The Florida Senate

121.053  Participation in the Elected Officers' Class for retired members.--

(1)  A member who retired under an existing system as defined in s. 121.021 and receives a retirement benefit, and who subsequently serves in an office covered by the Elected Officers' Class for a period of at least 6 years, is entitled to receive an additional retirement benefit for elected officer service completed before July 1, 1990, under the Elected Officers' Class of the Florida Retirement System, as follows:

(a)  Upon completion of 6 or more years of creditable service in an office covered by the Elected Officers' Class, such member shall notify the administrator of his or her intent to purchase elected officer service completed before July 1, 1990, and shall pay the member contribution applicable for the period being claimed, plus 4 percent interest compounded annually from the first year of service claimed until July 1, 1975, and 6.5 percent interest compounded annually thereafter, until full payment is made to the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund; however, such member may purchase retirement credit under the Elected Officers' Class only for service as an elected officer.

(b)  Upon payment of the amount specified in paragraph (a), the employer shall pay into the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund the applicable employer contribution for the period of elected officer service completed before July 1, 1990, plus 4 percent interest compounded annually from the first year of service claimed until July 1, 1975, and 6.5 percent interest compounded annually thereafter, until full payment is made to the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund.

(2)  A retired member of the Florida Retirement System, or an existing system as defined in s. 121.021, who, beginning July 1, 1990, through June 30, 2010, serves in an elective office covered by the Elected Officers' Class shall be enrolled in the appropriate subclass of the Elected Officers' Class of the Florida Retirement System, and applicable contributions shall be paid into the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund as provided in s. 121.052(7).

(a)  The member may continue to receive retirement benefits as well as compensation for the elected officer service if he or she remains in an elective office covered by the Elected Officers' Class.

(b)  If the member serves in an elective office covered by the Elected Officers' Class and becomes vested under that class, he or she is entitled to receive an additional retirement benefit for the elected officer service.

(c)  The member is entitled to purchase additional retirement credit in the Elected Officers' Class for any postretirement service performed in an elected position eligible for the Elected Officers' Class before July 1, 1990, or in the Regular Class for any postretirement service performed in any other regularly established position before July 1, 1991, by paying the applicable Elected Officers' Class or Regular Class employee and employer contributions for the period being claimed, plus 4 percent interest compounded annually from the first year of service claimed until July 1, 1975, and 6.5 percent interest compounded thereafter, until full payment is made to the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund. The contribution for postretirement Regular Class service between July 1, 1985, and July 1, 1991, for which the reemployed retiree contribution was paid, is the difference between the contribution and the total applicable contribution for the period being claimed, plus interest. The employer may pay the applicable employer contribution in lieu of the member. If a member does not wish to claim credit for all of the postretirement service for which he or she is eligible, the service the member claims must be the most recent service. Any retiree who served in an elective office before July 1, 1990, suspended his or her retirement benefits, and had his or her Florida Retirement System membership reinstated shall, upon retirement from such office, have his or her retirement benefit recalculated to include the additional service and compensation earned.

(d)  Creditable service for which credit was received, or which remained unclaimed, at retirement may not be claimed or applied toward service credit earned following renewed membership. However, service earned in accordance with the renewed membership provisions of s. 121.122 may be used in conjunction with creditable service earned under this subsection, if applicable vesting requirements and other existing statutory conditions required by this chapter are met.

However, an officer electing to participate in the Deferred Retirement Option Program on or before June 30, 2002, is not required to terminate and remains subject to the provisions of this ¹subsection as adopted in s. 1, chapter 2001-235, Laws of Florida.

(3)  On or after July 1, 2010:

(a)  A retiree of a state-administered retirement system who is elected or appointed for the first time to an elective office in a regularly established position with a covered employer may not reenroll in the Florida Retirement System.

(b)  An elected officer who is elected or appointed to an elective office and is participating in the Deferred Retirement Option Program is subject to termination as defined in s. 121.021 upon completion of his or her DROP participation period. An elected official may defer termination as provided in ²paragraph (2)(e).

(4)  Upon attaining his or her normal retirement date, and upon application to the administrator of the intent to retire, a member qualifying under subsection (1) or subsection (2) shall receive a monthly benefit under this section, in addition to any benefits already being received, which shall commence on the last day of the month of retirement and be payable on the last day of the month thereafter during his or her lifetime. The amount of the monthly benefit is the total percentage of retirement credit purchased under this section multiplied by the member's average monthly compensation as an elected officer, adjusted according to the option selected at retirement under s. 121.091(6).

(5)  Any renewed member, as described in subsection (1) or subsection (2), who is not receiving the maximum health insurance subsidy provided in s. 112.363 is entitled to earn additional credit toward the maximum health insurance subsidy. Any additional subsidy due because of such additional credit may be received only at the time of payment of the second career retirement benefit. The total health insurance subsidy received from initial and renewed membership may not exceed the maximum allowed in s. 112.363

(6)  A retired judge consenting to temporary duty in any court, as assigned by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in accordance with s. 2, Art. V of the State Constitution, is not subject to the renewed membership provisions of this section.

(7)  A member who is elected or appointed to an elective office and who is participating in the Deferred Retirement Option Program is not subject to termination as defined in s. 121.021, or reemployment limitations as provided in s. 121.091(9), until the end of his or her current term of office or, if the officer is consecutively elected or reelected to an elective office eligible for coverage under the Florida Retirement System, until he or she no longer holds an elective office, as follows:

(a)  At the end of the 60-month DROP period:

1.  The officer's DROP account may not accrue additional monthly benefits, but does continue to earn interest as provided in s. 121.091(13). However, an officer whose DROP participation begins on or after July 1, 2010, may not continue to earn such interest.

2.  Retirement contributions are not required of the employer of the elected officer and additional retirement credit may not be earned under the Florida Retirement System.

(b)  An elected officer may voluntarily terminate his or her elective office at any time and receive his or her DROP proceeds. However, until termination occurs, an elected officer whose termination limitations are extended by this section is ineligible for renewed membership in the system and may not receive pension payments, DROP lump sum payments, or any other state payment other than the statutorily determined salary, travel, and per diem for the elective office.

(c)  Upon termination, the officer shall receive his or her accumulated DROP account, plus interest, and shall accrue and commence receiving monthly retirement benefits, which must be paid on a prospective basis only.

History.--s. 4, ch. 77-469; s. 5, ch. 83-76; s. 9, ch. 90-274; s. 5, ch. 92-122; s. 771, ch. 95-147; s. 4, ch. 97-180; s. 5, ch. 98-138; s. 4, ch. 99-9; s. 8, ch. 2000-169; s. 1, ch. 2001-235; s. 13, ch. 2002-273; s. 5, ch. 2009-209.

¹Note.--Substituted by the editors for a reference to "this paragraph."

²Note.--Paragraph (2)(e) does not exist; a reference to subsection (7) may be intended.