1. (a) A department head, as defined in section 4-5, or any commissioner appointed to office in the executive branch by the Governor with or without the approval of the General Assembly or either branch thereof, who reaches his retirement date, namely, the first day of the month on or after his seventieth birthday, during the term for which he is appointed, may continue in office after such retirement date until the expiration of such term. Any such person who had reached such date prior to his reappointment as such commissioner may serve for the term for which he is so reappointed.
2. (b) A member who has reached the retirement age of seventy may be continued in his position in state service, if such continuation is approved by the Commissioner of Administrative Services. The appointing authority requesting such continuation shall certify in writing to the Commissioner of Administrative Services that the continuation is desirable for the efficient conduct of the state's business and that the member is able and qualified to perform the work required. Approval by the Commissioner of Administrative Services of such continuation shall be for a period of one year, which may be renewed by said commissioner upon request by the appointing authority.
3. (c) A department head, head of an institution or administrator of a state fund may be continued as provided in subsection (b) of this section. A continuation of such employee beyond the age of seventy-three shall be requested by the appointing authority in writing and shall require the approval of the Governor.
4. (d) Except as provided in section 5-164a, the existing retirement rights of a member continued under this section after his retirement date shall not be affected by such continuation, and additional retirement rights shall accrue to him. Retirement contributions shall be deducted from his salary during the period of continued employment. The provisions of chapter 67 dealing with examinations, certifications and appointments to and separations from the service shall not apply to any such member.

(1949 Rev., S. 405; 1953, S. 171d, 173d; 1953, 1955, S. 172d; 1957, P.A. 477; 1958 Rev., S. 5-136 to 5-139; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 200; 1961, P.A. 234, S. 13; 1963, P.A. 462; 481, S. 1, 2; February, 1965, P.A. 504, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 600, S. 1; 659, S. 2, 3, 4; 771, S. 1; 814; P.A. 77-614, S. 66, 610; P.A. 80-35; P.A. 81-19, S. 1, 3; P.A. 05-288, S. 29; P.A. 23-46, S. 40.)

History: 1959 act amended Subsec. (d) to substitute “any constituent court of the judicial department” for “the superior court or the court of common pleas”; 1961 act “restated” state employees retirement act “in a simpler, clearer and more orderly form”; 1963 acts amended Subsec. (b) to add employees of the judicial department to the proviso, amended Subsec. (e) to delete a provision that no such member should receive a retirement income during his reemployment and added that prohibition to Subsec. (f); 1965 act amended Subsec. (f) to substitute general assembly service for service in an elective office of the state; 1967 acts amended Subsec. (a) to include commissioners and provide for continuance in office and reappointment of department heads and commissioners reaching retirement age, amended Subsec. (b) to change termination date for reemployment from first day of month on or after member's seventy-second birthday to seventy-third birthday and to change extension from end of “next” fiscal year to “current” fiscal year, amended Subsec. (e) to include exception to provisions, repealed Subsec. (f), changed references to reemployment throughout to continuation of employment, made reference to retirement date in Subsec. (b) to specific age of 70 and amended Subsec. (f) so that employees continued in employment gain additional retirement rights and pay additional contributions, previously they did not accrue further rights or make additional contributions; P.A. 77-614 replaced personnel commissioner with commissioner of administrative services; P.A. 80-35 replaced previous provisions concerning period of continuation with provision calling for one-year continuations approved by commissioner of administrative services in Subsecs. (b) and (c) and further required that continuations for department and institution heads and fund administrator beyond age of 73 require governor's approval rather than beyond age of 74 as previously; P.A. 81-19 amended Subsec. (d) to delete the prohibition on retired court messengers being reemployed after age 75; P.A. 05-288 made a technical change in Subsec. (d), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 23-43 deleted former Subsec. (d) re reemployment of messenger or assistant messenger of the court and redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as new Subsec. (d), effective June 13, 2023.