Employer: means any department, educational institution, or political subdivision of the state eligible to participate in a government-sponsored retirement system under federal law. See Utah Code 49-11-102
Firefighter service: means employment normally requiring an average of 2,080 hours of regularly scheduled employment per year rendered by a member who is:
(i)
a firefighter service employee trained in firefighter techniques and assigned to a position of hazardous duty with a regularly constituted fire department;
(ii)
the state fire marshal appointed under Section 53-7-103 or a deputy state fire marshal; or
Public safety service: means employment normally requiring an average of 2,080 hours of regularly scheduled employment per year rendered by a member who is:
(i)
a law enforcement officer in accordance with Section 53-13-103;
(ii)
a correctional officer in accordance with Section 53-13-104;
(iii)
a special function officer approved in accordance with Sections 49-15-201 and 53-13-105;
(iv)
a dispatcher who is certified in accordance with Section 53-6-303;
(v)
a full-time member of the Board of Pardons and Parole created under Section 77-27-2;
(vi)
the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety; or
(vii)
the executive director of the Department of Corrections. See Utah Code 49-23-102
Service credit: means :
(a)
the period during which an employee is employed and compensated by a participating employer and meets the eligibility requirements for membership in a system or the Utah Governors' and Legislators' Retirement Plan, provided that any required contributions are paid to the office; and
(b)
periods of time otherwise purchasable under this title. See Utah Code 49-11-102
System: means the New Public Safety and Firefighter Tier II Contributory Retirement System created under this chapter. See Utah Code 49-23-102
(a)
An employer is a participating employer and may not withdraw from participation in this system.
(b)
A participating employer shall cover the participating employer’s:
(i)
public safety service employees in accordance with Section 49-15-202; and
(ii)
firefighter service employees in accordance with Section 49-16-202.
(2)
(a)
An employer may, by resolution of the employer’s governing body, apply for admission to this system.
(b)
Upon approval of the resolution by the board, the employer is a participating employer in this system and is subject to this title.
(3)
If a participating employer purchases service credit on behalf of a public safety service employee or a firefighter service employee for service rendered prior to the participating employer’s admission to this system, the participating employer shall:
(a)
purchase service credit in a nondiscriminatory manner on behalf of all current and former public safety service employees or firefighter service employees who were eligible for service credit at the time service was rendered; and
