§ 24-7-605 — Service in General Assembly

(a) (1) (A) (i) Any member of the Senate or House of Representatives of the General Assembly who is a member of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System shall be eligible, upon application, to receive credited service and salary in the system for his or her full contract salary in the event that a cut in pay is required by the school district during his or her attendance at regular or extraordinary sessions of the General Assembly or during his or her attendance at meetings of regular or special committees of the General Assembly during the interim. (ii) These meetings shall include, but not be limited to, the Legislative Council, the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee, the interim committees, and special legislative committees. (B) The member shall receive credited service and salary upon payment by him or her of the necessary member contribution and upon appropriation from the Public School Fund of the necessary employer contribution for the amount of the salary reduction during periods of attending regular or extraordinary sessions of the General Assembly or sessions of legislative committees. (2) The amount of credited salary shall not exceed the contract salary of the member for the school year contract period. (3) (A) Any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate currently serving in the General Assembly or the legislative committees for any year prior to July 6, 1977, not to exceed five (5) years, may make application for and receive credited service and salary in the system for his or her full contract salary as an employee with respect to any reduction therein during attendance at regular or extraordinary sessions of the General Assembly or sessions of legislative committees in which he or she served. (B) This shall be done only if he or she pays to the system the member contribution required by law, and if appropriation is made from the Public School Fund for the necessary employer contribution required by law for that portion of his or her contract salary for any period for which he or she suffered a reduction in pay during legislative service. (b) (1) Any member of the Senate or House of Representatives of the General Assembly who is an employee and is a member of the system shall be eligible, upon application, to receive credited service and salary in the system for his or her full contract salary in the event that either the member or the school district decides it is in the best interest of the school district for the member to take a leave of absence for up to one (1) full calendar year at a time to attend to his or her duties as a General Assembly member. (2) Service and salary shall be credited upon payment by the member of the necessary member contribution and the necessary employer contribution for the amount of the member's contract salary during periods of attending regular or extraordinary sessions of the General Assembly or sessions of legislative committees. (3) The amount of credited salary shall not exceed the member's contract salary for the school year contract period. (c) At the member's request, a member's payment under this section shall be refunded if the: (1) Member ceases to be an active member before the General Assembly service is established as credited service in the system; or (2) General Assembly service is not otherwise used to establish the member's eligibility for retirement under the system.

Legislative History

Amended by Act 2023, No. 55,§ 5, eff. 7/1/2023. Amended by Act 2019, No. 427,§ 10, eff. 7/1/2019. Acts 1977, No. 351, § 1; 1979, No. 121, § 1; 1979, No. 313, § 1; A.S.A. 1947, §§ 80-1440.1, 80-1440.2; Acts 1989, No. 653, § 5; 1997, No. 1354, § 41.