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
Plan: means the Utah Governors' and Legislators' Retirement Plan created by Chapter 19, Utah Governors' and Legislators' Retirement Act, the New Public Employees' Tier II Defined Contribution Plan created by 4, the New Public Safety and Firefighter Tier II Defined Contribution Plan created by 4, or the defined contribution plans created under Section 49-11-801. See Utah Code 49-11-102
Regular full-time employee: includes :
(i)
a teacher whose term of employment for a participating employer contemplates continued employment during a school year and who teaches half-time or more;
(ii)
a classified school employee:
(A)
who is hired before July 1, 2013; and
(B)
whose employment normally requires an average of 20 hours per week or more for a participating employer, regardless of benefits provided;
(iii)
an officer, elective or appointive, who earns $500 or more per month, indexed as of January 1, 1990, as provided in Section 49-12-407;
(iv)
a faculty member or employee of an institution of higher education who is considered full-time by that institution of higher education; and
(v)
an individual who otherwise meets the definition of this Subsection (5) who performs services for a participating employer through a professional employer organization or similar arrangement. See Utah Code 49-12-102
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
State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
System: means the Public Employees' Contributory Retirement System created under this chapter. See Utah Code 49-12-102
Tier I: means a system or plan under this title for which:
(a)
an employee is eligible to participate if the employee initially enters regular full-time employment before July 1, 2011; or
(b)
a governor or legislator who initially enters office before July 1, 2011. See Utah Code 49-11-102
(a)
the date on which the participating employer began participating in this system; or
(b)
the effective date of employment of the regular full-time employee with the participating employer.
(2)
Beginning July 1, 1986, a person entering employment with the state and its educational institutions may not participate in this system.
(3)
Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection (1), a person initially entering employment with a participating employer on or after July 1, 2011, who does not have service credit accrued before July 1, 2011, in a Tier I system or plan administered by the board, may not participate in this system.