§ 49-13-402 — Service retirement plans -- Calculation of retirement allowance.

(1) (1)(a) Except as provided under Subsection (7) or Section 49-13-701, retirees of this system may choose from the six retirement options described in this section.
(1)(b) Options Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six are modifications of the Option One calculation.
(2) The Option One benefit is an allowance calculated as follows:

(2)(a) If the retiree is at least 65 years of age or has accrued at least 30 years of service credit, the allowance is an amount equal to 2% of the retiree's final average monthly salary multiplied by the number of years of service credit accrued.
(2)(b) If the retiree is less than 65 years of age, the allowance shall be reduced 3% for each year of retirement from age 60 to age 65, plus a full actuarial reduction for each year of retirement prior to age 60, unless the member has 30 or more years of accrued credit, in which event no reduction is made to the allowance.
(2)(c) (2)(c)(i) Years of service include any fractions of years of service to which the retiree may be entitled.
(2)(c)(ii) At the time of retirement, if a retiree's combined years of actual, not purchased, service credit is within 1/10 of one year of the total years of service credit required for retirement, the retiree shall be considered to have the total years of service credit required for retirement.
(2)(d) An Option One allowance is only payable to the member during the member's lifetime.
(3) The allowance payable under Options Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six is calculated by reducing an Option One benefit based on actuarial computations to provide the following:

(3)(a) Option Two is a reduced allowance paid to and throughout the lifetime of the retiree, and, if the retiree receives less in annuity payments than the amount of the retiree's member contributions, the remaining balance of the retiree's member contributions shall be paid in accordance with Sections 49-11-609 and 49-11-610.
(3)(b) Option Three is a reduced allowance paid to and throughout the lifetime of the retiree, and, upon the death of the retiree, the same reduced allowance paid to and throughout the lifetime of the retiree's lawful spouse at the time of retirement.
(3)(c) Option Four is a reduced allowance paid to and throughout the lifetime of the retiree, and upon the death of the retiree, an amount equal to one-half of the retiree's allowance paid to and throughout the lifetime of the retiree's lawful spouse at the time of retirement.
(3)(d) Option Five is a modification of Option Three so that if the lawful spouse at the time of retirement predeceases the retiree, an allowance equivalent to the amount payable at the time of initial retirement under Option One shall be paid to the retiree for the remainder of the retiree's life, beginning on the first day of the month following the month in which the:
(3)(d)(i) spouse died, if notification and supporting documentation for the death are received by the office within 90 days of the spouse's death; or
(3)(d)(ii) notification and supporting documentation for the death are received by the office, if the notification and supporting documentation are received by the office more than 90 days after the spouse's death.
(3)(e) Option Six is a modification of Option Four so that if the lawful spouse at the time of retirement predeceases the retiree, an allowance equivalent to the amount payable at the time of initial retirement under Option One shall be paid to the retiree for the remainder of the retiree's life, beginning on the first day of the month following the month in which the:
(3)(e)(i) spouse died, if notification and supporting documentation for the death are received by the office within 90 days of the spouse's death; or
(3)(e)(ii) notification and supporting documentation for the death are received by the office, if the notification and supporting documentation are received by the office more than 90 days after the spouse's death.
(4) (4)(a) (4)(a)(i) The final average salary is limited in the computation of that part of an allowance based on service rendered prior to July 1, 1967, during a period when the retiree received employer contributions on a portion of compensation from an educational institution toward the payment of the premium required on a retirement annuity contract with a public or private system, organization, or company designated by the Utah Board of Higher Education to $4,800.
(4)(a)(ii) This limitation is not applicable to retirees who elected to continue in the Public Employees' Contributory Retirement System by July 1, 1967.
(4)(b) Periods of employment which are exempt from this system as permitted under Subsection 49-13-203(1)(b) may be purchased by the member for the purpose of retirement only if all benefits from a public or private system, organization, or company designated by the Utah Board of Higher Education based on this period of employment are forfeited.
(5) (5)(a) If a retiree under Option One dies within 90 days after the retiree's retirement date, the retirement is canceled and the death shall be considered as that of a member before retirement.
(5)(b) Any payments made to the retiree shall be deducted from the amounts due to the beneficiary.
(6) (6)(a) If a retiree retires under either Option Five or Six and subsequently divorces, the retiree may elect to convert the benefit to an Option One benefit at the time of divorce, if there is no court order filed in the matter.
(6)(b) A conversion to an Option One benefit under this Subsection (6) begins on the first day of the month following the month in which the notification and supporting documentation for the divorce are received by the office.
(7) A retiree may not choose payment of an allowance under a retirement option described in this section that is not applicable to that retiree, including because the retiree did not make member contributions or does not have a lawful spouse at the time of retirement.

Legislative History

Amended by Chapter 365, 2020 General Session