40 ILCS 5/9-134.5

(40 ILCS 5/9-134.5)

Sec. 9-134.5. Alternative retirement cancellation payment.

(a) To be eligible for the alternative retirement cancellation payment provided in this Section, a person must:

(1) be a member of this Fund who, on December 31, 2006, was (i) in active payroll status as an employee and continuously employed in a position on and after the effective date of this Section and (ii) an active contributor to this Fund with respect to that employment;

(2) have not previously received any retirement annuity under this Article;

(3) file with the Board on or before 45 days after the effective date of this Section, a written application requesting the alternative retirement cancellation payment provided in this Section;

(4) terminate employment under this Article no later than 60 days after the effective date of this Section; and

(5) if there is a QILDRO in effect against the person, file with the Board the written consent of all alternate payees under the QILDRO to the election of an alternative retirement cancellation payment under this Section.

(b) In lieu of any retirement annuity or other benefit provided under this Article, a person who qualifies for and elects to receive the alternative retirement cancellation payment under this Section shall be entitled to receive a one-time lump sum retirement cancellation payment equal to the amount of his or her contributions to the Fund (including any employee contributions for optional service credit and including any employee contributions paid by the employer or credited to the employee during disability) on the date of termination, with regular interest, multiplied by 1.5.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, a person who receives an alternative retirement cancellation payment under this Section thereby forfeits the right to any other retirement or disability benefit or refund under this Article, and no widow's, survivor's, or death benefit deriving from that person shall be payable under this Article. Upon accepting an alternative retirement cancellation payment under this Section, the person's creditable service and all other rights in the Fund are terminated for all purposes.

(d) To the extent permitted by federal law, a person who receives an alternative retirement cancellation payment under this Section may direct the Fund to pay all or a portion of that payment as a rollover into another retirement plan or account qualified under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, a person who has received an alternative retirement cancellation payment under this Section and who reenters service under this Article must first repay to the Fund the amount by which that alternative retirement cancellation payment exceeded the amount of his or her refundable employee contributions with interest at 6% per annum. For the purposes of re-establishing creditable service that was terminated upon election of the alternative retirement cancellation payment, the portion of the alternative retirement cancellation payment representing refundable employee contributions shall be deemed a refund repayable in accordance with Section 9-163.

(f) No individual who receives an alternative retirement cancellation payment under this Section may return to active payroll status within 365 days after separation from service to the employer.

(Source: P.A. 95-369, eff. 8-23-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)