(1) Subject to the limitations in this section, any public employer may employ any member who is retired for service if the administrative head of the public employer is satisfied that such employment is in the public interest.

(2) Except as provided in this section, the period or periods of employment by one or more public employers of a retired member who is reemployed under this section may not total 1,040 hours or more in any calendar year.

(3) A retired member who is receiving old-age, survivors or disability insurance benefits under the federal Social Security Act may be employed under this section for the number of hours permitted by subsection (2) of this section, or for the number of hours for which the salary equals the maximum allowed for receipt of the full amount of those benefits to which the person is entitled, whichever is greater.

(4) Except as provided in subsection (9) of this section, the limitations on employment imposed by subsections (2) and (3) of this section do not apply to a retired member who is employed as a teacher or as an administrator, as those terms are defined in ORS § 342.120, if the retired member is employed by a school district or community college district located within a county with a population of not more than 35,000 inhabitants according to the latest federal decennial census, or is employed by an education service district and the retired member’s primary work duties are performed in a county with a population of not more than 35,000 inhabitants according to the latest federal decennial census. A retired member who is employed under this subsection as a teacher, as defined in ORS § 342.120, by the same public employer that employed the member at the time of retirement remains in the same collective bargaining unit that included the member before retirement.

(5) Except as provided in subsection (9) of this section, the limitations on employment imposed by subsections (2) and (3) of this section do not apply to a retired member who is employed:

(a) By the sheriff of a county with a population of fewer than 75,000 inhabitants, according to the latest federal decennial census;

(b) By the municipal police department of a city with a population of fewer than 15,000 inhabitants, according to the latest federal decennial census;

(c) By the state or a county for work in a correctional institution located in a county with a population of fewer than 75,000 inhabitants, according to the latest federal decennial census;

(d) By the Black Butte Ranch Rural Fire Protection District, the Black Butte Ranch Service District or the Sunriver Service District;

(e) By the Oregon State Police for work in a county with a population of fewer than 75,000 inhabitants, according to the latest federal decennial census;

(f) As a deputy director or assistant director of the Department of Human Services, if the Governor approves the exemption for the person from the limitations on employment imposed in subsections (2) and (3) of this section;

(g) As a deputy director or assistant director of the Oregon Health Authority, if the Governor approves the exemption for the person from the limitations on employment imposed in subsections (2) and (3) of this section;

(h) As a special campus security officer commissioned by the governing board of a public university listed in ORS § 352.002 under ORS § 352.118;

(i) As a security officer for a community college, as defined in ORS § 341.005;

(j) By the Harney County Health District as a person licensed, registered or certified to provide health services; or

(k) By the Department of the State Fire Marshal for fire prevention, fire preparedness, fire risk mitigation, firefighting, emergency response or other response support functions.

(6) Except as provided in subsection (9) of this section, the limitations on employment imposed by subsections (2) and (3) of this section do not apply to a retired member who is employed to temporarily replace an employee who serves in the National Guard or in a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States and who is called to federal active duty.

(7) Except as provided in subsection (9) of this section, the limitations on employment imposed by subsections (2) and (3) of this section do not apply to a retired member who is employed by a road assessment district organized under ORS § 371.405 to 371.535.

(8) Except as provided in subsection (9) of this section, the limitations on employment imposed by subsections (2) and (3) of this section do not apply to a retired member who is a nurse and is employed by a public employer as a nurse or for the purpose of teaching nursing during the period in which a nursing workforce shortage declared by the Legislative Assembly or the Governor is in effect.

(9)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, subsections (4) to (8) of this section do not apply to any member who retires under the provisions of ORS § 238.280 (1), (2) or (3).

(b) Subsection (4) of this section applies to a person who retires under the provisions of ORS § 238.280 (1), (2) or (3) as long as the person is absent from service with all participating public employers for at least six months before the date the person is employed under subsection (4) of this section.

(10) Employment under this section does not affect the status of a person as a retired member of the system and a recipient of retirement benefits under this chapter.

(11) Hours worked by a person employed under subsections (4) to (8) of this section shall not be counted for the purpose of the limitations on employment imposed by subsections (2) and (3) of this section. [Formerly 237.143; 1997 c.178 § 1; 2001 c.874 § 2; 2003 c.625 § 34; 2005 c.808 § 40; 2007 c.307 § 1; 2007 c.404 § 4; 2007 c.774 § 1; 2007 c.789 § 4; 2009 c.390 § 1; 2009 c.868 3,5; 2011 c.720 § 69; 2019 c.152 § 5; 2019 c.496 § 2; 2021 c.135 § 1; 2023 c.347 § 10]

Sections 34, 35 and 38 (1), chapter 355, Oregon Laws 2019, provide:

Section 35 of this 2019 Act is added to and made a part of ORS Chapter 238. [2019 c.355 § 34]

(1) Notwithstanding ORS § 237.650 and any provision of this chapter and subject to the limitations in this section, during any calendar year through calendar year 2034, a participating public employer may employ any retired member without limitation on the hours worked by the retired member if the administrative head of the public employer is satisfied that the employment is in the public interest.

(2) A public employer that employs a retired member during any calendar year through calendar year 2034, shall contribute to the Public Employees Retirement Board the percentage of the member’s wages that would have been contributed to the board under ORS § 238.225 if the member were an active member of the Public Employees Retirement System. Employer contributions made under this section are in addition to employer contributions made under ORS § 238.225. The board shall apply contributions made by a public employer under this subsection against the liabilities of the public employer. The board shall adopt rules governing payments made under this subsection.

(3) This section does not apply to any member who retires under the provisions of ORS § 238.280 (1), (2) or (3), unless the person is absent from employment with all participating public employers for at least six months before the date the person is employed under this section.

(4) Employment under this section does not affect the status of a person as a retired member of the system and a recipient of retirement benefits under this chapter. [2019 c.355 § 35; 2021 c.135 § 2; 2023 c.43 § 1]

(1) Section 35, chapter 355, Oregon Laws 2019, as amended by section 2, chapter 135, Oregon Laws 2021, and section 1 of this 2023 Act, is repealed on January 2, 2035. [2019 c.355 § 38; 2023 c.43 § 3(1)]

[1965 c.605 § 3; repealed by 1981 c.126 § 6]