(1) A retirement and disability benefit system is created and placed under the management of a retirement board for the purpose of providing a retirement system and other benefits for public employees in the state of Idaho under this chapter. The retirement system shall be known as the "Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho."
(2)  The purpose of such system is to provide an orderly means whereby public employees in the state of Idaho who become superannuated or otherwise incapacitated as the result of age or disability, may be retired from active service without prejudice and without inflicting a hardship upon the employees retired, and to enable such employees to accumulate pension credits to provide for old-age, disability, death and termination of employment, thus effecting economy and efficiency in the administration of the state, county and local government. The legislature, therefore, declares that, in its considered judgment, the public good, and the general welfare of the citizens of this state required the enactment of this measure, under the police powers of the state.

Terms Used In Idaho Code 59-1301

Idaho Code 59-1302
  • Fund: means the public employee retirement fund established by this chapter. See Idaho Code 59-1302
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person;
    • Idaho Code 73-114
  • Retirement: means the acceptance of a retirement allowance under this chapter upon termination of employment and, unless otherwise provided by law, requires a termination of employment from an employer participating in PERSI, the judges retirement fund, the firefighters retirement fund or the optional retirement plan. See Idaho Code 59-1302
  • Service: means being shown on an employer’s payroll as an employee receiving a salary. See Idaho Code 59-1302
  • State: means the state of Idaho. See Idaho Code 59-1302
  • system: means the public employee retirement system of Idaho. See Idaho Code 59-1302
    • With respect to the retirement fund created in this chapter, the fiduciaries of the fund shall discharge their duties with respect to the fund solely in the interest of the members and their beneficiaries
    (a)  for the exclusive purpose of:
    (i)  providing benefits to members and their beneficiaries; and
    (ii) defraying reasonable expenses of administering the system;
    (b)  with the care, skill, prudence and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise of a like character and with like aims;
    (c)  by diversifying the investments of the fund so as to minimize the risk of large losses, unless under the circumstances it is clearly prudent not to do so; and
    (d)  in accordance with the provisions of the Idaho Code governing the system.