SB 791 - Current law allows uniformed members of the Highway Patrol to purchase, prior to retirement, up to four years of creditable service for any time such person served as a non-federal full-time public employee in this state prior to becoming a member of the system. This act extends the aforementioned provision to every member of the Missouri Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol Employees' Retirement System, which includes each employee of the Highways and Transportation Commission, each uniformed member of the Highway Patrol, and each civilian or non-uniformed employee of the State Highway Patrol. Further, the act removes a provision requiring the filing of an affidavit stating that the member is not receiving credits or benefits from any other public plan for the service to be purchased. The act also states that all such creditable service payments must be completed prior to retirement or termination of employment. If a member who purchased creditable service dies prior to retirement, the surviving spouse may, upon written request, receive a refund of the amount contributed for such purchase of such creditable service, provided that the surviving spouse is not entitled to receive survivorship benefits as described in Section 104.110. Also, a member who is entitled to a deferred annuity under Section 104.035 shall be ineligible to purchase service under this act.
This act is similar to SB 317 (2005).
ALEXA PEARSON