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A.(1)  In lieu of terminating employment and accepting a retirement allowance, any member of this system whose first employment making him eligible for membership in one of the state retirement systems occurred on or before December 31, 2010, and who is not covered by La. Rev. Stat. 11:801 and who has thirty years of service credit at any age, twenty-five years of service credit and is at least age fifty-five, or has twenty years of service credit exclusive of military service other than qualified military service as provided in 26 U.S.C. § 414(u) earned on or after December 12, 1994, and is at least age sixty-five may elect to participate in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan.  A member with ten years of service credit exclusive of military service other than qualified military service as provided in 26 U.S.C. § 414(u) earned on or after December 12, 1994, and who is at least age sixty may elect to participate in the plan, but all benefits payable at any time shall be calculated using only a two percent benefit formula.

(2)  Any member of this system whose first employment making him eligible for membership in one of the state retirement systems occurred on or after January 1, 2011, and on or before June 30, 2015, and who is not covered by La. Rev. Stat. 11:801 and who has five years of service credit and is at least age sixty may elect to participate in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan.

(3)  Any member of this system whose first employment making him eligible for membership in one of the state retirement systems occurred on or before June 30, 2015, who is covered by the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 11:801 who has thirty years of service credit and is at least age fifty-five or has ten years of service credit and is at least age sixty may elect to participate in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan.

(4)  Any member of this system whose first employment making him eligible for membership in one of the state retirement systems occurred on or after July 1, 2015, who has at least five years of service credit and is at least age sixty-two may elect to participate in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan.

B.  An election to participate in the plan may be made only once, for a specified period not to exceed three years.  The three-year period begins within sixty calendar days after the first time the member reaches one of the eligibility requirements of Subsection A of this Section.  The participation period must end not more than three years and sixty calendar days from the date the member first becomes eligible under any of the eligibility requirements of Subsection A of this Section, and in no case may the actual participation in the plan exceed three years.  Once specified, the period of participation may not be extended.  A member participating in the plan may not terminate participation prior to the end of the selected duration without terminating employment.  A member who chooses to participate in the plan shall elect a retirement plan option at the beginning of the participation period and such election shall be irrevocable once the participation period begins.

C.  For purposes of this plan, sick and annual leave may not be converted for purposes of establishing eligibility.

D.  Any member of this system who meets one of the eligibility requirements of Subsection A of this Section by January 1, 1994, may choose a participation period under Subsection B of this Section; however, if such member does not choose to participate under Subsection B of this Section or is beyond the participation period limits of Subsection B of this Section, he shall be allowed a participation period not to exceed two years, but interest shall not be credited to such participant’s subaccount during such period of participation.

E.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any member who is participating in the three-year Deferred Retirement Option Plan, as set forth in Subsection B of this Section, may continue to participate in the plan for an additional period of time which equals the difference between the actual participation of that member in that plan and the three-year maximum term of participation, provided the member satisfies all of the following:

(1)  On January 1, 1994, the member was not eligible for the full three-year period, because of years of service credit or age requirements, or both.

(2)  The member chose to participate in the three-year plan for the maximum period available.

(3)  The member is participating in the three-year plan on June 30, 1995.

(4)  The member furnishes written notice to the system prior to December 31, 1995, or the end of the participation period that the member initially selected, whichever date occurs first.

Acts 1991, No. 62, §1, eff. July 1, 1992; Redesignated from La. Rev. Stat. 17:645 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §5, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 1992, No. 950, §1, eff. July 1, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 973, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; Acts 1995, No. 592, §1, eff. July 1, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 1110, §1, eff. June 30, 1995; Acts 2011, No. 368, §1, eff. July 1, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 510, §1, eff. July 1, 2012; Acts 2014, No. 226, §1, eff. June 30, 2014.

{{NOTE:  SEE §2 OF ACT 62 OF 1991.}}