For purposes of the State Employees Retirement Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1)(a) Actuarial equivalent means the equality in value of the aggregate amounts expected to be received under different forms of an annuity payment.

(b) For an employee hired prior to January 1, 2018, the mortality assumption used for purposes of converting the member cash balance account shall be the 1994 Group Annuity Mortality Table using a unisex rate that is fifty percent male and fifty percent female. For purposes of converting the member cash balance account attributable to contributions made prior to January 1, 1984, that were transferred pursuant to the act, the 1994 Group Annuity Mortality Table for males shall be used.

(c) For an employee hired on or after January 1, 2018, or rehired on or after January 1, 2018, after termination of employment and being paid a retirement benefit or taking a refund of contributions, the mortality assumption used for purposes of converting the member cash balance account shall be a unisex mortality table that is recommended by the actuary and approved by the board following an actuarial experience study, a benefit adequacy study, or a plan valuation. The mortality table and actuarial factors in effect on the member's retirement date will be used to calculate the actuarial equivalency of any retirement benefit;

(2) Annuity means equal monthly payments provided by the retirement system to a member or beneficiary under forms determined by the board beginning the first day of the month after an annuity election is received in the office of the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems or the first day of the month after the employee's termination of employment, whichever is later. The last payment shall be at the end of the calendar month in which the member dies or in accordance with the payment option chosen by the member;

(3) Annuity start date means the date upon which a member's annuity is first effective and shall be the first day of the month following the member's termination or following the date the application is received by the board, whichever is later;

(4) Cash balance benefit means a member's retirement benefit that is equal to an amount based on annual employee contribution credits plus interest credits and, if vested, employer contribution credits plus interest credits and dividend amounts credited in accordance with subdivision (4)(c) of section 84-1319;

(5)(a) Compensation means gross wages or salaries payable to the member for personal services performed during the plan year. Compensation does not include insurance premiums converted into cash payments, reimbursement for expenses incurred, fringe benefits, per diems, or bonuses for services not actually rendered, including, but not limited to, early retirement inducements, cash awards, and severance pay, except for retroactive salary payments paid pursuant to court order, arbitration, or litigation and grievance settlements. Compensation includes overtime pay, member retirement contributions, and amounts contributed by the member to plans under sections 125, 403(b), and 457 of the Internal Revenue Code or any other section of the code which defers or excludes such amounts from income.

(b) Compensation in excess of the limitations set forth in section 401(a)(17) of the Internal Revenue Code shall be disregarded. For an employee who was a member of the retirement system before the first plan year beginning after December 31, 1995, the limitation on compensation shall not be less than the amount which was allowed to be taken into account under the retirement system as in effect on July 1, 1993;

(6) Date of disability means the date on which a member is determined to be disabled by the board;

(7) Defined contribution benefit means a member's retirement benefit from a money purchase plan in which member benefits equal annual contributions and earnings pursuant to section 84-1310 and, if vested, employer contributions and earnings pursuant to section 84-1311;

(8) Disability means an inability to engage in any substantially gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which was initially diagnosed or became disabling while the member was an active participant in the plan and which can be expected to result in death or to be of long-continued and indefinite duration;

(9) Employee means any person or officer employed by the State of Nebraska whose compensation is paid out of state funds or funds controlled or administered by a state department through any of its executive or administrative officers when acting exclusively in their respective official, executive, or administrative capacities and any employee of the State Board of Agriculture who is a member of the state retirement system on July 1, 1982. Employee does not include (a) judges as defined in section 24-701, (b) members of the Nebraska State Patrol, except for those members of the Nebraska State Patrol who elected pursuant to section 60-1304 to remain members of the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska, (c) employees of the University of Nebraska, (d) employees of the state colleges, (e) employees of community colleges, (f) employees of the Department of Labor employed prior to July 1, 1984, and paid from funds provided pursuant to Title III of the federal Social Security Act or funds from other federal sources, except that if the contributory retirement plan or contract let pursuant to section 48-609, as such section existed prior to January 1, 2018, is terminated, such employees shall become employees for purposes of the State Employees Retirement Act on the first day of the first pay period following the termination of such contributory retirement plan or contract, (g) employees of the State Board of Agriculture who are not members of the state retirement system on July 1, 1982, (h) the Nebraska National Guard air and army technicians, (i) persons who are required to participate in the School Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska pursuant to section 79-920, except that those persons so required and actively contributing to the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska as of March 4, 2022, shall continue as members of the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska, or (j) employees of the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education who are eligible for and have elected to become members of a qualified retirement program approved by the commission which is commensurate with retirement programs at the University of Nebraska. Any individual appointed by the Governor may elect not to become a member of the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska;

(10) Employee contribution credit means an amount equal to the member contribution amount required by section 84-1308;

(11) Employer contribution credit means an amount equal to the employer contribution amount required by section 84-1309;

(12) Final account value means the value of a member's account on the date the account is either distributed to the member or used to purchase an annuity from the plan, which date shall occur as soon as administratively practicable after receipt of a valid application for benefits, but no sooner than forty-five days after the member's termination;

(13) Five-year break in service means five consecutive one-year breaks in service;

(14) Full-time employee means an employee who is employed to work one-half or more of the regularly scheduled hours during each pay period;

(16) Guaranteed investment contract means an investment contract or account offering a return of principal invested plus interest at a specified rate. For investments made after July 19, 1996, guaranteed investment contract does not include direct obligations of the United States or its instrumentalities, bonds, participation certificates or other obligations of the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or the Government National Mortgage Association, or collateralized mortgage obligations and other derivative securities. This subdivision shall not be construed to require the liquidation of investment contracts or accounts entered into prior to July 19, 1996;

(17) Hire date or date of hire means the first day of compensated service subject to retirement contributions;

(18) Interest credit rate means the greater of (a) five percent or (b) the applicable federal mid-term rate, as published by the Internal Revenue Service as of the first day of the calendar quarter for which interest credits are credited, plus one and one-half percent, such rate to be compounded annually;

(19) Interest credits means the amounts credited to the employee cash balance account and the employer cash balance account at the end of each day. Such interest credit for each account shall be determined by applying the daily portion of the interest credit rate to the account balance at the end of the previous day. Such interest credits shall continue to be credited to the employee cash balance account and the employer cash balance account after a member ceases to be an employee, except that no such credit shall be made with respect to the employee cash balance account and the employer cash balance account for any day beginning on or after the member's date of final account value. If benefits payable to the member's surviving spouse or beneficiary are delayed after the member's death, interest credits shall continue to be credited to the employee cash balance account and the employer cash balance account until such surviving spouse or beneficiary commences receipt of a distribution from the plan;

(20) Member cash balance account means an account equal to the sum of the employee cash balance account and, if vested, the employer cash balance account and dividend amounts credited in accordance with subdivision (4)(c) of section 84-1319;

(21) One-year break in service means a plan year during which the member has not completed more than five hundred hours of service;

(22) Participation means qualifying for and making the required deposits to the retirement system during the course of a plan year;

(23) Part-time employee means an employee who is employed to work less than one-half of the regularly scheduled hours during each pay period;

(24) Plan year means the twelve-month period beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31;

(26) Regular interest means the rate of interest earned each calendar year commencing January 1, 1975, as determined by the retirement board in conformity with actual and expected earnings on the investments through December 31, 1984;

(27) Required beginning date means, for purposes of the deferral of distributions and the commencement of mandatory distributions pursuant to section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder, April 1 of the year following the calendar year in which a member:

(ii)(A) Attained at least seventy and one-half years of age for a member who attained seventy and one-half years of age on or before December 31, 2019;

(B) Attained at least seventy-two years of age for a member who attained seventy and one-half years of age on or after January 1, 2020, and prior to January 1, 2023;

(C) Attained at least seventy-three years of age for a member who attained seventy-two years of age after December 31, 2022, and seventy-three years of age prior to January 1, 2033; or

(D) Attained at least seventy-five years of age for a member who attained seventy-four years of age after December 31, 2032; or

(ii) Otherwise reached the date specified by section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder;

(28) Required contribution means the deduction to be made from the compensation of employees as provided in section 84-1308;

(29) Retirement means qualifying for and accepting the retirement benefit granted under the State Employees Retirement Act after terminating employment;

(30) Retirement application means the form approved and provided by the retirement system for acceptance of a member's request for either regular or disability retirement;

(32) Retirement date means (a) the first day of the month following the date upon which a member's request for retirement is received on a retirement application if the member is eligible for retirement and has terminated employment or (b) the first day of the month following termination of employment if the member is eligible for retirement and has filed an application but has not yet terminated employment;

(33) Retirement system means the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska;

(34) Service means the actual total length of employment as an employee and shall not be deemed to be interrupted by (a) temporary or seasonal suspension of service that does not terminate the employee's employment, (b) leave of absence authorized by the employer for a period not exceeding twelve months, (c) leave of absence because of disability, or (d) military service, when properly authorized by the retirement board. Service does not include any period of disability for which disability retirement benefits are received under section 84-1317;

(35) State department means any department, bureau, commission, or other division of state government not otherwise specifically defined or exempted in the act, the employees and officers of which are not already covered by a retirement plan;

(36) Surviving spouse means (a) the spouse married to the member on the date of the member's death or (b) the spouse or former spouse of the member if survivorship rights are provided under a qualified domestic relations order filed with the board pursuant to the Spousal Pension Rights Act. The spouse or former spouse shall supersede the spouse married to the member on the date of the member's death as provided under a qualified domestic relations order. If the benefits payable to the spouse or former spouse under a qualified domestic relations order are less than the value of benefits entitled to the surviving spouse, the spouse married to the member on the date of the member's death shall be the surviving spouse for the balance of the benefits;

(37) Termination of employment occurs on the date on which the agency which employs the member determines that the member's employer-employee relationship with the State of Nebraska is dissolved. The agency which employs the member shall notify the board of the date on which such a termination has occurred. Termination of employment does not occur if an employee whose employer-employee relationship with the State of Nebraska is dissolved enters into an employer-employee relationship with the same or another agency of the State of Nebraska and there are less than one hundred twenty days between the date when the employee's employer-employee relationship ceased with the state and the date when the employer-employee relationship commenced with the same or another agency. It is the responsibility of the employer that is involved in the termination of employment to notify the board of such change in employment and provide the board with such information as the board deems necessary. If the board determines that termination of employment has not occurred and a retirement benefit has been paid to a member of the retirement system pursuant to section 84-1321, the board shall require the member who has received such benefit to repay the benefit to the retirement system; and

(38) Vesting credit means credit for years, or a fraction of a year, of participation in another Nebraska governmental plan for purposes of determining vesting of the employer account.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 1, p. 1667; Laws 1965, c. 574, § 1, p. 1864; Laws 1965, c. 573, § 1, p. 1861; Laws 1969, c. 584, § 116, p. 2420; Laws 1971, LB 987, § 33; Laws 1973, LB 498, § 1; Laws 1974, LB 905, § 8; Laws 1980, LB 818, § 3; Laws 1982, LB 942, § 8; Laws 1983, LB 223, § 4; Laws 1984, LB 747, § 6; Laws 1984, LB 751, § 1; Laws 1986, LB 325, § 15; Laws 1986, LB 529, § 54; Laws 1986, LB 311, § 29; Laws 1989, LB 506, § 19; Laws 1991, LB 549, § 60; Laws 1993, LB 417, § 6; Laws 1994, LB 1068, § 4; Laws 1996, LB 847, § 41; Laws 1996, LB 900, § 1070; Laws 1996, LB 1076, § 37; Laws 1996, LB 1273, § 30; Laws 1997, LB 624, § 35; Laws 1998, LB 1191, § 69; Laws 1999, LB 703, § 20; Laws 2000, LB 1192, § 22; Laws 2002, LB 407, § 54; Laws 2002, LB 470, § 10; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 18; Laws 2003, LB 451, § 23; Laws 2004, LB 1097, § 32; Laws 2006, LB 366, § 7; Laws 2006, LB 1019, § 14; Laws 2011, LB509, § 44; Laws 2012, LB916, § 33; Laws 2013, LB263, § 35; Laws 2017, LB172, § 85; Laws 2017, LB415, § 47; Laws 2018, LB1005, § 41; Laws 2020, LB1054, § 11; Laws 2022, LB700, § 11; Laws 2023, LB103, § 13.
Operative Date: May 2, 2023

Annotations

Although the actual appreciation or increase in value of a state employee's pension occurred during the marriage, such increase was not due to the efforts or contribution of marital funds by the parties during the marriage, but, rather, was guaranteed prior to the marriage by operation of subsection (17) of this section. Therefore, such increase was not marital property. Coufal v. Coufal, 291 Neb. 378, 866 N.W.2d 74 (2015).
State Employees Retirement Act sustained as constitutional. Gossman v. State Employees Retirement System, 177 Neb. 326, 129 N.W.2d 97 (1964).

(1) An employees retirement system is hereby established for the purpose of providing a retirement annuity or other benefits for employees as provided by the State Employees Retirement Act and sections 84-1332 and 84-1333. The retirement system so created shall begin operation January 1, 1964. It shall be known as the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska and by such name shall transact all business and hold all cash and other property as provided in such sections.

(2) The retirement system shall not accept as contributions any money from members or the state except the following:

(b) Money that is a repayment of refunded contributions made pursuant to section 84-1322;

(d) Actuarially required contributions pursuant to subdivision (4)(b) of section 84-1319;

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 2, p. 1668; Laws 1991, LB 549, § 61; Laws 2003, LB 451, § 24; Laws 2009, LB188, § 9.

The general administration of the retirement system shall be vested in the retirement board. The board may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the State Employees Retirement Act. The board shall maintain records and may employ such assistants and employees as may be necessary to carry out the act.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 5, p. 1669; Laws 1969, c. 584, § 117, p. 2421; Laws 1973, LB 498, § 2; Laws 1984, LB 751, § 2; Laws 1991, LB 549, § 62; Laws 1995, LB 369, § 8; Laws 1996, LB 847, § 42; Laws 2018, LB1005, § 42.

(1) The director of the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems shall keep a complete record of all members with respect to name, current address, age, contributions, and any other facts as may be necessary in the administration of the State Employees Retirement Act. The information in the records shall be provided by the employer in an accurate and verifiable form, as specified by the director. The director shall, from time to time, carry out testing procedures pursuant to section 84-1512 to verify the accuracy of such information. For the purpose of obtaining such facts and information, the director shall have access to the records of the various state departments and agencies and the holder of the records shall comply with a request by the director for access by providing such facts and information to the director in a timely manner. A certified copy of a birth certificate or delayed birth certificate shall be prima facie evidence of the age of the person named in the certificate.

(2) The director shall develop and implement an employer education program using principles generally accepted by public employee retirement systems so that all employers have the knowledge and information necessary to prepare and file reports as the board requires.

Source:Laws 1991, LB 549, § 69; Laws 1998, LB 1191, § 70; Laws 2000, LB 1192, § 23; Laws 2005, LB 503, § 14.

(1)(a) If the board determines that the retirement system has previously received contributions or distributed benefits which for any reason are not in accordance with the statutory provisions of the State Employees Retirement Act, the board shall refund contributions, require additional contributions, adjust benefits, credit dividend amounts, or require repayment of benefits paid. In the event of an overpayment of a benefit, the board may, in addition to other remedies, offset future benefit payments by the amount of the prior overpayment, together with regular interest or interest credits, whichever is appropriate, thereon. In the event of an underpayment of a benefit, the board shall immediately make payment equal to the deficit amount plus regular interest or interest credits, whichever is appropriate.

(b) The board shall have the power, through the director of the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems or the director's designee, to make a thorough investigation of any overpayment of a benefit, when in the judgment of the retirement system such investigation is necessary, including, but not limited to, circumstances in which benefit payments are made after the death of a member or beneficiary and the retirement system is not made aware of such member's or beneficiary's death. In connection with any such investigation, the board, through the director or the director's designee, shall have the power to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers, records, and documents, whether in hardcopy, electronic form, or otherwise, and issue subpoenas for such purposes. Such subpoenas shall be served in the same manner and have the same effect as subpoenas from district courts.

(2) The board may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations implementing this section, which shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (a) The procedures for refunding contributions, adjusting future contributions or benefit payments, and requiring additional contributions or repayment of benefits; (b) the process for a member, member's beneficiary, employee, or employer to dispute an adjustment of contributions or benefits; and (c) notice provided to all affected persons. All notices shall be sent prior to an adjustment and shall describe the process for disputing an adjustment of contributions or benefits.

Source:Laws 1996, LB 1076, § 41; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 19; Laws 2006, LB 1019, § 15; Laws 2015, LB40, § 14; Laws 2018, LB1005, § 43.

(1) The membership of the retirement system shall be composed of all persons who are or were employed by the State of Nebraska and who maintain an account balance with the retirement system.

(2) The following employees of the State of Nebraska are authorized to participate in the retirement system: (a) All permanent full-time employees who have attained the age of eighteen years shall begin participation in the retirement system upon employment; and (b) all permanent part-time employees who have attained the age of eighteen years may exercise the option to begin participation in the retirement system within the first thirty days of employment. An employee who exercises the option to begin participation in the retirement system pursuant to this section shall remain in the retirement system until his or her termination of employment or retirement, regardless of any change of status as a permanent or temporary employee.

(3) On and after July 1, 2010, no employee shall be authorized to participate in the retirement system provided for in the State Employees Retirement Act unless the employee (a) is a United States citizen or (b) is a qualified alien under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., as such act existed on January 1, 2009, and is lawfully present in the United States.

(4) For purposes of this section, (a) permanent full-time employees includes employees of the Legislature or Legislative Council who work one-half or more of the regularly scheduled hours during each pay period of the legislative session and (b) permanent part-time employees includes employees of the Legislature or Legislative Council who work less than one-half of the regularly scheduled hours during each pay period of the legislative session.

(5)(a) Within the first one hundred eighty days of employment, a full-time employee may apply to the board for vesting credit for years of participation in another Nebraska governmental plan, as defined by section 414(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. During the years of participation in the other Nebraska governmental plan, the employee must have been a full-time employee, as defined in the Nebraska governmental plan in which the credit was earned. The board may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations governing the assessment and granting of vesting credit.

(b) If the contributory retirement plan or contract let pursuant to section 48-609, as such section existed prior to January 1, 2018, is terminated, employees of the Department of Labor who are active participants in such contributory retirement plan or contract on the date of termination of such plan or contract shall be granted vesting credit for their years of participation in such plan or contract.

(6) Any employee who qualifies for membership in the retirement system pursuant to this section may not be disqualified for membership in the retirement system solely because such employee also maintains separate employment which qualifies the employee for membership in another public retirement system, nor may membership in this retirement system disqualify such an employee from membership in another public employment system solely by reason of separate employment which qualifies such employee for membership in this retirement system.

(7) State agencies shall ensure that employees authorized to participate in the retirement system pursuant to this section shall enroll and make required contributions to the retirement system immediately upon becoming an employee. Information necessary to determine membership in the retirement system shall be provided by the employer.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 7, p. 1670; Laws 1969, c. 842, § 1, p. 3177; Laws 1973, LB 492, § 1; Laws 1983, LB 219, § 1; Laws 1986, LB 325, § 16; Laws 1986, LB 311, § 30; Laws 1990, LB 834, § 1; Laws 1995, LB 501, § 11; Laws 1996, LB 1076, § 38; Laws 1997, LB 624, § 36; Laws 1998, LB 1191, § 71; Laws 1999, LB 703, § 21; Laws 2000, LB 1192, § 24; Laws 2002, LB 407, § 55; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 20; Laws 2004, LB 1097, § 33; Laws 2006, LB 366, § 8; Laws 2008, LB1147, § 13; Laws 2009, LB188, § 10; Laws 2010, LB950, § 21; Laws 2011, LB509, § 45; Laws 2013, LB263, § 36; Laws 2017, LB172, § 86; Laws 2019, LB34, § 21.

(1) Each employee who is a member of the retirement system shall pay or have paid on his or her behalf a sum equal to four and eight-tenths percent of his or her monthly compensation. The contributions, although designated as employee contributions, shall be paid by the employer in lieu of employee contributions. Such amounts shall be deducted monthly pursuant to subsection (2) of this section by the Director of Administrative Services. All money received shall be set aside by the State Treasurer and credited to the State Employees Retirement Fund.

(2) The employer shall pick up the employee contributions required by this section for all compensation paid on or after January 1, 1985, and the contributions so picked up shall be treated as employer contributions pursuant to section 414(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code in determining federal tax treatment under the code and shall not be included as gross income of the employee until such time as they are distributed or made available. The employer shall pay these employee contributions from the same source of funds which is used in paying earnings to the employee. The employer shall pick up these contributions by a deduction through a reduction in the cash compensation of the employee. Employee contributions picked up shall be treated for all purposes of the State Employees Retirement Act in the same manner and to the extent as employee contributions made prior to the date picked up.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 8, p. 1670; Laws 1967, c. 617, § 3, p. 2070; Laws 1969, c. 584, § 118, p. 2421; Laws 1981, LB 459, § 6; Laws 1984, LB 218, § 5; Laws 1984, LB 751, § 3; Laws 1991, LB 549, § 63; Laws 1995, LB 574, § 85; Laws 1998, LB 1191, § 72; Laws 2001, LB 408, § 25; Laws 2006, LB 366, § 9; Laws 2013, LB263, § 37.

(1) There is hereby established in the state treasury a special fund to be known as the State Employees Retirement Fund to consist of such funds as the Legislature shall from time to time appropriate. The Director of Administrative Services shall credit an amount each month to the State Employees Retirement Fund equal to one hundred fifty-six percent of the amounts deducted, in accordance with section 84-1308, from the compensation of employees who are paid from funds appropriated from the General Fund.

(2) The Director of Administrative Services shall credit an amount each month to the State Employees Retirement Fund from the funds of each department with at least one employee who is a member of the retirement system for a sum equal to one hundred fifty-six percent of the amounts deducted, in accordance with section 84-1308, from the compensation of employees who are paid from any funds other than funds appropriated from the General Fund.

(3) The Director of Administrative Services shall credit an amount each month to the State Employees Retirement Fund for prior service benefits. After receiving the annual report required by section 84-1315, the Legislature may make such adjustments in the funding of prior service benefits as necessary to keep the plan sound. The contribution for prior service purposes shall cease when the prior service obligation is properly funded.

(4) The Department of Administrative Services may, for accounting purposes, create subfunds of the State Employees Retirement Fund to separately account for defined contribution plan assets and cash balance plan assets.

(5) The State Treasurer shall be the custodian of the funds and securities of the retirement system and may deposit the funds and securities in any financial institution approved by the Nebraska Investment Council. The State Treasurer shall transmit monthly to the board a detailed statement showing all credits to and disbursements from the fund. He or she shall disburse money from the fund only on warrants issued by the Director of Administrative Services upon vouchers signed by a person authorized by the retirement board.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 9, p. 1671; Laws 1967, c. 619, § 1, p. 2074; Laws 1969, c. 584, § 119, p. 2422; Laws 1971, LB 476, § 1; Laws 1971, LB 987, § 34; Laws 1981, LB 459, § 7; Laws 1984, LB 751, § 4; Laws 1991, LB 549, § 64; Laws 1997, LB 623, § 41; Laws 2012, LB916, § 34.

The board shall provide benefit liability information and other assistance to the Nebraska Investment Council for the establishment of policy portfolio objectives for the investing and reinvesting of the assets of the retirement system. The board shall verify that the investments of the assets of the retirement system by the council and the state investment officer are invested and reinvested for the exclusive purposes of providing benefits to members and members' beneficiaries and that the assets of the retirement system are not invested with the sole or primary investment objective of economic development or social purposes or objectives. Such verification shall be included in the written plan of action pursuant to subsection (3) of section 84-1503.

Source:Laws 1984, LB 653, § 1; Laws 1996, LB 847, § 43; Laws 2005, LB 503, § 15.

(1) It is the intent of the Legislature that, in order to improve the competitiveness of the retirement plan for state employees, a cash balance benefit shall be added to the State Employees Retirement Act on and after January 1, 2003. Each member who is employed and participating in the retirement system prior to January 1, 2003, may either elect to continue participation in the defined contribution benefit as provided in the act prior to January 1, 2003, or elect to participate in the cash balance benefit as set forth in this section. An active member shall make a one-time election beginning September 1, 2012, through October 31, 2012, in order to participate in the cash balance benefit. If no such election is made, the member shall be treated as though he or she elected to continue participating in the defined contribution benefit as provided in the act prior to January 1, 2003. Members who elect to participate in the cash balance benefit beginning September 1, 2012, through October 31, 2012, shall commence participation in the cash balance benefit on January 2, 2013. Any member who made the election prior to April 7, 2012, does not have to make another election of the cash balance benefit beginning September 1, 2012, through October 31, 2012.

(2) For a member employed and participating in the retirement system beginning on and after January 1, 2003, or a member employed and participating in the retirement system on January 1, 2003, who, prior to April 7, 2012, or beginning September 1, 2012, through October 31, 2012, elects to convert his or her employee and employer accounts to the cash balance benefit:

(a) The employee cash balance account within the State Employees Retirement Fund shall, at any time, be equal to the following:

(i) The initial employee account balance, if any, transferred from the defined contribution plan account described in section 84-1310; plus

(ii) Employee contribution credits deposited in accordance with section 84-1308; plus

(iii) Interest credits credited in accordance with subdivision (19) of section 84-1301; plus

(iv) Dividend amounts credited in accordance with subdivision (4)(c) of section 84-1319; and

(b) The employer cash balance account shall, at any time, be equal to the following:

(i) The initial employer account balance, if any, transferred from the defined contribution plan account described in section 84-1311; plus

(ii) Employer contribution credits deposited in accordance with section 84-1309; plus

(iii) Interest credits credited in accordance with subdivision (19) of section 84-1301; plus

(iv) Dividend amounts credited in accordance with subdivision (4)(c) of section 84-1319.

(3) In order to carry out the provisions of this section, the board may enter into administrative services agreements for accounting or record-keeping services. No agreement shall be entered into unless the board determines that it will result in administrative economy and will be in the best interests of the state and its participating employees. The board may develop a schedule for the allocation of the administrative services agreements costs for accounting or record-keeping services and may assess the costs so that each member pays a reasonable fee as determined by the board.

Source:Laws 2002, LB 687, § 21; Laws 2003, LB 451, § 25; Laws 2005, LB 364, § 17; Laws 2006, LB 366, § 10; Laws 2006, LB 1019, § 16; Laws 2007, LB328, § 7; Laws 2009, LB188, § 11; Laws 2010, LB950, § 22; Laws 2011, LB509, § 46; Laws 2012, LB916, § 35; Laws 2017, LB415, § 48; Laws 2019, LB34, § 22.

For a member employed and participating in the retirement system prior to January 1, 2003, who has elected not to participate in the cash balance benefit, a member's share of the fund arising from the compensation deductions made in accordance with section 84-1308 shall be known as his or her employee account. Each year commencing January 1, 1975, and ending December 31, 1984, regular interest shall be credited to the employee account. As of January 1 of each such year, a member's employee account shall be equal to one hundred percent of his or her employee account as of the next preceding January 1 increased by any regular interest earned and any amounts deducted from the member's compensation since the next preceding January 1 in accordance with the provisions of section 84-1308. On and after January 1, 1985, the employee account shall be equal to the sum of the stable return account, the equities account, and any assets of additional accounts created by the board pursuant to section 84-1310.01.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 10, p. 1671; Laws 1969, c. 842, § 2, p. 3178; Laws 1974, LB 905, § 9; Laws 1983, LB 313, § 3; Laws 1984, LB 751, § 5; Laws 1991, LB 549, § 65; Laws 1994, LB 833, § 46; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 22.

(1)(a) Each member employed and participating in the retirement system prior to January 1, 2003, who has elected not to participate in the cash balance benefit, shall be allowed to allocate all contributions to the member's employee account to various investment options. The investment options shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(i) An investor select account which shall be invested under the direction of the state investment officer with an asset allocation and investment strategy substantially similar to the investment allocations made by the state investment officer for the defined benefit plans under the retirement systems described in subdivision (1)(a) of section 84-1503. Investments shall most likely include domestic and international equities, fixed income investments, and real estate, as well as potentially additional asset classes;

(ii) A stable return account which shall be invested by or under the direction of the state investment officer in a stable value strategy that provides capital preservation and consistent, steady returns;

(iii) An equities account which shall be invested by or under the direction of the state investment officer in equities;

(iv) A fixed income account which shall be invested by or under the direction of the state investment officer in fixed income instruments; and

(v) A life-cycle fund which shall be invested under the direction of the state investment officer with an asset allocation and investment strategy that adjusts from a position of higher risk to one of lower risk as the member ages.

(b) If the member fails to select an option or combination of options pursuant to subdivision (a) of this subsection, all of the member's funds shall be placed in the option described in subdivision (a)(v) of this subsection. Each member shall be given a detailed current description of each investment option prior to making or revising the member's allocation.

(2) Members of the retirement system may allocate their contributions to the investment options in percentage increments as set by the board in any proportion, including full allocation to any one option. A member under subdivision (1)(a) of section 84-1323 or the member's beneficiary may transfer any portion of the member's funds among the options, except for restrictions on transfers to or from the stable return account pursuant to rule or regulation. The board may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations for changes of a member's allocation of contributions to the member's accounts after the member's most recent allocation and for transfers from one investment account to another.

(3) The board shall develop a schedule for the allocation of administrative costs of maintaining the various investment options and shall assess the costs so that each member pays a reasonable fee as determined by the board.

(4) In order to carry out this section, the board may enter into administrative services agreements for accounting or record-keeping services. No agreement shall be entered into unless the board determines that it will result in administrative economy and will be in the best interests of the state and its participating employees.

(5) The state, the board, the state investment officer, the members of the Nebraska Investment Council, or the agency shall not be liable for any investment results resulting from the member's exercise of control over the assets in the employee account.

Source:Laws 1984, LB 751, § 11; Laws 1991, LB 549, § 66; Laws 1994, LB 833, § 47; Laws 1996, LB 847, § 44; Laws 1999, LB 703, § 22; Laws 2000, LB 1200, § 5; Laws 2001, LB 408, § 26; Laws 2002, LB 407, § 56; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 23; Laws 2005, LB 503, § 16; Laws 2008, LB1147, § 14; Laws 2010, LB950, § 23; Laws 2012, LB916, § 36; Laws 2014, LB759, § 22; Laws 2018, LB1005, § 44; Laws 2019, LB32, § 3; Laws 2022, LB700, § 12.

(1) For a member employed and participating in the retirement system prior to January 1, 2003, who has elected not to participate in the cash balance benefit, a member's share of the fund arising from the state contributions made in accordance with section 84-1309 shall be known as his or her employer account. Prior to January 1, 1981, as of any January 1 a member's employer account shall be equal to his or her account as of the next preceding January 1, increased by one hundred four percent of any amounts deducted from the member's compensation since the next preceding January 1 in accordance with section 84-1308. As of January 1, 1982, a member's employer account shall be equal to the account as of January 1, 1981, increased by one hundred four percent of the amounts deducted from the member's compensation for the first nine months of the year and one hundred fifty-six percent of the amount so deducted for the final three months of the year in accordance with section 84-1308. As of January 1, 1983, and each year thereafter, the member's employer account shall be equal to the account as of the next preceding January 1 increased by one hundred fifty-six percent of any amounts deducted from the member's compensation since the next preceding January 1 in accordance with section 84-1308. The member's employer account shall be increased by any interest allocated under the provisions of the guaranteed investment contract and any gains on investments and reduced by any losses on investments, any expense charges under the guaranteed investment contract or other investments, and any expense charges incurred in connection with administering the retirement system in excess of those provided for in section 84-1321.01, except that a member who ceased being an employee since the next preceding January 1 may have his or her employer account reduced in accordance with section 84-1321.01. On and after July 1, 1999, the employer account shall be equal to the sum of the assets of the accounts created by the board pursuant to section 84-1311.03.

(2) On and after January 1, 1997, and until July 1, 1999, the state investment officer shall invest the employer account, and, after July 1, 1999, upon maturity, the state investment officer shall invest the employer account funds which have been invested in guaranteed investment contracts prior to January 1, 1997. On and after July 1, 1999, the employer account shall be invested pursuant to section 84-1311.03. The state investment officer shall invest or reinvest the funds in securities and investments the nature of which individuals of prudence, discretion, and intelligence acquire or retain in dealing with the property of another, and if the state investment officer has special skills or is appointed on the basis of representations of special skills or expertise, he or she is under a duty to use such skills.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 11, p. 1672; Laws 1971, LB 987, § 35; Laws 1973, LB 498, § 3; Laws 1981, LB 459, § 8; Laws 1983, LB 313, § 4; Laws 1984, LB 751, § 6; Laws 1986, LB 311, § 31; Laws 1991, LB 549, § 67; Laws 1994, LB 833, § 48; Laws 1996, LB 847, § 45; Laws 1999, LB 687, § 5; Laws 1999, LB 703, § 23; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 24.

(1) Each member employed and participating in the retirement system prior to January 1, 2003, who has elected not to participate in the cash balance benefit, shall be allowed to allocate all contributions to the member's employer account to various investment options. Such investment options shall be the same as the investment options of the employee account as provided in subsection (1) of section 84-1310.01. If a member fails to select an option or combination of options, all of the member's funds in the employer account shall be placed in the investment option described in subdivision (1)(a)(v) of section 84-1310.01. Each member shall be given a detailed current description of each investment option prior to making or revising his or her allocation.

(2) Each member of the retirement system may allocate contributions to the member's employer account to the investment options in percentage increments as set by the board in any proportion, including full allocation to any one option. A member under subdivision (1)(a) of section 84-1323 or the member's beneficiary may transfer any portion of the member's funds among the options. The board may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations for changes of a member's allocation of contributions to the member's accounts after the member's most recent allocation and for transfers from one investment account to another.

Source:Laws 1999, LB 687, § 4; Laws 2000, LB 1200, § 6; Laws 2001, LB 408, § 27; Laws 2002, LB 407, § 57; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 25; Laws 2004, LB 1097, § 34; Laws 2005, LB 503, § 17; Laws 2008, LB1147, § 15; Laws 2010, LB950, § 24; Laws 2012, LB916, § 37; Laws 2018, LB1005, § 45; Laws 2019, LB32, § 4; Laws 2022, LB700, § 13.

(a) Direct rollover means a payment by the retirement system to the eligible retirement plan or plans specified by the distributee;

(b) Distributee means the member, the member's surviving spouse, or the member's former spouse who is an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order as defined in section 414(p) of the Internal Revenue Code;

(c) Eligible retirement plan means (i) an individual retirement account described in section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, (ii) an individual retirement annuity described in section 408(b) of the code, except for an endowment contract, (iii) a qualified plan described in section 401(a) of the code, (iv) an annuity plan described in section 403(a) or 403(b) of the code, (v) except for purposes of section 84-1313, an individual retirement plan described in section 408A of the code, and (vi) a plan described in section 457(b) of the code and maintained by a governmental employer. For eligible rollover distributions to a surviving spouse, an eligible retirement plan means subdivisions (1)(c)(i) through (vi) of this section; and

(d) Eligible rollover distribution means any distribution to a distributee of all or any portion of the balance to the credit of the distributee in the plan, except such term shall not include any distribution which is one of a series of substantially equal periodic payments, not less frequently than annually, made for the life of the distributee or joint lives of the distributee and the distributee's beneficiary or for the specified period of ten years or more and shall not include any distribution to the extent such distribution is required under section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(2) For distributions made to a distributee on or after January 1, 1993, a distributee may elect to have any portion of an eligible rollover distribution paid directly to an eligible retirement plan specified by the distributee.

(3) A member's surviving spouse or former spouse who is an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order and, on or after January 1, 2010, any designated beneficiary of a member who is not a surviving spouse or former spouse who is entitled to receive an eligible rollover distribution from the retirement system may, in accordance with such rules, regulations, and limitations as may be established by the board, elect to have such distribution made in the form of a direct transfer to a retirement plan eligible to receive such transfer under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

(4) An eligible rollover distribution on behalf of a designated beneficiary of a member who is not a surviving spouse or former spouse of the member may be transferred to an individual retirement account or annuity described in section 408(a) or section 408(b) of the Internal Revenue Code that is established for the purpose of receiving the distribution on behalf of the designated beneficiary and that will be treated as an inherited individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity described in section 408(d)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(5) The board may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations for direct rollover procedures which are consistent with section 401(a)(31) of the Internal Revenue Code and which include, but are not limited to, the form and time of direct rollover distributions.

Source:Laws 1996, LB 847, § 48; Laws 2002, LB 407, § 58; Laws 2012, LB916, § 38; Laws 2018, LB1005, § 46.

(1) The retirement system may accept cash rollover contributions from a member who is making payment pursuant to section 84-1322 or 84-1325 if the contributions do not exceed the amount of payment authorized to be paid by the member pursuant to section 84-1322 or 84-1325 and the contributions represent (a) all or any portion of the balance of the member's interest in a qualified plan under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code or (b) the interest of the member from an individual retirement account or an individual retirement annuity, the entire amount of which is attributable to a qualified total distribution, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code, from a qualified plan under section 401(a) of the code and qualified as a tax-free rollover amount. The member's interest under subdivision (a) or (b) of this subsection must be transferred to the retirement system within sixty days from the date of the distribution from the qualified plan, individual retirement account, or individual retirement annuity.

(2) Cash transferred to the retirement system as a rollover contribution shall be deposited as other payments made under section 84-1322 or 84-1325.

(3) Under the same conditions as provided in subsection (1) of this section, the retirement system may accept eligible rollover distributions from (a) an annuity contract described in section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, (b) a plan described in section 457(b) of the code which is maintained by a state, a political subdivision of a state, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or political subdivision of a state, or (c) the portion of a distribution from an individual retirement account or annuity described in section 408(a) or 408(b) of the code that is eligible to be rolled over and would otherwise be includable in gross income. Amounts accepted pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited as all other payments under this section.

(4) The retirement system may accept direct rollover distributions made from a qualified plan pursuant to section 401(a)(31) of the Internal Revenue Code. The direct rollover distribution shall be deposited as all other payments under this section.

(5) The board may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations defining procedures for acceptance of rollovers which are consistent with sections 401(a)(31) and 402 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Source:Laws 1996, LB 847, § 49; Laws 1997, LB 624, § 37; Laws 2002, LB 407, § 59; Laws 2018, LB1005, § 47.

The retirement system may accept as payment for withdrawn amounts made pursuant to the State Employees Retirement Act a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer from (1) an eligible tax-sheltered annuity plan as described in section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code or (2) an eligible deferred compensation plan as described in section 457(b) of the code on behalf of a member who is making payments for such amounts. The amount transferred shall not exceed the amount withdrawn and such transferred amount shall qualify as a purchase of permissive service credit by the member as defined in section 415 of the code.

Source:Laws 2002, LB 407, § 61.

The retirement system may transfer any distribution of benefits to a member which is an eligible rollover distribution as defined in section 84-1312 in a direct rollover to the deferred compensation plan authorized under section 84-1504 if the following conditions are met:

(1) The member has an amount of compensation deferred immediately after the rollover at least equal to the amount of compensation deferred immediately before the rollover;

(3) The member is not eligible for additional annual deferrals in the receiving plan unless the member is performing services for the state; and

Source:Laws 2009, LB188, § 12; Laws 2011, LB509, § 47.

(1) The State Employees Defined Contribution Retirement Expense Fund is created. The fund shall be credited with money from the retirement system assets and income sufficient to pay the pro rata share of administrative expenses incurred as directed by the board for the proper administration of the State Employees Retirement Act and necessary in connection with the administration and operation of the retirement system, except as provided in sections 84-1309.02, 84-1310.01, and 84-1311.03. Any money in the fund available for investment shall be invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act.

(2) The State Employees Cash Balance Retirement Expense Fund is created. The fund shall be credited with money forfeited pursuant to section 84-1321.01 and with money from the retirement system assets and income sufficient to pay the pro rata share of administrative expenses incurred as directed by the board for the proper administration of the State Employees Retirement Act and necessary in connection with the administration and operation of the retirement system, except as provided in sections 84-1309.02, 84-1310.01, and 84-1311.03. Any money in the fund available for investment shall be invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act.

(3) Forfeiture funds collected from members participating in the defined contribution benefit shall be used to either pay expenses or reduce employer contributions related to the defined contribution benefit. Any unused funds shall be allocated as earnings of and transferred to the accounts of the remaining members within twelve months after receipt of the funds by the board.

Source:Laws 1997, LB 623, § 40; Laws 2000, LB 1200, § 7; Laws 2001, LB 408, § 28; Laws 2003, LB 451, § 26; Laws 2005, LB 364, § 18; Laws 2007, LB328, § 8; Laws 2010, LB950, § 25; Laws 2013, LB263, § 38.

It shall be the duty of the Auditor of Public Accounts to make an annual audit of the retirement system and an annual report to the retirement board and to the Clerk of the Legislature of the condition of the retirement system. The report submitted to the Clerk of the Legislature shall be submitted electronically. Each member of the Legislature shall receive an electronic copy of the report required by this section by making a request for such report to either the Auditor of Public Accounts or the retirement board.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 15, p. 1673; Laws 1971, LB 987, § 37; Laws 1972, LB 1072, § 1; Laws 1979, LB 322, § 75; Laws 1988, LB 1169, § 2; Laws 2012, LB782, § 232.

The retirement system may sue or be sued in the name of the system, and in all actions brought by or against it, the system shall be represented by the Attorney General.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 16, p. 1673; Laws 1996, LB 847, § 46.

(1) Upon filing an application for benefits with the board, an employee may elect to retire after the attainment of age fifty-five or an employee may retire as a result of disability at any age.

(2) The member shall specify in the application for benefits the manner in which he or she wishes to receive the retirement benefit under the options provided by the State Employees Retirement Act. Payment under the application for benefits shall be made (a) for annuities, no sooner than the annuity start date, and (b) for other distributions, no sooner than the date of final account value.

(3) Payment of any benefit provided under the retirement system shall not be deferred later than the required beginning date.

(4) The board shall make reasonable efforts to locate the member or the member's beneficiary and distribute benefits by the required beginning date. If the board is unable to make such a distribution, the benefit shall be distributed pursuant to the Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act and no amounts may be applied to increase the benefits any member would otherwise receive under the State Employees Retirement Act.

(5) A participant or beneficiary who would have been required to receive required minimum distributions for 2009 but for the enactment of section 401(a)(9)(H) of the Internal Revenue Code, and who would have satisfied that requirement by receiving distributions that are either equal to the 2009 required minimum distributions or one or more payments in a series of substantially equal distributions, including the 2009 required minimum distribution, made at least annually and expected to last for the life or life expectancy of the participant, the joint lives or joint life expectancy of the participant and the participant's designated beneficiary, or for a period of at least ten years, shall receive those distributions for 2009 unless the participant or beneficiary chooses not to receive such distributions. Participants and beneficiaries shall be given the opportunity to elect to stop receiving the distributions described in this subsection.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 17, p. 1673; Laws 1967, c. 619, § 2, p. 2075; Laws 1971, LB 360, § 1; Laws 1973, LB 498, § 4; Laws 1973, LB 55, § 1; Laws 1974, LB 740, § 2; Laws 1979, LB 391, § 7; Laws 1979, LB 161, § 3; Laws 1981, LB 288, § 1; Laws 1982, LB 287, § 5; Laws 1983, LB 604, § 25; Laws 1983, LB 219, § 2; Laws 1986, LB 325, § 17; Laws 1986, LB 311, § 32; Laws 1987, LB 296, § 4; Laws 1996, LB 1076, § 39; Laws 1997, LB 624, § 38; Laws 2003, LB 451, § 27; Laws 2009, LB188, § 13; Laws 2013, LB263, § 39; Laws 2020, LB1054, § 12.

The retirement value for any employee who retires under the provisions of section 84-1317 shall be (1) for participants in the defined contribution benefit, the sum of the employee's employee account and employer account as of the date of final account value and (2) for participants in the cash balance benefit, the benefit provided in section 84-1309.02 as of the date of final account value.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 18, p. 1674; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 26; Laws 2003, LB 451, § 28.

(1) The future service retirement benefit shall be an annuity, payable monthly with the first payment made no earlier than the annuity start date, which shall be the actuarial equivalent of the retirement value as specified in section 84-1318 based on factors determined by the board, except that gender shall not be a factor when determining the amount of such payments except as provided in this section.

Except as provided in section 42-1107, at any time before the annuity start date, the retiring employee may choose to receive his or her annuity either in the form of an annuity as provided under subsection (4) of this section or any optional form that is determined acceptable by the board.

Except as provided in section 42-1107, in lieu of the future service retirement annuity, a retiring employee may receive a benefit not to exceed the amount in his or her employer and employee accounts as of the date of final account value payable in a lump sum and, if the employee chooses not to receive the entire amount in such accounts, an annuity equal to the actuarial equivalent of the remainder of the retirement value, and the employee may choose any form of such annuity as provided for by the board.

In any case, the amount of the monthly payment shall be such that the annuity chosen shall be the actuarial equivalent of the retirement value as specified in section 84-1318 except as provided in this section.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, the monthly annuity income payable to a member retiring on or after January 1, 1984, shall be as follows:

He or she shall receive at retirement the amount which may be purchased by the accumulated contributions based on annuity rates in effect on the annuity start date which do not utilize gender as a factor, except that such amounts shall not be less than the retirement income which can be provided by the sum of the amounts derived pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) of this subsection as follows:

(a) The income provided by the accumulated contributions made prior to January 1, 1984, based on male annuity purchase rates in effect on the date of purchase; and

(b) The income provided by the accumulated contributions made on and after January 1, 1984, based on the annuity purchase rates in effect on the date of purchase which do not use gender as a factor.

(3) Any amounts, in excess of contributions, which may be required in order to purchase the retirement income specified in subsection (2) of this section shall be withdrawn from the State Equal Retirement Benefit Fund.

(4)(a) The normal form of payment shall be a single life annuity with five-year certain, which is an annuity payable monthly during the remainder of the member's life with the provision that, in the event of the member's death before sixty monthly payments have been made, the monthly payments will continue until sixty monthly payments have been made in total pursuant to section 84-1323.02.

Such annuity shall be equal to the actuarial equivalent of the member cash balance account or the sum of the employee and employer accounts, whichever is applicable, as of the date of final account value. As a part of the annuity, the normal form of payment may include a two and one-half percent cost-of-living adjustment purchased by the member, if the member elects such a payment option.

Except as provided in section 42-1107, a member may elect a lump-sum distribution of his or her member cash balance account as of the date of final account value upon termination of service or retirement.

For a member employed and participating in the retirement system prior to January 1, 2003, who has elected to participate in the cash balance benefit pursuant to section 84-1309.02, or for a member employed and participating in the retirement system beginning on and after January 1, 2003, the balance of his or her member cash balance account as of the date of final account value shall be converted to an annuity using an interest rate that is recommended by the actuary and approved by the board following an actuarial experience study, a benefit adequacy study, or a plan valuation. The interest rate and actuarial factors in effect on the member's retirement date will be used to calculate actuarial equivalency of any retirement benefit. Such interest rate may be, but is not required to be, equal to the assumed rate of return.

For an employee who is a member prior to January 1, 2003, who has elected not to participate in the cash balance benefit pursuant to section 84-1309.02, and who, at the time of retirement, chooses the annuity option rather than the lump-sum option, his or her employee and employer accounts as of the date of final account value shall be converted to an annuity using an interest rate that is equal to the lesser of (i) the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation initial interest rate for valuing annuities for terminating plans as of the beginning of the year during which payment begins plus three-fourths of one percent or (ii) the interest rate to calculate the retirement benefits for the cash balance plan members.

(b) For the calendar year beginning January 1, 2003, and each calendar year thereafter, the actuary for the board shall perform an actuarial valuation of the system using the entry age actuarial cost method. Under this method, the actuarially required funding rate is equal to the normal cost rate plus the contribution rate necessary to amortize the unfunded actuarial accrued liability on a level-payment basis. The normal cost under this method shall be determined for each individual member on a level percentage of salary basis. The normal cost amount is then summed for all members. The initial unfunded actual accrued liability as of January 1, 2003, if any, shall be amortized over a twenty-five-year period. During each subsequent actuarial valuation, changes in the unfunded actuarial accrued liability due to changes in benefits, actuarial assumptions, the asset valuation method, or actuarial gains or losses shall be measured and amortized over a twenty-five-year period beginning on the valuation date of such change. If the unfunded actuarial accrued liability under the entry age actuarial cost method is zero or less than zero on an actuarial valuation date, then all prior unfunded actuarial accrued liabilities shall be considered fully funded and the unfunded actuarial accrued liability shall be reinitialized and amortized over a twenty-five-year period as of the actuarial valuation date. If the actuarially required contribution rate exceeds the rate of all contributions required pursuant to the State Employees Retirement Act, there shall be a supplemental appropriation sufficient to pay for the difference between the actuarially required contribution rate and the rate of all contributions required pursuant to the act.

(c) If the unfunded accrued actuarial liability under the entry age actuarial cost method is less than zero on an actuarial valuation date, and on the basis of all data in the possession of the retirement board, including such mortality and other tables as are recommended by the actuary engaged by the retirement board and adopted by the retirement board, the retirement board may elect to pay a dividend to all members participating in the cash balance option in an amount that would not increase the actuarial contribution rate above ninety percent of the actual contribution rate. Dividends shall be credited to the employee cash balance account and the employer cash balance account based on the account balances on the actuarial valuation date. In the event a dividend is granted and paid after the actuarial valuation date, interest for the period from the actuarial valuation date until the dividend is actually paid shall be paid on the dividend amount. The interest rate shall be the interest credit rate earned on regular contributions.

(5) At the option of the retiring member, any lump sum or annuity provided under this section or section 84-1320 may be deferred to commence at any time, except that no benefit shall be deferred later than the required beginning date. Such election by the retiring member may be made at any time prior to the commencement of the lump-sum or annuity payments.

(6) A participant or beneficiary who would have been required to receive required minimum distributions for 2009 but for the enactment of section 401(a)(9)(H) of the Internal Revenue Code, and who would have satisfied that requirement by receiving distributions that are either equal to the 2009 required minimum distributions or one or more payments in a series of substantially equal distributions, including the 2009 required minimum distribution, made at least annually and expected to last for the life or life expectancy of the participant, the joint lives or joint life expectancy of the participant and the participant's designated beneficiary, or for a period of at least ten years, shall receive those distributions for 2009 unless the participant or beneficiary chooses not to receive such distributions. Participants and beneficiaries shall be given the opportunity to elect to stop receiving the distributions described in this subsection.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 19, p. 1674; Laws 1973, LB 498, § 5; Laws 1983, LB 210, § 2; Laws 1984, LB 751, § 7; Laws 1986, LB 325, § 18; Laws 1986, LB 311, § 33; Laws 1987, LB 308, § 1; Laws 1987, LB 60, § 4; Laws 1991, LB 549, § 70; Laws 1992, LB 543, § 2; Laws 1994, LB 1306, § 8; Laws 1996, LB 1273, § 31; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 27; Laws 2003, LB 451, § 29; Laws 2006, LB 1019, § 17; Laws 2007, LB328, § 9; Laws 2009, LB188, § 14; Laws 2012, LB916, § 39; Laws 2013, LB263, § 40; Laws 2017, LB415, § 49; Laws 2019, LB34, § 23; Laws 2020, LB1054, § 13.

The State Equal Retirement Benefit Fund is created. The fund shall be administered by the board. Each state agency participating in the retirement system shall make a contribution at least once a year to the fund, in addition to any other retirement contributions. Such contribution shall be in an amount determined by the board to provide all similarly situated male and female members of the retirement system with equal benefits pursuant to subsection (2) of section 84-1319 and to provide for direct expenses incurred in administering the fund. The amount contributed to the fund by each state agency participating in the retirement system shall be proportionate to the total amount such agency contributes to the system for retirement benefits. Any money in the fund available for investment shall be invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act.

Source:Laws 1983, LB 210, § 3; Laws 1998, LB 1191, § 73; Laws 2022, LB700, § 14.

The prior service retirement benefit shall be a straight life annuity, payable monthly with the first payment made as of the annuity start date, in an amount determined in accordance with the State Employees Retirement Act, except that the payments may be made less often than monthly if the monthly payment would be less than fifteen dollars. At the option of the member, the first payment may be deferred to commence at any time, except that no benefit shall be deferred later than the required beginning date. Such deferred benefit shall be the actuarial equivalent, based on factors designated by the board, of the prior service benefit. In the event of retirement before age sixty-five under section 84-1317, the amount of the prior service annuity shall be reduced in accordance with the principles of actuarial equivalence based on factors designated by the board. Any member of the retirement system who ceases to be an employee before becoming eligible for retirement under section 84-1317, who has accrued a prior service retirement benefit as defined in the act, and who has been continuously employed by the state for ten or more years immediately prior to termination shall receive the prior service retirement benefit determined in accordance with the act upon attaining age sixty-five. At the option of the terminating member, such annuity may commence as of the first of the month at any time after such member attains the age of fifty-five or may be deferred, except that no benefit shall be deferred later than the required beginning date. Such election by the terminating member may be made at any time prior to the commencement of the annuity payments. Any terminating employee who forfeits a vested future service retirement benefit by withdrawing his or her employee account shall also forfeit any vested prior service retirement benefit to which he or she would otherwise be entitled.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 20, p. 1675; Laws 1973, LB 479, § 1; Laws 1976, LB 643, § 1; Laws 1984, LB 751, § 8; Laws 1986, LB 325, § 19; Laws 1986, LB 311, § 34; Laws 1987, LB 308, § 2; Laws 1994, LB 833, § 51; Laws 2003, LB 451, § 30; Laws 2020, LB1054, § 14.

(1) Except as provided in section 42-1107, upon termination of employment before becoming eligible for retirement under section 84-1317, a member may, upon application to the board, receive:

(a) If not vested, a termination benefit equal to the amount in his or her employee account or member cash balance account as of the date of final account value payable in a lump sum or an annuity with the lump-sum or first annuity payment made at any time after termination but no later than the required beginning date; or

(b) If vested, a termination benefit equal to (i) the amount of his or her member cash balance account as of the date of final account value payable in a lump sum or an annuity with the lump-sum or first annuity payment made at any time after termination but no later than the required beginning date or (ii)(A) the amount in his or her employee account as of the date of final account value payable in a lump sum or an annuity with the lump-sum or first annuity payment made at any time after termination but no later than the required beginning date plus (B) the amount of his or her employer account as of the date of final account value payable in a lump sum or an annuity with the lump-sum or first annuity payment made at any time after termination but no later than the required beginning date.

(c) The member cash balance account or employer and employee accounts of a terminating member shall be retained by the board, and the termination benefit shall be deferred until a valid application for benefits has been received.

(2) At the option of the terminating member, any lump sum of the vested portion of the employer account or member cash balance account or any annuity provided under subsection (1) of this section shall commence as of the first of the month at any time after such member has terminated his or her employment with the state or may be deferred, except that no benefit shall be deferred later than the required beginning date. Such election by the terminating member shall be made at any time prior to the commencement of the lump-sum or annuity payments.

(3) Members of the retirement system shall be vested after a total of three years of participation in the system as a member pursuant to section 84-1307, including vesting credit. If an employee retires pursuant to section 84-1317, such an employee shall be fully vested in the retirement system.

(4) A participant or beneficiary who would have been required to receive required minimum distributions for 2009 but for the enactment of section 401(a)(9)(H) of the Internal Revenue Code, and who would have satisfied that requirement by receiving distributions that are either equal to the 2009 required minimum distributions or one or more payments in a series of substantially equal distributions, including the 2009 required minimum distribution, made at least annually and expected to last for the life or life expectancy of the participant, the joint lives or joint life expectancy of the participant and the participant's designated beneficiary, or for a period of at least ten years, shall receive those distributions for 2009 unless the participant or beneficiary chooses not to receive such distributions. Participants and beneficiaries shall be given the opportunity to elect to stop receiving the distributions.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 21, p. 1675; Laws 1973, LB 498, § 6; Laws 1975, LB 56, § 3; Laws 1983, LB 604, § 26; Laws 1983, LB 219, § 3; Laws 1984, LB 751, § 9; Laws 1986, LB 325, § 20; Laws 1986, LB 311, § 35; Laws 1987, LB 308, § 3; Laws 1987, LB 60, § 5; Laws 1991, LB 549, § 71; Laws 1993, LB 417, § 7; Laws 1994, LB 1306, § 9; Laws 1996, LB 1076, § 40; Laws 1996, LB 1273, § 32; Laws 1997, LB 624, § 39; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 28; Laws 2003, LB 451, § 31; Laws 2006, LB 366, § 11; Laws 2009, LB188, § 15; Laws 2013, LB263, § 41; Laws 2020, LB1054, § 15.

(1) For a member who has terminated employment and is not vested, the balance of the member's employer account or employer cash balance account shall be forfeited. The forfeited account shall be credited to the State Employees Retirement Fund and shall first be used to meet the expense charges incurred by the retirement board in connection with administering the retirement system, which charges shall be credited to the State Employees Defined Contribution Retirement Expense Fund, if the member participated in the defined contribution option, or to the State Employees Cash Balance Retirement Expense Fund, if the member participated in the cash balance option, and the remainder, if any, shall then be used to restore employer accounts or employer cash balance accounts. Except as provided in subsection (3) of section 84-1314 and subdivision (4)(c) of section 84-1319, no forfeited amounts shall be applied to increase the benefits any member would otherwise receive under the State Employees Retirement Act.

(2) If a member ceases to be an employee due to the termination of his or her employment by the state and a grievance or other appeal of the termination is filed, transactions involving forfeiture of his or her employer account or employer cash balance account and transactions for payment of benefits under sections 84-1317 and 84-1321 shall be suspended pending the final outcome of the grievance or other appeal.

(3) The State Employer Retirement Expense Fund is created. The fund shall be administered by the Public Employees Retirement Board. Prior to July 1, 2012, the fund shall be used to meet expenses of the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska whether such expenses are incurred in administering the member's employer account or in administering the member's employer cash balance account when the funds available in the State Employees Defined Contribution Retirement Expense Fund or State Employees Cash Balance Retirement Expense Fund make such use reasonably necessary. On July 1, 2012, or as soon as practicable thereafter, any money in the State Employer Retirement Expense Fund shall be transferred by the State Treasurer to the State Employees Retirement Fund and credited to the cash balance benefit established in section 84-1309.02.

(4) Prior to July 1, 2012, the director of the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems shall certify to the Accounting Administrator of the Department of Administrative Services when accumulated employer account forfeiture funds are available to reduce the state contribution which would otherwise be required to fund future service retirement benefits or to restore employer accounts or employer cash balance accounts referred to in subsection (1) of this section. Following such certification, the Accounting Administrator shall transfer the amount reduced from the state contribution from the Imprest Payroll Distributive Fund to the State Employer Retirement Expense Fund. Expenses incurred as a result of the state depositing amounts into the State Employer Retirement Expense Fund shall be deducted prior to any additional expenses being allocated. Any remaining amount shall be allocated in accordance with subsection (3) of this section. Any money in the State Employer Retirement Expense Fund available for investment shall be invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act.

Source:Laws 1997, LB 624, § 40; Laws 2000, LB 1200, § 8; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 29; Laws 2003, LB 451, § 32; Laws 2005, LB 364, § 19; Laws 2007, LB328, § 10; Laws 2010, LB950, § 26; Laws 2011, LB509, § 48; Laws 2012, LB916, § 40; Laws 2013, LB263, § 42; Laws 2019, LB34, § 24.

(1) Prior to January 1, 2020, except as otherwise provided in this section, a member of the retirement system who has a five-year break in service shall upon reemployment be considered a new employee with respect to the State Employees Retirement Act and shall not receive credit for service prior to his or her reemployment date.

(2)(a) A member who ceases to be an employee before becoming eligible for retirement under section 84-1317 and again becomes a permanent full-time or permanent part-time state employee prior to having a five-year break in service shall immediately be reenrolled in the retirement system and resume making contributions. For purposes of vesting employer contributions made prior to and after reentry into the retirement system under subsection (3) of section 84-1321, years of participation include years of participation prior to such employee's original termination. For a member who is not vested and has received a termination benefit pursuant to section 84-1321, the years of participation prior to such employee's original termination shall be limited in a ratio equal to the amount that the member repays divided by the termination benefit withdrawn pursuant to section 84-1321. This subsection shall apply whether or not the person was a state employee on April 20, 1986, or July 17, 1986.

(b) The reemployed member may repay the value of, or a portion of the value of, the termination benefit withdrawn pursuant to section 84-1321. A reemployed member who elects to repay all or a portion of the value of the termination benefit withdrawn pursuant to section 84-1321 shall repay the actual earnings on such value. Repayment of the termination benefit shall commence within three years after reemployment and shall be completed within five years after reemployment or prior to termination of employment, whichever occurs first, through (i) direct payments to the retirement system, (ii) installment payments made pursuant to a binding irrevocable payroll deduction authorization made by the member, (iii) an eligible rollover distribution as provided under the Internal Revenue Code, or (iv) a direct rollover distribution made in accordance with section 401(a)(31) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(c) The value of the member's forfeited employer account or employer cash balance account, as of the date of forfeiture, shall be restored in a ratio equal to the amount of the benefit that the member has repaid divided by the termination benefit received. The employer account or employer cash balance account shall be restored first out of the current forfeiture amounts and then by additional employer contributions.

(3) For a member who retired pursuant to section 84-1317 and becomes a permanent full-time employee or permanent part-time employee with the state more than one hundred twenty days after his or her retirement date, the member shall continue receiving retirement benefits. Such a retired member or a retired member who received a lump-sum distribution of his or her benefit shall be considered a new employee as of the date of reemployment and shall not receive credit for any service prior to the member's retirement for purposes of the act.

(4) A member who is reinstated as an employee pursuant to a grievance or appeal of his or her termination by the state shall be a member upon reemployment and shall not be considered to have a break in service for such period of time that the grievance or appeal was pending.

(5) Beginning January 1, 2020, if a contributing member of the retirement system ceases to be an employee and returns to service in any capacity with the state prior to having a one-hundred-twenty-day break in service, the member:

(i) The defined contribution benefit if the member was contributing to the defined contribution benefit prior to ceasing employment; or

(ii) The cash balance benefit in which the member was participating prior to ceasing employment if the member was contributing to the cash balance benefit prior to ceasing employment;

(d) Shall make up any missed contributions based upon services rendered and compensation received;

(6)(a) Beginning January 1, 2020, if a contributing member of the retirement system ceases to be an employee and returns to permanent full-time or permanent part-time service in any capacity with the state after having a one-hundred-twenty-day break in service, the member:

(A) The defined contribution benefit if the member was contributing to the defined contribution benefit prior to ceasing employment; or

(B) The cash balance benefit in which the member was participating prior to ceasing employment if the member was contributing to the cash balance benefit prior to ceasing employment;

(iii) Shall continue receiving any annuity elected after the member ceased employment and before the member was reemployed; and

(iv) Shall be prohibited from taking any distributions from the retirement system until the employee again terminates employment with the state.

(b) For the purposes of vesting employer contributions made prior to and after reentry into the retirement system, the member's years of participation prior to the date the member originally ceased employment and the years of participation after the member is reenrolled in the retirement system shall be included as years of participation, except that if the member is not vested on the date the member originally ceased employment and has taken a distribution, the years of participation prior to the date the member originally ceased employment shall be limited in a ratio equal to the value of the distribution that the member repays divided by the total value of the distribution taken as described in subdivision (6)(c) of this section.

(c) A reemployed member may repay all or a portion of the value of a distribution except for an annuity elected after the member ceased employment and before the member was reemployed. Repayment of such a distribution shall commence within three years after reemployment and shall be completed within five years after reemployment or prior to the member again ceasing employment, whichever occurs first, through (i) direct payments to the retirement system, (ii) installment payments made pursuant to a binding irrevocable payroll deduction authorization made by the member, (iii) an eligible rollover distribution as provided under the Internal Revenue Code, or (iv) a direct rollover distribution made in accordance with section 401(a)(31) of the Internal Revenue Code. If the member fails to repay all of the value of such a distribution prior to the member again ceasing employment, the member shall be forever barred from repaying the value of such a distribution taken between the periods of employment. The value of the member's forfeited employer account or employer cash balance account, as of the date of forfeiture, shall be restored in a ratio equal to the amount of the distribution repaid by the member divided by the amount of the distribution taken. The employer account or employer cash balance account shall be restored first out of the current forfeiture amounts and then by additional employer contributions.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 22, p. 1676; Laws 1986, LB 325, § 21; Laws 1986, LB 311, § 36; Laws 1991, LB 549, § 72; Laws 1997, LB 624, § 41; Laws 1999, LB 703, § 24; Laws 2002, LB 407, § 60; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 30; Laws 2003, LB 451, § 33; Laws 2004, LB 1097, § 35; Laws 2007, LB328, § 11; Laws 2008, LB1147, § 16; Laws 2011, LB509, § 49; Laws 2019, LB34, § 25; Laws 2022, LB700, § 15.

(1)(a) In the event of a member's death before the member's retirement date, the death benefit shall be equal to (i) for participants in the defined contribution benefit, the total of the employee account and the employer account and (ii) for participants in the cash balance benefit, the benefit provided in section 84-1309.02.

(b) Except as provided in section 42-1107, the death benefit shall be paid pursuant to section 84-1323.02.

(c) If the beneficiary is not the member's surviving spouse, the death benefit shall be paid as a lump-sum payment or payments, except that the entire account must be distributed by the fifth anniversary of the member's death. If the sole primary beneficiary is the member's surviving spouse, the surviving spouse may elect to receive an annuity calculated as if the member retired and selected a one-hundred-percent joint and survivor annuity effective on the annuity purchase date. If the surviving spouse does not elect the annuity option within one hundred eighty days after the death of the member, the surviving spouse shall receive a lump-sum payment or payments, except that the entire account must be distributed by the fifth anniversary of the member's death.

(2) A lump-sum death benefit paid to the member's beneficiary, other than the member's estate, that is an eligible distribution may be distributed in the form of a direct transfer to a retirement plan eligible to receive such transfer under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

(3) For any member whose death occurs on or after January 1, 2007, while performing qualified military service as defined in section 414(u) of the Internal Revenue Code, the member's beneficiary shall be entitled to any additional death benefit that would have been provided, other than the accrual of any benefit relating to the period of qualified military service. The additional death benefit shall be determined as if the member had returned to employment with the State of Nebraska and such employment had terminated on the date of the member's death.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 23, p. 1676; Laws 1973, LB 498, § 7; Laws 1984, LB 751, § 10; Laws 1994, LB 1306, § 10; Laws 1996, LB 1273, § 33; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 31; Laws 2003, LB 451, § 34; Laws 2004, LB 1097, § 36; Laws 2009, LB188, § 16; Laws 2012, LB916, § 41; Laws 2019, LB34, § 26.

(1) Any member who is an employee, disregarding the length of service, may be retired as a result of disability either upon the member's own application or upon the application of the member's employer or any person acting in the member's behalf. Before any member may be so retired, a medical examination shall be made at the expense of the retirement system, which examination shall be conducted by a disinterested physician legally authorized to practice medicine under the laws of the state in which he or she practices, such physician to be selected by the retirement board, and the physician shall certify to the board that the member suffers from an inability to engage in any substantially gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which was initially diagnosed or became disabling while the member was an active participant in the plan and which can be expected to result in death or to be of long-continued and indefinite duration. The medical examination may be waived if, in the judgment of the retirement board, extraordinary circumstances exist which preclude substantial gainful activity by the member. Such circumstances shall include hospice placement or similar confinement for a terminal illness or injury. The application for disability retirement shall be made within one year of termination of employment.

(2) The retirement board may require any disability beneficiary who has not attained the age of fifty-five years to undergo a medical examination at the expense of the board once each year. If any disability beneficiary refuses to undergo such an examination, the disability retirement benefit may be discontinued by the board.

(3) The retirement board may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations and prescribe the necessary forms to carry out this section.

Source:Laws 1973, LB 498, § 8; Laws 1993, LB 417, § 8; Laws 1997, LB 623, § 44; Laws 1999, LB 703, § 25; Laws 2001, LB 408, § 29; Laws 2010, LB950, § 27; Laws 2017, LB415, § 50.

(1) Except as provided in section 42-1107, in the event of a member's death, the death benefit shall be paid to the following, in order of priority:

(b) To the spouse married to the member on the member's date of death if there is no surviving designated beneficiary on file with the board; or

(c) To the member's estate if the member is not married on the member's date of death and there is no surviving designated beneficiary on file with the board.

(2) The priority designations described in subsection (1) of this section shall not apply if the member has retired under a joint and survivor benefit option.

Source:Laws 2019, LB34, § 28.

All annuities or benefits which any person shall be entitled to receive under the State Employees Retirement Act shall not be subject to garnishment, attachment, levy, the operation of bankruptcy or insolvency laws, or any other process of law whatsoever and shall not be assignable except to the extent that such annuities or benefits are subject to a qualified domestic relations order under the Spousal Pension Rights Act.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 24, p. 1676; Laws 1986, LB 311, § 37; Laws 1989, LB 506, § 20; Laws 1996, LB 1273, § 34; Laws 2012, LB916, § 42; Laws 2015, LB40, § 15.

(1)(a) For military service beginning on or after December 12, 1994, but before January 1, 2018, any employee who, while an employee, entered into and served in the armed forces of the United States and who within ninety days after honorable discharge or honorable separation from active duty again became an employee shall be credited, for the purposes of the provisions of section 84-1317, with all the time actually served in the armed forces as if such person had been an employee throughout such service in the armed forces pursuant to the terms and conditions of subdivision (b) of this subsection.

(b) Under such rules and regulations as the retirement board may adopt and promulgate, any employee who is reemployed pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 4301 et seq., may pay to the retirement system an amount equal to the sum of all deductions which would have been made from the employee's compensation during such period of military service. Payment shall be made within the period required by law, not to exceed five years. To the extent that payment is made, (i) the employee shall be treated as not having incurred a break in service by reason of the employee's period of military service, (ii) the period of military service shall be credited for the purposes of determining the nonforfeitability of the employee's accrued benefits and the accrual of benefits under the plan, and (iii) the employer shall allocate the amount of employer contributions to the employee's employer account in the same manner and to the same extent the allocation occurs for other employees during the period of service. For purposes of employee and employer contributions under this subsection, the employee's compensation during the period of military service shall be the rate the employee would have received but for the military service or, if not reasonably determinable, the average rate the employee received during the twelve-month period immediately preceding military service.

(c) The employer shall pick up the employee contributions made through irrevocable payroll deduction authorizations pursuant to this subsection, and the contributions so picked up shall be treated as employer contributions in the same manner as contributions picked up under subsection (1) of section 84-1308.

(2)(a) For military service beginning on or after January 1, 2018, any employee who is reemployed pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 4301 et seq., shall be treated as not having incurred a break in service by reason of the employee's period of military service. Such military service shall be credited for purposes of determining the nonforfeitability of the employee's accrued benefits and the accrual of benefits under the plan.

(b) The agency employing the employee shall be liable for funding any obligation of the plan to provide benefits based upon such period of military service. To satisfy the liability, the agency employing the employee shall pay to the retirement system an amount equal to:

(i) The sum of the employee and employer contributions that would have been paid during such period of military service; and

(ii) Any actuarial costs necessary to fund the obligation of the plan to provide benefits based upon such period of military service. For the purposes of determining the amount of such liability and obligation of the plan, earnings and forfeitures, gains and losses, regular interest, interest credits, or dividends that would have accrued on the employee and employer contributions that are paid by the employer pursuant to this section shall not be included.

(c) The amount required pursuant to subdivision (b) of this subsection shall be paid to the retirement system as soon as reasonably practicable following the date of reemployment, but must be paid within eighteen months of the date the board notifies the employer of the amount due. If the employer fails to pay the required amount within such eighteen-month period, then the employer is also responsible for any actuarial costs and interest on actuarial costs that accrue from eighteen months after the date the employer is notified by the board until the date the amount is paid.

(d) The retirement board may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to carry out this subsection, including, but not limited to, rules and regulations on:

(i) How and when the employee and employer must notify the retirement system of a period of military service;

(iii) Determining the service and compensation upon which the contributions must be made;

(iv) Accelerating the payment from the employer due to unforeseen circumstances that occur before payment is made pursuant to this section, including, but not limited to, the employee's termination or retirement or the employer's reorganization, consolidation, merger, or closing; and

(v) The documentation required to substantiate that the individual was reemployed pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.

(3) This section applies to military service that falls within the definition of uniformed services under 38 U.S.C. 4301 et seq., and includes (a) preparation periods prior to military service, (b) periods during military service, (c) periods of rest and recovery authorized by 38 U.S.C. 4301 et seq., after military service, (d) periods of federal military service, and (e) periods during active service of the state provided pursuant to sections 55-101 to 55-181.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 25, p. 1676; Laws 1994, LB 833, § 52; Laws 1996, LB 847, § 47; Laws 1999, LB 703, § 26; Laws 2004, LB 1097, § 37; Laws 2017, LB415, § 51; Laws 2018, LB1005, § 48; Laws 2023, LB103, § 14.
Operative Date: May 2, 2023

Persons who have become members of the retirement system shall not thereafter lose their status as members while they remain employees.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 26, p. 1676.

(1) Any state employee who is a member of the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska and whose status is changed by the Legislature to that of an employee of a behavioral health region or an employee of a community mental health center shall, upon application to the Public Employees Retirement Board, obtain full and immediate vesting in any prior service retirement benefits and any future service retirement benefits which have accrued to the date of transfer. Such employee may not withdraw the amount in his employee account prior to his retirement and still receive such vested benefits.

(2) Any employee shall be eligible for immediate participation in the retirement program available to the employee in the political subdivision of the State of Nebraska to which such employee is transferred with no minimum period of service required, if the minimum age requirement and length of service, with either the State of Nebraska or the political subdivision, total the requirements of the retirement system to which the employee is transferred.

Source:Laws 1975, LB 189, § 9; Laws 1976, LB 794, § 1; Laws 2004, LB 1083, § 144.

Any person who, knowing it to be false or fraudulent, presents or causes to be presented a false or fraudulent claim or benefit application, any false or fraudulent proof in support of such a claim or benefit, or false or fraudulent information which would affect a future claim or benefit application to be paid under the retirement system for the purpose of defrauding or attempting to defraud the retirement system shall be guilty of a Class II misdemeanor. The retirement board shall deny any benefits that it determines are based on false or fraudulent information and shall have a cause of action against the member to recover any benefits already paid on the basis of such information.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 27, p. 1676; Laws 1977, LB 39, § 317; Laws 1998, LB 1191, § 76.

The retirement allowances and benefits shall be in addition to benefits and allowances payable under the provisions of the federal Social Security Act.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 28, p. 1677.

Every claim and demand under the State Employees Retirement Act and against the retirement system or the retirement board shall be forever barred unless the action is brought within two years of the time at which the claim accrued.

Source:Laws 1996, LB 1076, § 42.

All contributions to the retirement system, all property and rights purchased with the contributions, and all investment income attributable to the contributions, property, or rights shall be held in trust by the State of Nebraska for the exclusive benefit of members and their beneficiaries and shall only be used to pay benefits to such persons and to pay administrative expenses according to the provisions of the State Employees Retirement Act.

Source:Laws 1998, LB 1191, § 74.

Upon termination or partial termination of the retirement system or upon complete discontinuance of contributions under the retirement system, the rights of all affected members to the amounts credited to the members' accounts shall be nonforfeitable.

Source:Laws 1998, LB 1191, § 75.

The provisions of the State Employees Retirement Act pertaining to elected officials or other employees having a regular term of office shall be interpreted as to effectuate its general purpose and to take effect as soon as the same may become operative under the Constitution of the State of Nebraska.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 30, p. 1677; Laws 2009, LB188, § 17.

The provisions of sections 84-1309, 84-1317, and 84-1330.01 pertaining to elected officials or other employees having a regular term of office shall be so interpreted as to effectuate their general purpose and to take effect as soon as the same may become operative under the Constitution of the State of Nebraska.

Source:Laws 1967, c. 619, § 3, p. 2075.

Sections 84-1301 to 84-1331 shall be known and may be cited as the State Employees Retirement Act.

Source:Laws 1963, c. 532, § 31, p. 1677; Laws 1984, LB 751, § 12; Laws 1991, LB 549, § 73; Laws 1994, LB 833, § 53; Laws 1995, LB 501, § 13; Laws 1996, LB 847, § 50; Laws 1996, LB 1076, § 43; Laws 1997, LB 623, § 45; Laws 1997, LB 624, § 42; Laws 1998, LB 1191, § 77; Laws 1999, LB 687, § 6; Laws 2002, LB 407, § 62; Laws 2002, LB 687, § 32; Laws 2009, LB188, § 18; Laws 2019, LB34, § 27.

(1) Any city or county employee who is a member under a city or county employees retirement system, including retirement systems authorized by section 23-1118, and whose status as a city or county employee is changed by the Legislature to that of a state employee shall, upon application to the Public Employees Retirement Board and to the city or county or to the county board of a county having a retirement system authorized by section 23-1118, obtain full and immediate vesting in any prior service retirement benefits and any future service retirement benefits which have been accrued to the date of transfer, except that the employee may withdraw the amount in his or her employee account prior to his or her retirement as provided in section 84-1321. Each employee's service as a city or county employee, after he or she has attained the minimum age required under the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska and has completed two years of service, shall be credited as though it were participation in the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska for purposes of calculating the termination benefits established by section 84-1321. Such service shall be counted as state service for purposes of calculating entitlement to retirement benefits under section 84-1319.

(2) Any city or county employee whose status as a city or county employee is or has been changed by the Legislature to that of a state employee shall be eligible for immediate participation in the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska with no minimum period of service required if the minimum age requirement of the State Employees Retirement System of the State of Nebraska is satisfied, or if the minimum age requirement is not satisfied on the date of transfer, the employee shall be eligible to participate at the date he or she satisfies the minimum age requirement.

Source:Laws 1973, LB 573, § 1; Laws 1983, LB 604, § 27; Laws 1984, LB 13, § 86; Laws 1986, LB 325, § 22; Laws 1986, LB 311, § 38; Laws 1987, LB 549, § 13.

Any county employee who is a member under a county employees retirement system and whose status as a county employee is changed by the Legislature to that of a judge shall, upon application to the Public Employees Retirement Board and to the county, obtain full and immediate vesting in any prior service retirement benefits and any future service retirement benefits which have been accrued to the date of transfer, except that the employee may not withdraw the amount in his employee account prior to his retirement and still receive such vested benefits. Any such employee shall be eligible for immediate participation in the Nebraska Retirement Fund for Judges.

Cross References

Annotations

Cross References

Cross References

Cross References

Cross References

Cross References

Cross References