Tennessee Code 49-1512 – Cessation of membership
Terms Used In Tennessee Code 49-1512
- Accumulated contributions: means the sum of all the amounts deducted from the compensation of a member, together with any amount transferred to the account of the member established pursuant to chapters 34-37 of this title from the respective account of the member under one (1) or more of the superseded systems, with interest thereon, as provided in §. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
- Creditable service: means prior service plus membership service, as provided in part 6 of this chapter. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
- Employer: means :
(A) The state or any department, commission, institution, board or agency of the state government by which a member is paid, with respect to members in its employ. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101 - Local retirement fund: means any teachers' retirement fund or other arrangement for payment of retirement benefits to teachers, except this retirement system, supported wholly or in part by contributions made by an employer as defined by chapters 34-37 of this title. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
- Member: means any person included in the membership of the retirement system, as provided in chapter 35, part 1 of this title. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
- Retirement: means withdrawal from membership with a retirement allowance granted under chapters 34-37 of this title. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
- Retirement system: means the Tennessee consolidated retirement system as defined in §. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
- Service: means service as a general employee, a teacher, a state police officer, a wildlife officer, a firefighter, a police officer, a state judge, a county judge, an attorney general, a commissioner or a county official which is paid for by an employer, and also includes service for which a former member of the general assembly is entitled to under former §. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
Should any member having less than ten (10) years of creditable service, or four (4) years of creditable service for any member in an institution of higher learning, be absent from service more than seven (7) years in any period of nine (9) consecutive years after becoming a member or should he be employed by an employer operating a local retirement fund or plan or arrangement containing provisions for the retirement of teachers on a joint contributory basis or should he withdraw his accumulated contributions or should he become a beneficiary or die, he shall thereupon cease to be a member.
With reference to the above provision as to absence from service, on and after July 1, 1956, teaching service totaling at least eighteen (18) months during any period of nine (9) consecutive years after becoming a member shall be an absolute requirement to retain membership during any such period ending on any date on or after July 1, 1956. Provided that should such member with less than fifteen (15) years of teaching service in the public schools of Tennessee reenter the teaching profession, and become a member of the Tennessee teachers’ retirement system prior to his sixtieth birthday and shall remain in the teaching service continuously for at least five (5) years prior to his sixtieth birthday and should such member repay any and all of his withdrawn contributions with interest at six per cent (6%) per annum from the time of his withdrawal of such contributions to the time of repayment of his withdrawn contributions, he shall be entitled to reclaim all his creditable teaching service in the Tennessee teachers’ retirement system.