(Effective through December 31, 2024) As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

1.    “Account balance” means the total contributions made by the employee, vested employer contributions under section 54-52-11.1, the vested portion of the vesting fund as of June 30, 1977, and interest credited thereon at the rate established by the board.

2.    “Beneficiary” means any person in receipt of a benefit provided by this plan or any person designated by a participating member to receive benefits.

3.    “Correctional officer” means a participating member who is employed as a correctional officer by a political subdivision.

4.    “Eligible employee” means all permanent employees who meet all of the eligibility requirements set by this chapter and who are eighteen years or more of age, and includes appointive and elective officials under sections 54-52-02.5, 54-52-02.11, and 54-52-02.12, and nonteaching employees of the superintendent of public instruction, including the superintendent of public instruction, who elect to transfer from the teachers’ fund for retirement to the public employees retirement system under section 54-52-02.13, and employees of the state board for career and technical education who elect to transfer from the teachers’ fund for retirement to the public employees retirement system under section 54-52-02.14. Eligible employee does not include nonclassified state employees who elect to become members of the retirement plan established under chapter 54-52.6 but does include employees of the judicial branch and employees of the board of higher education and state institutions under the jurisdiction of the board.

5. “Employee” means any individual employed by a governmental unit, whose compensation is paid out of the governmental unit’s funds, or funds controlled or administered by a governmental unit, or paid by the federal government through any of its executive or administrative officials; licensed employees of a school district means those employees eligible to participate in the teachers’ fund for retirement who, except under subsection 2 of section 54-52-17.2, are not eligible employees under this chapter.

6.    “Employer” means a governmental unit.

7.    “Firefighter” means a participating member who is employed as a firefighter by a political subdivision and, notwithstanding subsection 13, for an individual employed after July 31, 2017, is employed at least thirty-two hours per week and at least twenty weeks each year of employment. A firefighter who is a participating member of the law enforcement retirement plan created by this chapter who begins employment after July 31, 2017, is ineligible to participate concurrently in any other retirement plan administered by the public employees retirement system. The term does not include a firefighter employee of the North Dakota national guard.

8.    “Funding agent” or “agents” means an investment firm, trust bank, or other financial institution which the retirement board may select to hold and invest the employers’ and members’ contributions.

9.    “Governmental unit” means the state of North Dakota, except the highway patrol for members of the retirement plan created under chapter 39-03.1, or a participating political subdivision thereof.

10.    “National guard security officer or firefighter” means a participating member who is:

a.    A security police employee of the North Dakota national guard; or b.    A firefighter employee of the North Dakota national guard.

11.    “Participating member” means an eligible employee who through payment into the plan has established a claim against the plan.

12.    “Peace officer” means a participating member who is a peace officer as defined in section 12-63-01 and is employed as a peace officer by the state, except by the highway patrol for members of the retirement plan created under chapter 39-03.1, or is employed by a political subdivision and, notwithstanding subsection 13, for persons    employed after August 1, 2005, is employed thirty-two hours or more per week and at least twenty weeks each year of employment. A peace officer who is a participating member of the law enforcement retirement plan created by this chapter who begins employment after August 1, 2005, is ineligible to participate concurrently in any other retirement plan administered by the public employees retirement system.

13.    “Permanent employee” means a governmental unit employee whose services are not limited in duration and who is filling an approved and regularly funded position in an eligible governmental unit, and is employed twenty hours or more per week and at least twenty weeks each year of employment.

14.    “Prior service” means service or employment before July 1, 1966.

15.    “Prior service credit” means such credit toward a retirement benefit as the retirement board may determine under the provisions of this chapter.

16.    “Public employees retirement system” means the retirement plan and program established by this chapter.

17.    “Retirement” means the acceptance of a retirement allowance under this chapter upon either termination of employment or termination of participation in the retirement plan.

18.    “Retirement board” or “board” means the governing authority created under section 54-52-03.

19.    “Seasonal employee” means a participating member who does not work twelve months a year.

20.    “Service” means employment on or after July 1, 1966.

21.    “Service benefit” means the credit toward retirement benefits as determined by the retirement board under the provisions of this chapter.

22.    “Temporary employee” means a governmental unit employee who is not eligible to participate as a permanent employee, who is at least eighteen years old and not actively contributing to another employer-sponsored pension fund, and, if employed by a school district, occupies a noncertified teacher’s position.

23.    “Wages” and “salaries” means the member’s earnings in eligible employment under this chapter reported as salary on the member’s federal income tax withholding statements plus any salary reduction or salary deferral amounts under 26 U.S.C. § 125, 401(k), 403(b), 414(h), or 457. “Salary” does not include fringe benefits such as payments for unused sick leave, personal leave, vacation leave paid in a lump sum, overtime, housing allowances, transportation expenses, early retirement incentive pay, severance pay, medical insurance, workforce safety and insurance benefits, disability insurance premiums or benefits, or salary received by a member in lieu of previously employer-provided fringe benefits under an agreement between the member and participating employer. Bonuses may be considered as salary under this section if reported and annualized pursuant to rules adopted by the board.

Definition of terms. (Effective after December 31, 2024) As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

1.    “Account balance” means the total contributions made by the employee, vested employer contributions under section 54-52-11.1, the vested portion of the vesting fund as of June 30, 1977, and interest credited thereon at the rate established by the board.

2.    “Beneficiary” means any person in receipt of a benefit provided by this plan or any person designated by a participating member to receive benefits.

3.    “Correctional officer” means a participating member who is employed as a correctional officer by a political subdivision.

4.    “Deferred member” means a participating member who is not actively participating in the main plan under this chapter and who has an account intact in the main plan under this chapter.

5.    “Eligible employee”, except as otherwise provided under section 54-52-02.15, means a permanent employee who meets all of the eligibility requirements set by this chapter and who is eighteen years or more of age. The term includes appointive and elective officials under sections 54-52-02.5, 54-52-02.11, and 54-52-02.12, and nonteaching employees of the superintendent of public instruction, including the superintendent of public instruction, who elect to transfer from the teachers’ fund for retirement to the    public employees retirement system under section 54-52-02.13, and employees of the state board for career and technical education who elect to transfer from the teachers’ fund for retirement to the public employees retirement system under section 54-52-02.14. The term does not include nonclassified state employees who elected under section 54-52.6-02 to become members of the retirement plan established under chapter 54-52.6. The term does include employees of the judicial branch and employees of the board of higher education and state institutions under the jurisdiction of the board of higher education.

6.    “Employee” means any individual employed by a governmental unit, whose compensation is paid out of the governmental unit’s funds, or funds controlled or administered by a governmental unit, or paid by the federal government through any of its executive or administrative officials; licensed employees of a school district means those employees eligible to participate in the teachers’ fund for retirement who, except under subsection 2 of section 54-52-17.2, are not eligible employees under this chapter.

7.    “Employer” means a governmental unit.

8.    “Firefighter” means a participating member who is employed as a firefighter by a political subdivision and, notwithstanding subsection 13, for an individual employed after July 31, 2017, is employed at least thirty-two hours per week and at least twenty weeks each year of employment. A firefighter who is a participating member of the law enforcement retirement plan created by this chapter who begins employment after July 31, 2017, is ineligible to participate concurrently in any other retirement plan administered by the public employees retirement system. The term does not include a firefighter employee of the North Dakota national guard.

9.    “Funding agent” or “agents” means an investment firm, trust bank, or other financial institution which the retirement board may select to hold and invest the employers’ and members’ contributions.

10.    “Governmental unit” means the state of North Dakota, except the highway patrol for members of the retirement plan created under chapter 39-03.1, or a participating political subdivision of the state.

11.    “National guard security officer or firefighter” means a participating member who is:

a.    A security police employee of the North Dakota national guard; or b.    A firefighter employee of the North Dakota national guard.

12.    “Participating member” means an eligible employee who through payment into the plan has established a claim against the plan.

13.    “Peace officer” means a participating member who is a peace officer as defined in section 12-63-01 and is employed as a peace officer by the state, except by the highway patrol for members of the retirement plan created under chapter 39-03.1, or is employed by a political subdivision and, notwithstanding subsection 14, for persons employed after August 1, 2005, is employed thirty-two hours or more per week and at least twenty weeks each year of employment. A peace officer who is a participating member of the law enforcement retirement plan created by this chapter who begins employment after August 1, 2005, is ineligible to participate concurrently in any other retirement plan administered by the public employees retirement system.

14.    “Permanent employee” means an employee whose services are not limited in duration and who is filling an approved and regularly funded position in an eligible governmental unit, and is employed twenty hours or more per week and at least twenty weeks each year of employment.

15.    “Prior service” means service or employment before July 1, 1966.

16.    “Prior service credit” means such credit toward a retirement benefit as the retirement board may determine under the provisions of this chapter.

17. “Public employees retirement system” means the retirement plan and program established by this chapter.

18.    “Retirement” means the acceptance of a retirement allowance under this chapter upon either termination of employment or termination of participation in the retirement plan.

    19.    “Retirement board” or “board” means the governing authority created under section 54-52-03.

20.    “Seasonal employee” means a participating member who does not work twelve months a year.

21.    “Service” means employment on or after July 1, 1966.

22.    “Service benefit” means the credit toward retirement benefits as determined by the retirement board under the provisions of this chapter.

23.    “Temporary employee” means an employee who is not eligible to participate as a permanent employee, who is at least eighteen years old and not actively contributing to another employer-sponsored pension fund, and, if employed by a school district, occupies a noncertified teacher’s position.

24.    “Wages” and “salaries” means the member’s earnings in eligible employment under this chapter reported as salary on the member’s federal income tax withholding statements plus any salary reduction or salary deferral amounts under 26 U.S.C. § 125, 401(k), 403(b), 414(h), or 457. “Salary” does not include fringe benefits such as payments for unused sick leave, personal leave, vacation leave paid in a lump sum, overtime, housing allowances, transportation expenses, early retirement incentive pay, severance pay, medical insurance, workforce safety and insurance benefits, disability insurance premiums or benefits, or salary received by a member in lieu of previously employer-provided fringe benefits under an agreement between the member and participating employer. Bonuses may be considered as salary under this section if reported and annualized pursuant to rules adopted by the board.