§ 24-4-401 — Contributions of members

(a) (1) The members' deposit account shall be the account in which members' contributions shall be accumulated with interest as stipulated by § 24-4-209(a) and from which shall be made transfers and refunds of contributions or accumulated contributions as provided in this act. (2) Upon the retirement of a member, his or her accumulated contributions standing to his or her credit in the members' deposit account shall be transferred to the retirement reserve account. (b) (1) (A) Until July 1, 2005, the contributions of a contributory member shall be six percent (6%) of the member's annual compensation. (B) (i) Beginning July 1, 2005, the contribution rate shall be five percent (5%) of the member's annual compensation for a contributory member. (ii) A person first hired on or after July 1, 2005, is subject to the provisions of § 24-4-1101 et seq. (C) The member's deposit account shall be credited interest at a rate of four percent (4%) per annum beginning July 1, 2005. (D) (i) Beginning July 1, 2022, and continuing each following fiscal year, the contribution rate shall be increased in increments of twenty-five hundredths of one percent (0.25%) per fiscal year. (ii) An increase to the contribution rate under subdivision (b)(1)(D)(i) of this section shall not result in a contribution rate greater than seven percent (7%). (2) The officer responsible for making up the payroll for each public employer shall cause the contributions provided for in this section to be deducted from the compensation of each member in the employ of a public employer. (3) The contributions shall be deducted on every payroll, for every payroll period, from the date of the member's entrance into the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System to the date his or her membership terminates. (4) When deducted, each of the amounts shall be paid by the public employer to the Arkansas Public Employees' Retirement System Fund and shall be credited to the individual account in the members' deposit account of the member from whose compensation the contributions were deducted. (5) The contributions provided for in this section shall be made notwithstanding that the minimum salary or wages for any member shall be thereby changed. (6) Each member shall be deemed to consent and agree to the deductions made and provided for in this section. (7) Payment of a member's compensation less deductions shall be a full and complete discharge and acquittance of all claims and demands whatsoever for services rendered to a public employer by the member, except as to benefits provided by this act. (c) (1) The official designated by the board of each participating public employer shall remit to the board the contributions deducted from the compensations of members in the employ of the employer. (2) The remittances shall be made in such manner and form, shall be made in such frequency, and shall from time to time be accompanied by such supporting data as the board shall prescribe. (d) It is expressly guaranteed that all members' contributions shall be held in trust for the exclusive benefit of the individual members and that no part of the funds shall ever be used for any other purpose.

Legislative History

Amended by Act 2021, No. 365,§ 1, eff. 7/28/2021. Acts 1957, No. 177, § 8; 1959, No. 42, § 8; 1965, No. 153, § 6; 1967, No. 108, § 2; 1969, No. 632, § 1; 1971, No. 103, § 2; 1973, No. 666, § 2; 1975, No. 907, § 10; A.S.A. 1947, §§ 12-2508, 12-2508.1; Acts 1997, No. 299, § 13; 2001, No. 151, § 19; 2005, No. 2084, § 1.