Section 16-25-11.9 Purchase of Credit for Employment as Court Reporters, School Support Personnel, or Local Mental Health Authority Workers.

(a) Any active and contributing member of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama who, prior to October 1, 1993, was a regular full-time employee as an official court reporter with a circuit court in the state or a full-time employee of a local mental health authority or school support personnel, shall be eligible to receive credit for such employment provided that the member claiming the credit shall have worked not less than 10 consecutive years as an official court reporter, and complies with the conditions prescribed in subsection (b). (b) A member eligible under subsection (a) may receive credit for regular, full-time employment rendered as an official court reporter with a circuit court in the state or service rendered to a local mental health authority provided that as conditions precedent to the receipt of credit: (1) The member contributes, within one year of October 1, 1993, to the Teachers’ Retirement System for each year of claimed credit a percentage of his or her annual earnable compensation or final average salary, whichever is greater; the applicable percentage of the annual earnable compensation, or final average salary, whichever is greater, shall be the prevailing percentage rates of the employer and member contributions, as required by the most recent actuarial valuation. (2) The presiding judge of the judicial circuit by which the member was employed shall certify in writing to the Teachers’ Retirement System, the dates of the member’s employment together with certification that the member was a regular full-time employee as an official court reporter with a circuit court in the state. (3) The local mental health authority, or successor organization, for which the member was employed shall certify in writing to the Teachers’ Retirement System, the dates of the member’s employment together with certification that the member was a regular full-time employee of a local mental health authority in the State of Alabama. (c) Notwithstanding the foregoing subsections (a) and (b), a member of the system shall not receive credit for any service where at the time of retirement he or she has credit or is entitled to receive any benefits whatsoever for the same service under any other retirement or pension plan which is wholly or partially funded from public funds; provided, however, that this section shall not be construed to apply to participation in the federal Social Security program. In the event of disqualification of certain service, contributions made under this section shall be refunded to the member. (d) Any active and contributing member of the Teachers’ Retirement System, who was employed by an employer whose employees were participating in the Teachers’ Retirement System at any time between March 21, 1983 and November 1, 1988, shall be entitled to receive credit for all prior service rendered for the eligible employer, regardless of the manner in which the salary of the member was paid, the entity that actually employed the member, or the source of funds for the salary of the member. The foregoing entitlement shall not apply to any person who at the same time of the prior service was also a student at the school or institution where he or she was employed. The member shall receive credit for the prior service when the eligible employer to whom the prior service was rendered remits to the Teachers’ Retirement System the contributions required by subsection (e). Notwithstanding the foregoing language, no member of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama shall be eligible to receive credit for any service that the member is already credited with in the system or in any other public retirement plan, with the exception of the federal Social Security program. (e) Any member who rendered prior service as prescribed in subsection (d), shall be entitled to receive credit for all prior service as a teacher rendered by him or her. The eligible employer to whom the prior service was rendered shall pay to the Secretary-Treasurer, within one year from October 1, 1993, for each year of claimed service, a sum equal to a percentage of his or her average final compensation or current annual earnable compensation, whichever is greater, the applicable percentage shall be the sum of the prevailing percentage rates of employer and member contributions, as required by the most recent actuarial valuations, for each year of prior service credit purchased. In the event the employer is unable to verify the employment of any person covered in subsection (d), upon certification of the employer that records are not available, the member may submit affidavits from two disinterested parties with personal knowledge attesting to the employment of the member.