49-13-203.  Exclusions from membership in system.

(1)  The following employees are not eligible for service credit in this system:

Terms Used In Utah Code 49-13-203

  • Administrator: includes "executor" when the subject matter justifies the use. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Agency: means :
(i) a department, division, agency, office, authority, commission, board, institution, or hospital of the state;
(ii) a county, municipality, school district, special district, or special service district;
(iii) a state college or university; or
(iv) any other participating employer. See Utah Code 49-11-102
  • At-will employee: means a person who is employed by a participating employer and:
    (i) who is not entitled to merit or civil service protection and is generally considered exempt from a participating employer's merit or career service personnel systems;
    (ii) whose on-going employment status is entirely at the discretion of the person's employer; or
    (iii) who may be terminated without cause by a designated supervisor, manager, or director. See Utah Code 49-11-102
  • Board: means the Utah State Retirement Board established under Section 49-11-202. See Utah Code 49-11-102
  • City: includes , depending on population, a metro township as defined in Section 10-3c-102. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Compensation: means the total amount of payments made by a participating employer to a member of this system for services rendered to the participating employer, including:
    (i) bonuses;
    (ii) cost-of-living adjustments;
    (iii) other payments currently includable in gross income and that are subject to social security deductions, including any payments in excess of the maximum amount subject to deduction under social security law; and
    (iv) amounts that the member authorizes to be deducted or reduced for salary deferral or other benefits authorized by federal law. See Utah Code 49-13-102
  • Contributions: means the total amount paid by the participating employer and the member into a system or to the Utah Governors' and Legislators' Retirement Plan under Chapter 19, Utah Governors' and Legislators' Retirement Act. See Utah Code 49-11-102
  • 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
  • Institution of higher education: means an institution described in Section 53B-1-102. See Utah Code 49-11-102
  • Member: means a person, except a retiree, with contributions on deposit with a system, the Utah Governors' and Legislators' Retirement Plan under Chapter 19, Utah Governors' and Legislators' Retirement Act, or with a terminated system. See Utah Code 49-11-102
  • Month: means a calendar month, unless otherwise expressed. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Office: means the Utah State Retirement Office. See Utah Code 49-11-102
  • Participating employer: means an employer that meets the participation requirements of Sections 49-13-201 and 49-13-202. See Utah Code 49-13-102
  • Person: means :Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Political subdivision: includes special districts, special service districts, or authorities created by the Legislature or by local governments, including the office. 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 49-13-407;
    (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 49-13-102
  • Retirement: means the status of an individual who has become eligible, applies for, and is entitled to receive an allowance under this title. See Utah Code 49-11-102
  • 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' Noncontributory Retirement System. See Utah Code 49-13-102
  • Technical college: means the same as that term is defined in Section 53B-1-101. See Utah Code 49-11-102
  • (a)  subject to the requirements of Subsection (2), an employee whose employment status is temporary in nature due to the nature or the type of work to be performed;

    (b)  except as provided under Subsection (3)(a), an employee of an institution of higher education who participates in a retirement system with a public or private retirement system, organization, or company designated by the Utah Board of Higher Education, or the technical college board of trustees for an employee of each technical college, during any period in which required contributions based on compensation have been paid on behalf of the employee by the employer;

    (c)  an employee serving as an exchange employee from outside the state for an employer who has not elected to make all of the employer’s exchange employees eligible for service credit in this system;

    (d)  an executive department head of the state or a legislative director, senior executive employed by the governor’s office, a member of the State Tax Commission, a member of the Public Service Commission, and a member of a full-time or part-time board or commission who files a formal request for exemption;

    (e)  an employee of the Department of Workforce Services who is covered under another retirement system allowed under Title 35A, Chapter 4, Employment Security Act;

    (f)  an employee who is employed with an employer that has elected to be excluded from participation in this system under Subsection 49-13-202(5), effective on or after the date of the employer’s election under Subsection 49-13-202(5);

    (g)  an employee who is employed with a withdrawing entity that has elected under Section 49-11-623, prior to January 1, 2017, to exclude:

    (i)  new employees from participation in this system under Subsection 49-11-623(3)(a); or

    (ii)  all employees from participation in this system under Subsection 49-11-623(3)(b);

    (h)  an employee described in Subsection (1)(h)(i) or (ii) who is employed with a withdrawing entity that has elected under Section 49-11-624, before January 1, 2018, to exclude:

    (i)  new employees from participation in this system under Subsection 49-11-624(3)(a); or

    (ii)  all employees from participation in this system under Subsection 49-11-624(3)(b);

    (i)  an employee who is employed with a withdrawing entity that has elected under Section 49-11-625, before July 1, 2022, to exclude all employees from participation in this system; or

    (j)  an employee who is employed with a withdrawing entity that elects under Section 49-11-626 to exclude:

    (i)  new employees from participation in this system under Subsection 49-11-626(3)(a); or

    (ii)  all employees from participation in this system under Subsection 49-11-626(3)(b).
  • (2)  If an employee whose status is temporary in nature due to the nature of type of work to be performed:

    (a)  is employed for a term that exceeds six months and the employee otherwise qualifies for service credit in this system, the participating employer shall report and certify to the office that the employee is a regular full-time employee effective the beginning of the seventh month of employment; or

    (b)  was previously terminated prior to being eligible for service credit in this system and is reemployed within three months of termination by the same participating employer, the participating employer shall report and certify that the member is a regular full-time employee when the total of the periods of employment equals six months and the employee otherwise qualifies for service credits in this system.

    (3) 

    (a)  Upon cessation of the participating employer contributions, an employee under Subsection (1)(b) is eligible for service credit in this system.

    (b)  Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection (1)(f), any eligibility for service credit earned by an employee under this chapter before the date of the election under Subsection 49-13-202(5) is not affected under Subsection (1)(f).

    (4)  Upon filing a written request for exemption with the office, the following employees shall be exempt from coverage under this system:

    (a)  a full-time student or the spouse of a full-time student and individuals employed in a trainee relationship;

    (b)  an elected official;

    (c)  an executive department head of the state, a member of the State Tax Commission, a member of the Public Service Commission, and a member of a full-time or part-time board or commission;

    (d)  an employee of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget;

    (e)  an employee of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity;

    (f)  an employee of the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice;

    (g)  an employee of the Governor’s Office;

    (h)  an employee of the State Auditor’s Office;

    (i)  an employee of the State Treasurer’s Office;

    (j)  any other member who is permitted to make an election under Section 49-11-406;

    (k)  a person appointed as a city manager or chief city administrator or another person employed by a municipality, county, or other political subdivision, who is an at-will employee;

    (l)  an employee of an interlocal cooperative agency created under Title 11, Chapter 13, Interlocal Cooperation Act, who is engaged in a specialized trade customarily provided through membership in a labor organization that provides retirement benefits to its members; and

    (m)  an employee serving as an exchange employee from outside the state for an employer who has elected to make all of the employer’s exchange employees eligible for service credit in this system.

    (5) 

    (a)  Each participating employer shall prepare and maintain a list designating those positions eligible for exemption under Subsection (4).

    (b)  An employee may not be exempted unless the employee is employed in a position designated by the participating employer.

    (6) 

    (a)  In accordance with this section, Section 49-12-203, and Section 49-22-205, a municipality, county, or political subdivision may not exempt a total of more than 50 positions or a number equal to 10% of the eligible employees of the municipality, county, or political subdivision, whichever is less.

    (b)  A municipality, county, or political subdivision may exempt at least one regular full-time employee.

    (7)  Each participating employer shall:

    (a)  maintain a list of employee exemptions; and

    (b)  update the employee exemptions in the event of any change.

    (8)  The office may make rules to implement this section.

    (9)  An employee’s exclusion, exemption, participation, or election described in this section:

    (a)  shall be made in accordance with this section; and

    (b)  is subject to requirements under federal law and rules made by the board.

    Amended by Chapter 512, 2023 General Session