(1) For purposes of this section:

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(a) Association means the State Code Agency Teachers Association, or its equivalent successor, recognized by the State of Nebraska as the exclusive and sole collective-bargaining agent for all teachers other than temporary teachers employed by an agency of the State of Nebraska;

(b) Eligible school plan state employee means an individual who satisfies all school plan eligibility criteria and who is (i) an individual employed by the State Department of Education after July 1, 1989, as a state school official, (ii) an individual who is employed by any state agency in a position covered by the association and who is required to hold a certificate as defined in section 79-807 for the position in which such individual is employed, or (iii) an individual who is employed by any state agency not in a position covered by the association who is required to hold a certificate as defined in section 79-807 for the position in which such individual is employed;

(c) School plan means the School Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska;

(d) State agency school plan employer means the State Department of Education or another agency of the State of Nebraska with employees covered by the association; and

(e) State plan means the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska.

(2)(a) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, an individual shall become or remain a member of the school plan if:

(i) Such individual is or was previously a school employee or was employed in an out-of-state school district or a Class V school district; and

(ii) Such individual becomes an eligible school plan state employee with a state agency school plan employer.

(b) An individual who is required to participate in the school plan pursuant to subdivision (2)(a) of this section shall not be deemed to have terminated employment for school plan purposes if such individual subsequently provides service to any employer participating in the school plan, including any school district or educational service unit, or any state agency school plan employer, within one hundred eighty days after ceasing employment except an individual may be permitted to provide intermittent work as a volunteer or substitute employee at a school district or an educational service unit as described in subdivision (2)(a) of section 79-930.

(c) An individual who is required to participate in the school plan pursuant to subdivision (2)(a) of this section shall not render any service to another agency of the State of Nebraska within one hundred twenty days after ceasing employment.

(3)(a) An individual shall participate in the state plan if:

(i) The individual has never previously participated in the school plan while employed as an eligible school plan state employee with a state agency school plan employer;

(ii) The individual terminated employment with a school district or an educational service unit participating in the school plan and retired or took a distribution pursuant to the School Employees Retirement Act; and

(iii) The individual’s employment as an eligible school plan state employee with a state agency school plan employer began or will begin within one hundred eighty days after termination of employment with the school district or educational service unit.

(b) An individual who is required to participate in the state plan pursuant to subdivision (3)(a) of this section shall not be deemed to have terminated employment for state plan purposes if such individual subsequently provides service to any employer participating in the state plan, including any state agency school plan employer or an agency of the State of Nebraska, within one hundred twenty days after ceasing employment. No such individual shall be permitted to provide intermittent work as a volunteer or substitute employee as described in subdivision (2)(a) of section 79-930 to any employer participating in the school plan for at least one hundred twenty days after ceasing employment.

(4) An individual who previously elected to participate in the school plan prior to March 4, 2022, while employed as a state school official and who terminated employment and retired or took a distribution pursuant to the School Employees Retirement Act, shall not render any service to:

(a) A school district or an educational service unit participating in the school plan or a state agency school plan employer within one hundred eighty days after terminating employment except for intermittent work as a volunteer or substitute employee as described in subdivision (2)(a) of section 79-930 ; or

(b) Another agency of the State of Nebraska within one hundred twenty days after terminating employment.