Eligibility of members of the public employees retirement system, other than those subject to section 145.196 or 145.32 of the Revised Code, for age and service retirement shall be determined under this section.

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Terms Used In Ohio Code 145.332

  • 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. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • Age and service retirement: means retirement as provided in sections 145. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • 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. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • Assistant house sergeant at arms: means any person appointed by the house sergeant at arms under division (C)(1) of section 101. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • Bailiff: a court officer who enforces the rules of behavior in courtrooms.
  • Conservancy district officer: means a full-time employee of a conservancy district who is designated pursuant to section 6101. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Department of public safety enforcement agent: means a full-time employee of the department of public safety who is designated under section 5502. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • 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. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • 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. See Ohio Code 145.01

  • Final average salary: means the greater of the following:

    (a) The sum of the member's earnable salaries for the appropriate number of calendar years of contributing service, determined under section 145. See Ohio Code 145.01

  • Forest-fire investigator: means a full-time employee of the department of natural resources who is appointed a forest-fire investigator under section 1503. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • 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. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • House sergeant at arms: means any person appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives under division (B)(1) of section 101. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • Member: includes a PERS retirant who becomes a member under division (C) of section 145. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • 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. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • 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. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • 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. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • Natural resources officer: means a full-time employee of the department of natural resources who is appointed as a natural resources officer under section 1501. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • Park district police officer: means a full-time employee of a park district who is designated pursuant to section 511. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • 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, wildlife officer, forest-fire investigator, natural resources 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 persons with developmental disabilities, 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. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • 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, wildlife officer, forest-fire investigator, natural resources 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 persons with developmental disabilities, 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. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • 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. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • Retirement allowance: means the pension plus that portion of the benefit derived from contributions made by the member. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • Rule: includes regulation. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Special police officer for a mental health institution: means any person who is designated as such pursuant to section 5119. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • 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. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • State university law enforcement officer: means any person who is employed full time as a state university law enforcement officer pursuant to section 3345. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • 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. See Ohio Code 145.01
  • Wildlife officer: means a full-time employee of the department of natural resources who is designated a wildlife officer under section 1531. See Ohio Code 145.01

(A) A member of the public employees retirement system is eligible for age and service retirement under this division if, not later than five years after January 7, 2013, the member meets one of the following requirements:

(1) Has attained age forty-eight and has at least twenty-five years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer;

(2) Has attained age fifty-two and has at least twenty-five years of total service credit as a PERS public safety officer or has service as a PERS public safety officer and service as a PERS law enforcement officer that when combined equal at least twenty-five years of total service credit;

(3) Has attained age sixty-two and has at least fifteen years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer.

(B)(1) A member who would be eligible to retire not later than ten years after January 7, 2013, if the requirements of section 145.33 of the Revised Code as they existed immediately prior to January 7, 2013, were still in effect is eligible to retire under this division if the member meets one of the following requirements:

(a) Has attained age fifty and has at least twenty-five years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer;

(b) Has attained age fifty-four and has at least twenty-five years of total service credit as a PERS public safety officer or has service as a PERS public safety officer and service as a PERS law enforcement officer that when combined equal at least twenty-five years of total service credit;

(c) Has attained age sixty-four and has at least fifteen years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer.

(2) A member who on January 7, 2013, has twenty or more years of total service credit is eligible for age and service retirement under this division on meeting one of the requirements of division (B)(1) of this section, regardless of when the member meets the requirement unless, between January 7, 2013, and the date the member meets the requirement, the member receives a refund of accumulated contributions under section 145.40 of the Revised Code.

(C) A member who is not eligible for age and service retirement under division (A) or (B) of this section is eligible under this division if the member meets one of the following requirements:

(1) Has attained age fifty-two and has at least twenty-five years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer;

(2) Has attained age fifty-six and has at least twenty-five years of total service credit as a PERS public safety officer or has service as a PERS public safety officer and service as a PERS law enforcement officer that when combined equal at least twenty-five years of total service credit;

(3) Has attained age sixty-four and has at least fifteen years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer.

(D) Service credit purchased or obtained under this chapter shall be used in determining whether a member has the number of years of total service credit required under division (A) or (B) of this section only if the member was a member on January 7, 2013, or obtains credit under section 145.483 of the Revised Code that would have made the member a member on that date and one of the following applies:

(1) Except in the case of service credit that has been or will be purchased or obtained under section 145.295 or 145.37 of the Revised Code or is for service covered by the Cincinnati retirement system:

(a) For division (A) of this section, the service credit purchase is completed or the service credit is obtained not later than five years after January 7, 2013;

(b) For division (B) of this section, the service credit purchase is completed or the service credit is obtained not later than ten years after January 7, 2013.

(2) In the case of service credit that has been or will be purchased or obtained under section 145.295 or 145.37 of the Revised Code or is for service covered by the Cincinnati retirement system:

(a) For division (A) of this section, the service for which the credit has been or will be purchased or obtained occurs not later than five years after January 7, 2013;

(b) For division (B) of this section, the service for which the credit has been or will be purchased or obtained occurs not later than ten years after January 7, 2013.

(E)(1) A member with at least twenty-five years of total service credit who would be eligible to retire under division (B)(1)(a) of this section had the member attained age fifty and who voluntarily resigns or is discharged for any reason except death, dishonesty, cowardice, intemperate habits, or conviction of a felony, on or after attaining age forty-eight, but before attaining age fifty, may elect to receive a reduced benefit. The benefit shall be the actuarial equivalent of the allowance calculated under division (F) of this section adjusted for age.

(2) A member with at least twenty-five years of total service credit who would be eligible to retire under division (C)(1) of this section had the member attained age fifty-two and who voluntarily resigns or is discharged for any reason except death, dishonesty, cowardice, intemperate habits, or conviction of a felony, on or after attaining age forty-eight, but before attaining age fifty-two, may elect to receive a reduced benefit. The benefit shall be the actuarial equivalent of the allowance calculated under division (F) of this section adjusted for age.

(3) A member with at least twenty-five years of total service credit who would be eligible to retire under division (A)(2) of this section had the member attained age fifty-two and who voluntarily resigns or is discharged for any reason except death, dishonesty, cowardice, intemperate habits, or conviction of a felony, on or after attaining age forty-eight, but before attaining age fifty-two, may elect to receive a reduced benefit.

(a) If eligibility to make the election under division (E)(3) of this section occurs not later than five years after January 7, 2013, the benefit shall be calculated in accordance with the following schedule:

Attained Age Reduced Benefit
48 75% of the benefit payable under division (F) of this section
49 80% of the benefit payable under division (F) of this section
50 86% of the benefit payable under division (F) of this section
51 93% of the benefit payable under division (F) of this section

(b) If eligibility to make the election occurs after the date determined under division (E)(3)(a) of this section, the benefit shall be the actuarial equivalent of the allowance calculated under division (F) of this section adjusted for age.

(4) A member with at least twenty-five years of total service credit who would be eligible to retire under division (B)(1)(b) of this section had the member attained age fifty-four and who voluntarily resigns or is discharged for any reason except death, dishonesty, cowardice, intemperate habits, or conviction of a felony, on or after attaining age forty-eight, but before attaining age fifty-four, may elect to receive a reduced benefit. The benefit shall be the actuarial equivalent of the allowance calculated under division (F) of this section adjusted for age.

(5) A member with at least twenty-five years of total service credit who would be eligible to retire under division (C)(2) of this section had the member attained age fifty-six and who voluntarily resigns or is discharged for any reason except death, dishonesty, cowardice, intemperate habits, or conviction of a felony, on or after attaining age fifty-two, but before attaining age fifty-six, may elect to receive a reduced benefit. The benefit shall be the actuarial equivalent of the allowance calculated under division (F) of this section adjusted for age.

(6) If a member elects to receive a reduced benefit under division (E)(1), (2), (3), (4), or (5) of this section, the reduced benefit shall be based on the member’s age on the member’s most recent birthday. Once a member elects to receive a reduced benefit and has received a payment, the member may not change that election.

(F) A benefit paid under division (A), (B), or (C) of this section shall consist of an annual single lifetime allowance equal to the sum of two and one-half per cent of the member’s final average salary multiplied by the first twenty-five years of the member’s total service credit plus two and one-tenth per cent of the member’s final average salary multiplied by the number of years of the member’s total service credit in excess of twenty-five years.

(G) A member with at least fifteen years of total service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer who voluntarily resigns or is discharged for any reason except death, dishonesty, cowardice, intemperate habits, or conviction of a felony may apply for an age and service retirement benefit, which shall consist of an annual single lifetime allowance equal to one and one-half per cent of the member’s final average salary multiplied by the number of years of the member’s total service credit.

(1) If the member will attain age fifty-two not later than ten years after January 7, 2013, the retirement allowance shall commence on the first day of the calendar month following the month in which application is filed with the board on or after the member’s attainment of age fifty-two.

(2) If the member will not attain age fifty-two on or before the date determined under division (G)(1) of this section, the retirement allowance shall commence on the first day of the calendar month following the month in which application is filed with the board on or after the member’s attainment of age fifty-six.

(H) A benefit paid under this section shall not exceed the lesser of ninety per cent of the member’s final average salary or the limit established by section 415 of the “Internal Revenue Code of 1986,” 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C. § 415, as amended.

(I) A member with service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer and other service credit under this chapter may elect one of the following:

(1) To have all the member’s service credit under this chapter, including credit for service as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer, used in calculating a retirement allowance under section 145.33 of the Revised Code if the member qualifies for an allowance under that section;

(2) If the member qualifies for an allowance under division (A)(1), (B)(1), (C)(1), or (E)(1) or (2) of this section, to receive all of the following:

(a) A benefit under division (A)(1), (B)(1), (C)(1), or (E)(1) or (2) of this section for the member’s service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer;

(b) A single life annuity having a reserve equal to the amount of the member’s accumulated contributions for all service other than PERS law enforcement service;

(c) A pension equal to the annuity provided under division (I)(2)(b) of this section, excluding amounts of the member’s accumulated contributions deposited under former division (Y) of section 145.01 or former sections 145.02, 145.29, 145.292, and 145.42, or sections 145.20, 145.201, 145.28, 145.291, 145.292, 145.293, 145.299, 145.2916, 145.301, 145.47, and 145.814 of the Revised Code for the purchase of service credit.

(3) If the member qualifies for an allowance under division (A)(2), (B)(2), (C)(2), or (E)(3), (4), or (5) of this section, to receive all of the following:

(a) A benefit under division (A)(2), (B)(2), (C)(2), or (E)(3), (4), or (5) of this section for the member’s service credit as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer;

(b) A single life annuity having a reserve equal to the amount of the member’s accumulated contributions for all service other than PERS law enforcement service or PERS public safety officer service;

(c) A pension equal to the annuity provided under division (I)(3)(b) of this section, excluding amounts of the member’s accumulated contributions deposited under former division (Y) of section 145.01 or former sections 145.02, 145.29, 145.292, and 145.42, or sections 145.20, 145.201, 145.28, 145.291, 145.292, 145.293, 145.299, 145.2916, 145.301, 145.47, and 145.814 of the Revised Code for the purchase of service credit.

(J) For the purposes of this section, “total service credit” includes credit for military service to the extent permitted by division (K) of this section and credit for service as a police officer or state highway patrol trooper to the extent permitted by division (L) of this section.

(K) Notwithstanding sections 145.01 and 145.30 of the Revised Code, not more than four years of military service credit granted or purchased under section 145.30 of the Revised Code and five years of military service credit purchased under section 145.301 or 145.302 of the Revised Code shall be used in calculating service as a PERS law enforcement officer or PERS public safety officer or the total service credit of that person.

(L)(1) Only credit for the member’s service as a PERS law enforcement officer, PERS public safety officer, or service credit obtained as a police officer or state highway patrol trooper shall be used in computing the benefit of a member who qualifies for a benefit under this section for the following:

(a) Any person who originally is commissioned and employed as a deputy sheriff by the sheriff of any county, or who originally is elected sheriff, on or after January 1, 1975;

(b) Any deputy sheriff who originally is employed as a criminal bailiff or court constable on or after April 16, 1993;

(c) Any person who originally is appointed as a township constable or police officer in a township police department or district on or after January 1, 1981;

(d) Any person who originally is employed as a county narcotics agent on or after September 26, 1984;

(e) Any person who originally is employed as an undercover drug agent as defined in section 109.79 of the Revised Code, department of public safety enforcement agent who prior to June 30, 1999, was a liquor control investigator, forest-fire investigator, natural resources officer, wildlife 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 persons with developmental disabilities, or municipal police officer on or after December 15, 1988;

(f) Any person who originally is employed as a state university law enforcement officer on or after November 6, 1996;

(g) Any person who is originally employed as a state university law enforcement officer by the university of Akron on or after September 16, 1998;

(h) Any person who originally is employed as a preserve officer on or after March 18, 1999;

(i) Any person who originally is employed as a natural resources law enforcement staff officer on or after March 18, 1999;

(j) Any person who is originally employed as a department of public safety enforcement agent on or after June 30, 1999;

(k) Any person who is originally employed as a house sergeant at arms or assistant house sergeant at arms on or after September 5, 2001;

(l) Any person who is originally appointed as a regional transit authority police officer or state highway patrol police officer on or after February 1, 2002;

(m) Any person who is originally employed as a municipal public safety director on or after September 29, 2005, but not later than March 24, 2009.

(2) Only credit for a member’s service as a PERS public safety officer or service credit obtained as a PERS law enforcement officer, police officer, or state highway patrol trooper shall be used in computing the benefit of a member who qualifies for a benefit under division (B)(1)(b) or (c), (B)(2), (C)(1)(b) or (c), or (C)(2) of this section for any person who originally is employed as a Hamilton county municipal court bailiff on or after November 6, 1996.

(M) For purposes of this section, service prior to June 30, 1999, as a food stamp trafficking agent under former section 5502.14 of the Revised Code shall be considered service as a law enforcement officer.

(N)(1) Retirement allowances determined under this section shall be paid as provided in section 145.46 of the Revised Code.

(2) If the monthly amount of a member’s annual single lifetime allowance that is first payable on or after March 22, 2019, under division (F) or (G) of this section would be less than fifty dollars, instead of a monthly payment, the retirement system shall pay the greater of the following in a single payment:

(a) An amount determined under section 145.40 of the Revised Code as a refund of accumulated contributions;

(b) An amount equal to the actuarial present value of the allowance as determined by the retirement system.

(3) If the monthly amount of a member’s single life annuity that is first payable on or after March 22, 2019, under division (I)(2) or (3) of this section for service other than PERS law enforcement service or PERS public safety service would be less than fifty dollars, instead of a monthly payment, the retirement system shall pay an amount determined under section 145.40 of the Revised Code as a refund of accumulated contributions.

(O) A member seeking to retire under this section shall file an application with the public employees retirement board.

Service retirement shall be effective as provided in division (E) of section 145.32 of the Revised Code.

(P) If fewer than one per cent of the retirement system’s members are contributing as public safety officers, the board, pursuant to a rule it adopts, may treat service as a public safety officer as service as a law enforcement officer.

Last updated August 15, 2023 at 1:40 PM