1. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), a participant who becomes disabled while in active service as a member of the general assembly may retire for the duration of the disability, beginning on the date specified by the participant in a written application, if:

   1. (1) the participant has at least five (5) years of service;
   2. (2) the participant has qualified for Social Security disability benefits and has furnished proof of the Social Security qualification to the board; and

   3. (3) at least one (1) time each year until the participant becomes sixty-five (65) years of age, a representative of the board verifies the continued disability.

      For the purposes of this section, a participant who has qualified for disability benefits under the federal civil service system is considered to have met the requirement of subdivision (2) if the participant furnishes proof of the qualification to the board.

2. (b) Benefits may not be provided under this chapter for a disability:

   1. (1) resulting from an intentionally self-inflicted injury of attempted suicide while sane or insane; or
   2. (2) resulting from the participant's commission or attempted commission of a felony.
3. (c) The disability benefit provided under this section is equal to the benefit computed under section 3 of this chapter.

4. (d) To the extent required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the transcripts, records, and other material generated to prove that an individual is qualified for disability benefits under this section shall be:

   1. (1) kept in separate medical files for each member; and
   2. (2) treated as confidential medical records.

As added by P.L.6-1989, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.4-1992, SEC.4.