For the purposes of this chapter:

(1) ‘Active member’ means a member of the pension program or the individual account program of the Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan who is actively employed in a qualifying position.

(2) ‘Actuarial equivalent’ means a payment or series of payments having the same value as the payment or series of payments replaced, computed on the basis of interest rate and mortality assumptions adopted by the board.

(3) ‘Board’ means the Public Employees Retirement Board.

(4) ‘Eligible employee’ means a person who performs services for a participating public employer, including persons considered employees of a participating public employer under 26 U.S.C. § 3121(d)(2), as in effect on January 1, 2023, and elected officials other than judges. ‘Eligible employee’ does not include:

(a) Persons engaged as independent contractors;

(b) Aliens working under a training or educational visa;

(c) Persons provided sheltered employment or make-work by a public employer;

(d) Persons categorized by a participating public employer as student employees;

(e) Any person who is in custody in a state institution;

(f) Employees of foreign trade offices of the Oregon Business Development Department who live and perform services in foreign countries under the provisions of ORS § 285A.075 (1)(g);

(g) An employee actively participating in an alternative retirement program established under ORS § 353.250 or an optional retirement plan established under ORS § 341.551;

(h) Employees of a public university listed in ORS § 352.002 who are actively participating in an optional retirement plan offered under ORS § 243.815;

(i) Persons employed in positions classified as post-doctoral scholar positions by a public university listed in ORS § 352.002, or by the Oregon Health and Science University, under ORS § 350.370;

(j) Any employee who belongs to a class of employees that was not eligible on August 28, 2003, for membership in the system under the provisions of ORS Chapter 238 or other law;

(k) Any person who belongs to a class of employees who are not eligible to become members of the Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan under the provisions of ORS § 238A.070 (2);

(L) Any person who is retired under ORS § 238A.100 to 238A.250 or ORS Chapter 238 and who continues to receive retirement benefits while employed; and

(m) Judges.

(5) ‘Firefighter’ means:

(a) A person employed by a local government, as defined in ORS § 174.116, whose primary job duties include the fighting of fires;

(b) The State Fire Marshal, chief deputy state fire marshals and deputy state fire marshals;

(c) An employee of the State Fire Marshal whose primary duties include fire investigation, fire prevention, fire safety, fire control or fire suppression;

(d) An employee of the State Forestry Department who is certified by the State Forester as a professional wildland firefighter and whose primary duties include the abatement of uncontrolled fires as described in ORS § 477.064; and

(e) An employee of the Oregon Military Department whose primary duties include fighting structural, aircraft, wildland or other fires.

(6) ‘Fund’ means the Public Employees Retirement Fund.

(7)(a) ‘Hour of service’ means:

(A) An hour for which an eligible employee is directly or indirectly paid or entitled to payment by a participating public employer for performance of duties in a qualifying position; and

(B) An hour of vacation, holiday, illness, incapacity, jury duty, military duty or authorized leave during which an employee does not perform duties but for which the employee is directly or indirectly paid or entitled to payment by a participating public employer for services in a qualifying position, as long as the hour is within the number of hours regularly scheduled for the performance of duties during the period of vacation, holiday, illness, incapacity, jury duty, military duty or authorized leave.

(b) ‘Hour of service’ does not include any hour for which payment is made or due under a plan maintained solely for the purpose of complying with applicable unemployment compensation laws.

(8) ‘Inactive member’ means a member of the pension program or the individual account program of the Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan whose membership has not been terminated, who is not a retired member and who is not employed in a qualifying position.

(9) ‘Individual account program’ means the defined contribution individual account program of the Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan established under ORS § 238A.025.

(10) ‘Institution of higher education’ means a public university listed in ORS § 352.002, the Oregon Health and Science University or a community college, as defined in ORS § 341.005.

(11) ‘Member’ means an eligible employee who has established membership in the pension program or the individual account program of the Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan and whose membership has not been terminated under ORS § 238A.110 or 238A.310.

(12) ‘Participating public employer’ means a public employer as defined in ORS § 238.005 that provides retirement benefits for employees of the public employer under the system.

(13) ‘Pension program’ means the defined benefit pension program of the Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan established under ORS § 238A.025.

(14) ‘Police officer’ means a police officer as described in ORS § 238.005.

(15) ‘Qualifying position’ means one or more jobs with one or more participating public employers in which an eligible employee performs 600 or more hours of service in a full calendar year, or would perform 600 or more hours of service if the employee were employed for the full calendar year, excluding any service in a job for which benefits are not provided under the Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan pursuant to ORS § 238A.070 (2).

(16) ‘Retired member’ means a pension program member who is receiving a pension as provided in ORS § 238A.180 to 238A.195.

(17)(a) ‘Salary’ means the remuneration paid to an active member in return for services to the participating public employer, including remuneration in the form of living quarters, board or other items of value, to the extent the remuneration is, or would be if the member were an Oregon resident, includable in the employee’s taxable income under Oregon law. ‘Salary’ includes the additional amounts specified in paragraph (b) of this subsection, but does not include the amounts specified in paragraph (c) of this subsection, regardless of whether those amounts are includable in taxable income.

(b) ‘Salary’ includes the following amounts:

(A) Payments of employee and employer money into a deferred compensation plan that are made at the election of the employee.

(B) Contributions to a tax-sheltered or deferred annuity that are made at the election of the employee.

(C) Any amount that is contributed to a cafeteria plan or qualified transportation fringe benefit plan by the employer at the election of the employee and that is not includable in the taxable income of the employee by reason of 26 U.S.C. § 125 or 132(f)(4), as in effect on December 31, 2022.

(D) Any amount that is contributed to a cash or deferred arrangement by the employer at the election of the employee and that is not included in the taxable income of the employee by reason of 26 U.S.C. § 402(e)(3), as in effect on December 31, 2022.

(E) Retroactive payments described in ORS § 238.008.

(F) The amount of an employee contribution to the individual account program that is paid by the employer and deducted from the compensation of the employee, as provided under ORS § 238A.335 (1) and (2)(a).

(G) The amount of an employee contribution to the individual account program that is not paid by the employer under ORS § 238A.335.

(H) Wages of a deceased member paid to a surviving spouse or dependent children under ORS § 652.190.

(c) ‘Salary’ does not include the following amounts:

(A) Travel or any other expenses incidental to employer’s business which is reimbursed by the employer.

(B) Payments made on account of an employee’s death.

(C) Any lump sum payment for accumulated unused sick leave, vacation leave or other paid leave.

(D) Any severance payment, accelerated payment of an employment contract for a future period or advance against future wages.

(E) Any retirement incentive, retirement bonus or retirement gratuitous payment.

(F) Payment for a leave of absence after the date the employer and employee have agreed that no future services in a qualifying position will be performed.

(G) Payments for instructional services rendered to public universities listed in ORS § 352.002 or the Oregon Health and Science University when those services are in excess of full-time employment subject to this chapter. A person employed under a contract for less than 12 months is subject to this subparagraph only for the months covered by the contract.

(H) The amount of an employee contribution to the individual account program that is paid by the employer and is not deducted from the compensation of the employee, as provided under ORS § 238A.335 (1) and (2)(b).

(I) Compensation described and authorized under ORS § 341.556 that is not paid by the community college employing the faculty member.

(J) Compensation described and authorized under ORS § 352.232 that is not paid by the public university employing the officer or employee.

(K) Compensation described and authorized under ORS § 353.270 that is not paid by Oregon Health and Science University.

(L) For years before 2020, any amount in excess of $200,000 for a calendar year. If any period over which salary is determined is less than 12 months, the $200,000 limitation for that period shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of months in the determination period and the denominator of which is 12. The board shall adopt rules adjusting this dollar limit to incorporate cost-of-living adjustments authorized by the Internal Revenue Service.

(M) For years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, any amount in excess of $195,000 for a calendar year. If any period over which salary is determined is less than 12 months, the $195,000 limitation for that period shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of months in the determination period and the denominator of which is 12. On January 1 of each year, the board shall adjust the dollar limit provided by this subparagraph to reflect any percentage changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, West Region (All Items), as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor.

(18) ‘System’ means the Public Employees Retirement System.

(19) ‘Workers’ compensation benefits’ means:

(a) Payments made under ORS Chapter 656; or

(b) Payments provided in lieu of workers’ compensation benefits under ORS § 656.027 (6). [2003 c.733 § 1; 2005 c.152 § 1; 2005 c.332 § 2; 2005 c.728 § 4; 2007 c.804 § 77; 2009 c.5 § 1; 2009 c.762 § 48; 2009 c.909 § 1; 2010 c.1 § 9; 2010 c.82 § 1; 2011 c.7 § 1; 2011 c.637 § 75; 2012 c.31 § 1; 2013 c.377 § 1; 2013 c.768 § 112; 2014 c.52 § 1; 2014 c.107 4,5; 2015 c.442 § 1; 2016 c.33 § 2; 2017 c.527 § 2; 2017 c.569 § 3; 2017 c.653 § 2; 2018 c.54 § 5; 2018 c.101 § 2; 2019 c.135 § 2; 2019 c.213 § 58; 2019 c.319 § 2; 2019 c.355 § 40; 2021 c.135 § 12; 2021 c.136 § 2; 2021 c.456 § 3; 2021 c.461 § 2; 2022 c.83 § 3; 2023 c.171 § 3; 2023 c.347 § 9; 2023 c.404 § 5]