41. a. A member who withdraws from service or ceases to be an employee for any cause other than death or retirement shall, upon the filing of an application therefor, receive all of his accumulated deductions standing to the credit of his individual account in the annuity savings fund, plus regular interest, less any outstanding loan, except that for any period after June 30, 1944, the interest payable shall be such proportion of the interest determined at the regular rate of 2% per annum bears to the regular rate of interest, and except that no interest shall be payable in the case of a member who has less than three years of membership credit for which he has made contributions. He shall cease to be a member two years from the date he discontinued service as an eligible employee, or, if prior thereto, upon payment to him of his accumulated deductions. If any such person or member shall die before withdrawing or before endorsing the check constituting the return of his accumulated deductions, such deductions shall be paid to the member’s beneficiary. No member shall be entitled to withdraw the amounts contributed by his employer covering his military leave unless he shall have returned to the payroll and contributed to the retirement system for a period of 90 days.

b. Should a member resign after having established 25 years of creditable service before reaching age 60, or before reaching age 62 if the person became a member of the retirement system on or after the effective date of P.L.2008, c.89, or after having established 30 years of creditable service before reaching the age of 65 if the person became a member of the retirement system on or after the effective date of P.L.2011, c.78, he may elect “early retirement,” provided, that such election is communicated by such member to the retirement system by filing a written application, duly attested, stating at what time subsequent to the execution and filing thereof he desires to be retired. He shall receive, in lieu of the payment provided in subsection a. of this section, an annuity which is the actuarial equivalent of his accumulated deductions together with regular interest, and a pension in the amount which, when added to the member’s annuity, will provide a total retirement allowance of 1/64 of final compensation for each year of service credited as Class A service and 1/55 of final compensation for each year of service credited as Class B service, or for a person who becomes a member of the retirement system on or after the effective date of P.L.2010, c.1 1/60 of final compensation for each year of service credited as Class B service, calculated in accordance with section 48 (C. 43:15A-48) of this act, reduced:

(a) by 1/4 of 1% for each month that the member lacks of being age 55; or

(b) for a person who becomes a member of the retirement system on or after July 1, 2007, by 1/4 of 1% for each month that the member lacks of being age 55 and by 1/12 of 1% for each month that the member lacks of being age 60 but over age 55;

(c) for a person who becomes a member of the retirement system on or after the effective date of P.L.2008, c.89, by 1/4 of 1% for each month that the member lacks of being age 55 and by 1/12 of 1% for each month that the member lacks of being age 62 but over age 55; or

(d) for a person who becomes a member of the retirement system on or after the effective date of P.L.2011, c.78, by 1/4 of 1% for each month that the member lacks of being age 65; provided, however, that upon the receipt of proper proofs of the death of such a member there shall be paid to his beneficiary an amount equal to three-sixteenths of the compensation upon which contributions by the member to the annuity savings fund were based in the last year of creditable service.

Paragraph (b) or (c) of this subsection shall not apply to a person who at the time of enrollment in the retirement system on or after July 1, 2007 transfers service credit from another State-administered retirement system pursuant to section 14 of P.L.1954, c.84 (C. 43:15A-14), but shall apply to a former member of the retirement system who has been granted a retirement allowance and is reenrolled in the retirement system on or after July 1, 2007 pursuant to section 27 of P.L.1966, c.217 (C. 43:15A-57.2) after becoming employed again in a position that makes the person eligible to be a member of the retirement system.

The board of trustees shall retire him at the time specified or at such other time within one month after the date so specified as the board finds advisable.

c. Upon the receipt of proper proofs of the death of a member in service on account of which no accidental death benefit is payable under section 49 there shall be paid to such member’s beneficiary:

(1) The member’s accumulated deductions at the time of death together with regular interest; and

(2) An amount equal to one and one-half times the compensation upon which contributions by the member to the annuity savings fund were based in the last year of creditable service.

L.1954, c.84, s.41; amended 1955, c.261, s.11; 1966, c.217, s.8; 1971, c.213, s.17; 1973, c.129; 1977, c.376, s.1; 1987, c.1, s.1; 2001, c.133, s.12; 2007, c.103, s.8; 2008, c.89, s.23; 2010, c.1, s.12; 2011, c.78, s.18.