Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 57 - Benefits
Section 5705 - Member's options

(a) General rule.--Any special vestee, vestee or any other member upon termination of State service who is eligible to receive an annuity as provided in section 5308(a) or (b) (relating to eligibility for annuities) may apply for and elect to receive either a maximum single life annuity, as calculated in accordance with the provisions of section 5702 (relating to maximum single life annuity), or a reduced annuity certified by the actuary to be actuarially equivalent to the maximum single life annuity payable after reduction under subsection (a.1) and in accordance with one of the following options; except that no member shall elect an annuity payable to one or more survivor annuitants other than his spouse or alternate payee of such a magnitude that the present value of the annuity payable to him for life plus any lump sum payment under this subsection and subsection (a.1) he may have elected to receive is less than 50% of the present value of his maximum single life annuity and no member may elect a payment option that would provide benefits that do not satisfy the minimum distribution requirements or would violate the incidental death benefit rules of IRC § 401(a)(9):
(1) Option 1.--A life annuity to the member with a guaranteed total payment equal to the present value of the maximum single life annuity on the effective date of retirement with the provision that, if, at his death, he has received less than such present value, the unpaid balance shall be payable to his beneficiary.
(2) Option 2.--A joint and survivor annuity payable during the lifetime of the member with the full amount of such annuity payable thereafter to his survivor annuitant, if living at his death.
(3) Option 3.--A joint and fifty percent (50%) survivor annuity payable during the lifetime of the member with one-half of such annuity payable thereafter to his survivor annuitant, if living at his death.
(4) Option 4.--Some other benefit which shall be certified by the actuary to be actuarially equivalent to the maximum single life annuity, subject to the following restrictions:
(i) any annuity shall be payable without reduction during the lifetime of the member;
(ii) the sum of all annuities payable to the designated survivor annuitants shall not be greater than the annuity payable to the member; and
(iii) a portion of the benefit may be payable as a lump sum, except that such lump sum payment shall not exceed an amount equal to the total accumulated deductions standing to the credit of the member that are not the result of contributions and statutory interest made or credited as a result of Class A-3, Class A-4, Class A-5 or Class A-6 service. The balance of the present value of the maximum single life annuity adjusted in accordance with section 5702(b) shall be paid in the form of an annuity with a guaranteed total payment, a single life annuity, or a joint and survivor annuity or any combination thereof but subject to the restrictions of subparagraphs (i) and (ii) under this option.
(a.1) Additional lump sum withdrawal.--The following shall apply:
(1) If a member has an effective date of retirement after December 31, 2018, and has elected to have the full amount allowed under subsection (a)(4)(iii) paid in a lump sum, or is not eligible to have any money paid under subsection (a)(4)(iii), then the member may elect to receive an additional amount payable in a lump sum at the same time as the payment elected under subsection (a)(4)(iii), if any.
(2) The additional amount payable in a lump sum may not exceed an amount equal to total accumulated deductions standing to the credit of the member on the effective date of retirement related to service credited as Class A-3, Class A-4, Class A-5 or Class A-6.
(3) If a member elects to be paid an additional lump sum amount under this subsection, then the maximum single life annuity calculated under section 5702 and payable under subsection (a) shall be reduced by the additional amount withdrawn divided by the cost of a dollar annuity on the effective date of retirement computed on the basis of the annual interest rate adopted for that fiscal year by the board for the calculation of the employer normal contribution rate under section 5508(b) (relating to actuarial cost method) and the mortality tables adopted by the board for the determination of actuarially equivalent benefits under this part. The reduction in the maximum single life annuity under this paragraph shall apply before the election and calculation of any reduced annuities payable under subsection (a).
(b) Present value of joint coverage annuity.--In calculating an annuity payable to a member of the joint coverage group, the present value of such adjusted annuity shall be determined by taking into account prospectively the reduction applicable upon the attainment of the age at which full social security benefits are payable.
(Oct. 7, 1975, P.L.348, No.101, eff. imd.; June 13, 1985, P.L.40, No.19, eff. imd.; Apr. 29, 1994, P.L.159, No.29, eff. Jan. 1, 1995; June 25, 1997, P.L.369, No.41, eff. imd.; June 22, 1999, P.L.75, No.12, eff. imd.; May 17, 2001, P.L.26, No.9, eff. July 1, 2001; Nov. 23, 2010, P.L.1269, No.120, eff. imd.; Dec. 28, 2015, P.L.529, No.93, eff. imd.; June 12, 2017, P.L.11, No.5, eff. imd.)

2017 Amendment. Act 5 amended subsec. (a) and added subsec. (a.1).
2001 Amendment. See section 37 of Act 9 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to applicability of amendment to State Employees' Retirement System members.
1999 Amendment. See section 27 of Act 12 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to eligibility for superannuation benefits.
1997 Amendment. See section 6 of Act 41 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to limitation of special vestee status.
Cross References. Section 5705 is referred to in sections 5302, 5307, 5702, 5706, 5709, 5902, 5905, 5905.1, 5907, 5955 of this title.