Arkansas Code
Subchapter 5 - Credited Service and Eligibility for Benefits
§ 24-4-522. Applicability of benefit provisions

(a) The benefit provisions of this chapter shall be applicable to specified members of the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System.
(b)
(1) The noncontributory benefit provisions of this chapter shall be applicable to each person who has never been a member of the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System before January 1, 1978, and who is employed on or after January 1, 1978, in a position covered by the system and who thereby becomes a member.
(2) In addition, each other member who was actively employed in a position covered by the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System on June 30, 1991, may elect to become covered by the noncontributory benefit provisions of this chapter by application written to, and received by, the governing body of the plan before January 1, 1985.
(3)
(A)
(i) Each other member who was not actively employed in a position covered by the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System on January 1, 1978, shall become covered by the noncontributory benefit provisions of this chapter at the time the member first becomes so employed after January 1, 1978, unless he or she elects to become covered by the provisions of the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System which require member contributions, by election written to, and received by, the governing body of the system before the later of January 1, 1986, and six (6) months after the member first becomes so employed after January 1, 1978.
(ii) However, if the member so elects benefits requiring member contributions, he or she shall pay the member contributions from the date of the employment, together with regular interest, from the dates the contributions would normally have been received by the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System to the dates of actual payment.

(B)
(i) The benefits of each member's becoming covered by the noncontributory benefit provisions of this chapter shall be computed by applying the benefit provisions prescribed by this chapter for all credited service of the person rendered before and after January 1, 1978.
(ii) However, benefit amounts based upon employment before January 1, 1978, shall not be less than benefit amounts computed in accordance with the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System benefit provisions at the time of retirement which require member contributions.

(c)
(1) The noncontributory benefit provisions of this chapter, including death and disability benefits, shall apply to all credited service rendered before or after the date of election of employees of the Department of Human Services in either the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System or the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System.
(2)
(A) Employees of the Department of Human Services and employees of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services shall be entitled to the benefit amount computed by applying the benefit provisions prescribed by this chapter for all credited service rendered before and after January 1, 1978, except that benefit amounts based upon employment before January 1, 1978, shall not be less than benefit amounts computed in accordance with benefit provisions in effect December 31, 1977.
(B) On and after January 1, 1993, employees of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services who elected to be covered by the provisions of this subsection and who are still active employees on January 1, 1993, shall be entitled to the benefit amount computed by applying the benefit provisions prescribed by this chapter for all credited service rendered before and after January 1, 1978, except that benefit amounts based upon employment before January 1, 1978, shall be computed in accordance with current benefit provisions in effect for the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System at the time of their retirement.

(3) In computing the benefit under the benefit provisions of this chapter, the final average compensation shall be computed upon all service before and after the election of the Arkansas Rehabilitation Services employee as provided in § 24-4-101(33) and § 24-4-746.

(d) Each public retirement system in which the employee has served shall be responsible financially for the benefit amounts payable to the retirant, the retirant's survivors, and the retirant's beneficiaries based upon the ratio of the number of years the employee was a member of that public retirement system to the total number of years the employee was a member of any of the two (2) statewide retirement systems, i.e., the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System or the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System.
(e)
(1)
(A) The benefit provisions of this chapter shall be administered by the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System for the benefit of all employees making the option.
(B) The Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System shall certify monthly the amount of benefits paid hereunder, and the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System shall immediately transfer that amount from its benefit account to the proper account designated by the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System.

(2) If an employee of the Department of Human Services who becomes or has become a member of the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System under the provisions of this section leaves employment with the Department of Human Services and becomes employed in another position covered by the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, the person's credited service, both before and after his or her service under this chapter, shall be subject to the benefit provisions of §§ 24-7-701, 24-7-702, 24-7-704 — 24-7-713, 24-7-715, and 24-7-716 [repealed].
(3) The member shall be eligible to establish reciprocity under the provisions of §§ 24-2-401 — 24-2-405 and 24-2-407.
(4) Members of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System who have not elected to pay contributions to that system on full salary shall not be eligible to elect to become covered by the benefit provisions of this chapter unless they first make written application with the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System for full salary coverage for all salaries received from July 1, 1969, until the date of making the election to come under the provisions of this chapter and paying to the system the amount of the additional contributions, plus regular interest, for full salary credited service.

(f) Any member of the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System employed prior to January 1, 1978, who does not elect in writing to become covered by the noncontributory benefit provisions of this chapter shall not be covered by the noncontributory benefit provisions of this chapter but shall remain in the plan he or she was in January 1, 1978, and shall continue to make regular contributions as provided in the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System.
(g) Any member of the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System who elects in writing to become covered by the noncontributory benefit provisions of this chapter shall be entitled to a refund of any accumulated contributions paid on or after January 1, 1978, and prior to the date of election.