's beneficiary designated under division (D) of section 3307.562 of the Revised Code.

(D) No amount received under this section shall be included in determining an additional benefit under section 3307.67 of the Revised Code or any other post-retirement benefit increase.

Sec. 3307.354. (A) The annuity paid by the state teachers retirement system under this section shall have a reserve equal to the amount placed in the superannuate's account under division (B) of section 3307.35 of the Revised Code except that if the annuity would be less than twenty-five dollars per month, the superannuate shall receive as a lump sum payment an amount equal to the reserve.

(B) Payment of the annuity shall commence on the first day of the month following termination of employment as described in division (B) of section 3307.35 of the Revised Code.

(C) If a superannuate dies while in employment described in division (B) of section 3307.35 of the Revised Code, a lump sum payment calculated by the retirement system shall be paid to the superannuate's beneficiary under division (B) of section 3307.562 of the Revised Code.

If at the time of death, a superannuate receiving a monthly annuity under this section has received less than an amount equal to the annuity reserve, the difference between the amount received and the reserve shall be paid to the superannuate's beneficiary under division (D) of section 3307.562 of the Revised Code.

(D) No amount received under this section shall be included in determining an additional benefit under section 3307.67 of the Revised Code or any other post-retirement benefit increase.

Sec. 3309.341.  (A) As used in this section and section 3309.344 of the Revised Code:

(1) "SERS retirant" means any person who is receiving a retirement allowance from the school employees retirement system under section 3309.36, 3309.38, or 3309.381 of the Revised Code or any benefit paid under a plan established under section 3309.81 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Other system retirant" means a member or former member of the public employees retirement system, Ohio police and fire pension fund, state teachers retirement system, state highway patrol retirement system, or Cincinnati retirement system who is receiving age and service or commuted age and service retirement, or a disability benefit from a system of which the retirant is a member or former member.

(B)(1) Subject to this section and section 3309.345 of the Revised Code, an SERS retirant or other system retirant may be employed by a public employer. If so employed, the an SERS retirant or other system retirant shall contribute to the school employees retirement system in accordance with section 3309.47 of the Revised Code, and the employer shall make contributions in accordance with section 3309.49 of the Revised Code. During the period of employment, the retirement allowance for the period beginning on the first day of the month following the month in which employment commences and ending on the first day of the month following the month the employment ends shall be suspended and placed in an account maintained by the retirement system for the retirant.

Payment of the retirement allowance shall resume on the first day of the month following termination of the employment. In addition to the retirement allowance and any amount paid under section 3309.344 of the Revised Code, the retirant shall receive a monthly annuity or lump sum payment under section 3309.346 of the Revised Code.

(2) An employer that employs an SERS retirant or other system retirant shall notify the retirement board of the employment not later than the end of the month in which the employment commences. On receipt of notice from an employer that a person who is an other system retirant has been employed, the school employees retirement system shall notify the state retirement system of which the other system retirant was a member of such employment.

(C) An SERS retirant or other system retirant who has received a retirement allowance or disability benefit for less than two months when employment subject to this section commences shall forfeit the retirement allowance or disability benefit for any month the SERS retirant or other system retirant is employed prior to the expiration of the two-month period. Service and contributions for that period shall not be included in the calculation of any benefits payable to the SERS retirant or other system retirant, and those contributions shall be refunded on death or termination of the employment. Contributions made on compensation earned after the expiration of such period shall be used in the calculation of the benefit or payment due under section 3309.344 of the Revised Code.

(D) On receipt of notice from the Ohio police and fire pension fund, public employees retirement system, or state teachers retirement system of the re-employment of an SERS retirant, the school employees retirement system shall not pay, or if paid shall recover, the amount to be forfeited by the SERS retirant in accordance with section 145.38, 742.26, or 3307.35 of the Revised Code.

(E) An SERS retirant or other system retirant subject to this section is not a member of the school employees retirement system; does not have any of the rights, privileges, or obligations of membership, except as specified in this section; and is not eligible to receive health, medical, hospital, or surgical benefits under section 3309.69 of the Revised Code for employment subject to this section.

(F)(D) If the disability benefit of an other system retirant employed under this section is terminated, the retirant shall become a member of the school employees retirement system, effective on the first day of the month next following the termination, with all the rights, privileges, and obligations of membership. If the retirant, after the termination of the disability benefit, earns two years of service credit under this retirement system or under the public employees retirement system, Ohio police and fire pension fund, state teachers retirement system, or state highway patrol retirement system, the retirant's prior contributions as an other system retirant under this section shall be included in the retirant's total service credit as a school employees retirement system member, and the retirant shall forfeit all rights and benefits of this section. Not more than one year of credit may be given for any period of twelve months.

(G)(E) This section does not affect the receipt of benefits by or eligibility for benefits of any person who on August 29, 1976, was receiving a disability benefit or service retirement pension or allowance from a state or municipal retirement system in Ohio and was a member of any other state or municipal retirement system of this state.

(H)(F) The school employees retirement board may adopt rules to carry out this section.

Sec. 3309.344.  For purposes of this section, "SERS retirant" includes a member who retired under section 3309.343 of the Revised Code.

(A) Except as provided in division (B)(3) of this section, an SERS retirant or other system retirant who has made contributions under section 3309.341 or 3309.343 of the Revised Code may file an application with the school employees retirement system for a benefit consisting of a single life annuity. The annuity shall have a reserve equal to the amount of the retirant's accumulated contributions for the period of employment, other than the contributions excluded pursuant to division (C) of section 3309.341 of the Revised Code, and an amount of the employer's contributions determined by the board, plus interest credited to the date of retirement at a rate determined by the board. The SERS retirant or other system retirant shall elect either to receive the benefit as a monthly annuity for life or a lump sum payment discounted to the present value using a rate of interest determined by the board, except that if the monthly annuity would be less than twenty-five dollars per month, the retirant shall receive a lump sum payment.

A benefit payable under this division shall commence on the first day of the month after the latest of the following:

(1) The last day for which compensation for all employment subject to sections 3309.341 and 3309.343 of the Revised Code was paid;

(2) Attainment by the SERS retirant or other system retirant of age sixty-five;

(3) If the SERS retirant or other system retirant was previously employed under section 3309.341 or 3309.343 of the Revised Code and is receiving or previously received a benefit under this division, completion of a period of twelve months since the effective date of that benefit.

(B)(1) An SERS or other system retirant under age sixty-five who has made contributions under section 3309.341 or 3309.343 of the Revised Code may file an application with the school employees retirement system for a return of those contributions if both of the following conditions are met:

(a) The retirant has terminated, for any reason other than death, the employment for which the contributions were made.

(b) If the retirant received a return of contributions under this division for a previous period of employment under section 3309.341 or 3309.343 of the Revised Code, twelve months have passed since the date the retirement system returned the contributions.

(2) A return of contributions under this division shall consist of all of the contributions the SERS or other system retirant made under section 3309.341 or 3309.343 of the Revised Code.

(3) Payment of a return of contributions under this division cancels the SERS or other system retirant's right to a benefit under division (A) of this section for the service for which the contributions were made.

(C)(1) If an SERS retirant or other system retirant who made contributions under section 3309.341 or 3309.343 of the Revised Code dies before receiving a benefit under division (A) of this section or a return of contributions under division (B) of this section, a lump sum payment shall be paid to the beneficiary under division (D) of this section. The lump sum shall be calculated in accordance with division (A) of this section.

(2) If at the time of death an SERS retirant or other system retirant receiving a monthly annuity under division (A) of this section has received less than the retirant would have received as a lump sum payment, the difference between the amount received and the amount that would have been received as a lump sum payment shall be paid to the retirant's beneficiary under division (D) of this section.

(D) An SERS retirant or other system retirant employed under section 3309.341 or 3309.343 of the Revised Code may designate one or more persons as beneficiary to receive any benefits payable under this section due to death. The designation shall be in writing duly executed on a form provided by the school employees retirement board, signed by the SERS retirant or other system retirant, and filed with the board prior to death. The last designation of a beneficiary revokes all previous designations. The SERS retirant's or other system retirant's marriage, divorce, marriage dissolution, legal separation, withdrawal of account, birth of the retirant's child, or adoption of a child revokes all previous designations. If there is no designated beneficiary, the beneficiary is the beneficiary designated under division (D) of section 3309.44 of the Revised Code. If any benefit payable under this section due to the death of an SERS retirant or other system retirant is not claimed by a beneficiary within five years after the death, the amount payable shall be transferred to the guarantee fund and thereafter paid to the beneficiary or the estate of the SERS retirant or other system retirant on application to the board.

(E) No amount received under this section shall be included in determining an additional benefit under section 3309.374 of the Revised Code or any other post-retirement benefit increases.

Sec. 3309.346. (A) The annuity paid by the school employees retirement system under this section shall have a reserve equal to the amount placed in the retirant's account under division (B)(1) of section 3309.341 of the Revised Code, except that if the annuity would be less than twenty-five dollars per month, the retirant shall receive as a lump sum payment an amount equal to the reserve.

(B) Payment of the annuity shall commence on the first day of the month following termination of employment as described in division (B)(1) of section 3309.341 of the Revised Code.

(C) If a retirant dies while in employment described in division (B)(1) of section 3309.341 of the Revised Code, a lump sum payment calculated by the retirement system shall be paid to the retirant's beneficiary under division (D) of this section.

If at the time of death, a retirant receiving a monthly annuity under this section has received less than an amount equal to the annuity reserve, the difference between the amount received and the reserve shall be paid to the retirant's beneficiary under division (D) of this section.

(D) A retirant may designate one or more persons as beneficiary to receive any amount payable under division (C) of this section. The designation shall be in writing duly executed on a form provided by the school employees retirement board, signed by the retirant, and filed with the board prior to the retirant's death. The last designation revokes all previous designations. The retirant's marriage, divorce, marriage dissolution, legal separation, withdrawal of account, birth of a child, or adoption of a child revokes all previous designations. If there is no designated beneficiary, the beneficiary is the beneficiary determined under division (D) of section 3309.44 of the Revised Code. If any amount payable under division (C) of this section is not claimed by a beneficiary within five years after the retirant's death, that amount shall be transferred to the guarantee fund and thereafter paid to the beneficiary or the estate of the retirant on application to the board.

(E) No amount received under this section shall be included in determining an additional benefit under section 3309.374 of the Revised Code or any other post-retirement benefit increase.

Sec. 3501.13.  (A) The director of the board of elections shall keep a full and true record of the proceedings of the board and of all moneys received and expended; file and preserve in the board's office all orders and records pertaining to the administration of registrations, primaries, and elections; receive and have the custody of all books, papers, and property belonging to the board; and perform other duties in connection with the office of director and the proper conduct of elections as the board determines.

(B) Before entering upon the duties of the office, the director shall subscribe to an oath that the director will support the Constitution of the United States and the Ohio Constitution, perform all the duties of the office to the best of the director's ability, enforce the election laws, and preserve all records, documents, and other property pertaining to the conduct of elections placed in the director's custody.

(C) The director may administer oaths to persons required by law to file certificates or other papers with the board, to precinct election officials, to witnesses who are called to testify before the board, and to voters filling out blanks at the board's offices. Except as otherwise provided by state or federal law, the records of the board and papers and books filed in its office are public records and open to inspection under such reasonable regulations as shall be established by the board. The social security number or any part thereof of any elector or of any applicant for voter registration is not a public record. The board shall redact any such number from any record that it makes open to public inspection or copying under this section.

The following notice shall be posted in a prominent place at each board office:

"Except as otherwise provided by state or federal law, records filed in this office of the board of elections are open to public inspection during normal office hours, pursuant to the following reasonable regulations: (the board shall here list its regulations). Whoever prohibits any person from inspecting the public records of this board is subject to the penalties of section 3599.161 of the Revised Code."

(D) Upon receipt of a written declaration of intent to retire as provided for in section 145.38 of the Revised Code, the director shall provide a copy to each member of the board of elections.

Section 2. That existing sections 145.01, 145.191, 145.38, 145.384, 145.471, 145.473, 145.58, 145.82, 742.26, 3307.35, 3307.352, 3309.341, 3309.344, and 3501.13 and section 5505.161 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.