1. Restoration to service. Any state employee or teacher who has reached normal retirement age may be restored to service. The decision to hire a retired state employee or retired teacher under this section is at the discretion of the appointing authority. The retired state employee or retired teacher must have had a bona fide termination of employment in accordance with state and federal laws and rules, may not return to employment after retirement with the same employer for at least 30 calendar days after the termination of employment and may not return to employment before the effective date of the person’s retirement.

[PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (AMD).]

Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17859

A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
  • Member: means any person included in the membership of a retirement program of the retirement system, as provided in chapter 423, subchapter 2, or chapter 425, subchapter 2. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
  • Normal retirement age: means the specified age, the years of service requirement or any combination of age and years of service requirements at which a member becomes eligible for retirement benefits and at which those benefits may not be reduced under section 17852, subsection 3 or 3?A; section 17852, subsection 10, paragraph C; and section 18452, subsection 3. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
  • Retirement: means termination of membership with a retirement allowance granted under this chapter. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
  • Retirement system: means the Maine Public Employees Retirement System. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
  • Service: means service as an employee for which compensation was paid. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
  • State employee: means any regular classified or unclassified officer or employee in a department, any employee of the Maine Community College System except those who make the election provided under Title 20?A, section 12722, any employee of the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf except as provided in Title 20?A, section 7407, subsection 3?A, any employee of the Maine Military Authority, any employee of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, any employee of the Maine Port Authority, any employee of the Efficiency Maine Trust who on June 30, 2009 is an employee of the Public Utilities Commission energy efficiency or renewable energy programs who elects to remain a state employee, any employee of the Efficiency Maine Trust who accepts employment with the Efficiency Maine Trust prior to July 1, 2010 who was a state employee immediately prior to accepting such employment who elects to remain a state employee and any employee transferred from the Division of Higher Education Services to the Finance Authority of Maine who elects to be treated as a state employee, but does not include:
  • A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
  • Teacher: includes a person who is on a one-year leave of absence from a position as a teacher and is participating in the education of prospective teachers by teaching and supervising students enrolled in college-level teacher preparation programs in this State. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 17001
  • 1-A. Restoration to work as classroom-based employees or administrators. Any retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator may be restored to service as a classroom-based employee or school administrator in a school in the unorganized territory or with a school administrative unit as defined in Title 20?A, section 1, subsection 26:
    A. In one-year contracts, which may be nonconsecutive. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (AMD).]
    B. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (RP).]
    C. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (RP).]
    The retired classroom-based employee must have had a bona fide termination of employment in accordance with state and federal laws and rules, may not return to employment after retirement with the same employer for at least 30 calendar days after the termination of employment and may not return to employment before the effective date of the person’s retirement.
    For purposes of this section, “classroom-based employee” means a teacher whose principal function is to introduce new learning to students in the classroom or to provide support in the classroom during the introduction of new learning to students.

    [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (AMD).]

    2. Compensation and benefits.

    [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (RP).]

    2-A. Compensation. The compensation rate of the retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator returning to service under subsection 1 or 1?A is the same as is required for the position as if the position were filled by an employee who is not a retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator. The compensation rate is determined on the basis of the position under any applicable collective bargaining agreement or determined through normal salary negotiations when the position is not part of a collective bargaining unit.

    [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]

    2-B. Benefits. The benefits of the retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator who returns to service after retirement as set out in subsection 1 or 1?A are governed by this subsection.
    A. During the period of reemployment, a retired teacher or retired school administrator continues to receive any retirement benefits that the teacher or administrator is entitled to under Title 20?A, section 13451. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]
    B. During the period of reemployment, a retired state employee continues to receive any retirement benefits that the employee is entitled to under sections 285 and 18055. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]
    C. During the period of reemployment, a retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator who is not receiving any retirement benefits as described in paragraphs A and B is eligible for such benefits as per the local collective bargaining agreement or established through normal negotiations if the position is not part of a collective bargaining unit. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]
    D. During the period of reemployment, a retiree as described in paragraphs A and B may receive additional compensation toward such benefits in an amount not to exceed that of the local collective bargaining agreement if applicable. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]

    [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]

    3. Contributions to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System and state group health plan.

    [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (RP).]

    3-A. Contributions to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System. For a reemployed retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator, the portion of the employer contribution that goes to pay the retirement system for the unfunded liability must be continued at the same contribution rate of the employer as described in section 17253 as is required for the position as if the position were filled by an employee who is not a retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator. A retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator who returns to service under this section is not a member and therefore may not accrue additional creditable service during the reemployment period or change the retired state employee’s, retired teacher’s or retired school administrator’s earnable compensation for benefit calculation purposes.

    [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]

    3-B. Contributions to the state group health plan. For a reemployed retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator, the portion of the employer and employee contribution that goes to pay the state group health plan for health care must be continued at the same contribution rate of the employer and employee as is required for the position as if the position were filled by an employee who is not a retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator.

    [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]

    4. Notification requirements. Employers under this section are required to identify and report to the retirement system, in the manner specified by the retirement system, each individual who is a retiree who becomes an employee of the employer under an option provided in this section. Departments shall also report each retiree who becomes an employee to the Bureau of the Budget in a manner specified by the bureau. The employer shall report each such employee whenever and so long as the employee is the employer’s employee.

    [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (AMD).]

    5. Exclusion.

    [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (RP).]

    SECTION HISTORY

    PL 2011, c. 380, Pt. MMM, §1 (NEW). PL 2011, c. 420, Pt. L, §1 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 486, Pt. A, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 321, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (AMD).