Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3309.35 – Coordinating and integrating membership in state retirement systems

(A) As used in this section:
1. (1) "State retirement system" means the public employees retirement system, state teachers retirement system, or school employees retirement system.
2. (2) "Total service credit" means all service credit earned in all state retirement systems, except credit for service subject to section 3309.341 of the Revised Code. Total service credit shall not exceed one year of credit for any twelve-month period.
3. (3) In addition to the meaning given in division (O) of section 3309.01 of the Revised Code, "disability benefit" means "disability benefit" as defined in sections 145.01 and 3307.01 of the Revised Code.
(B) To coordinate and integrate membership in the state retirement systems, at the option of a member, total contributions and service credit in all state retirement systems, including amounts paid to restore service credit under sections 145.311, 3307.711, and 3309.261 of the Revised Code, shall be used in determining the eligibility and total retirement or disability benefit payable. When total contributions and service credit are so combined, the following provisions apply:
1. (1) Service and commuted service retirement or a disability benefit is effective no sooner than the first day of the month next following the last day of employment for which compensation was paid. If the application is filed after that date, the board may retire the member on the first day of the month next following the last day of employment for which compensation was paid.
2. (2) Eligibility for a disability benefit shall be determined by the board of the state retirement system that will calculate and pay the benefit, as provided in division (B)(3) of this section. The state retirement system calculating and paying the disability benefit shall certify the determination to the board of each other state retirement system in which the member has service credit and shall be accepted by that board as sufficient for granting a disability benefit.
3. (3) The board of the state retirement system in which the member had the greatest service credit, without adjustment, shall calculate and pay the total retirement or disability benefit. Where the member's credit is equal in two or more state retirement systems, the system having the largest total contributions of the member shall calculate and pay the total benefit.
4. (4) In determining the total credit to be used in calculating a retirement allowance or disability benefit, credit shall not be reduced below that certified by the system or systems transferring credit, except that such total combined service credit shall not exceed one year of credit for any one "year" as defined in the law of the system making the calculation.
5. (5)
  1. (a) The state retirement system calculating and paying a retirement or disability benefit shall receive from the other system or systems all of the following for each year of service:
    1. (i) The amount contributed by the member, or, in the case of service credit purchased by the member, paid by the member, that is attributable to the year of service;
    2. (ii) An amount equal to the lesser of the employer's contributions made on behalf of the member to the retirement system for that year of service or the amount that would have been contributed by the employer for the service had the member been a member of the school employees retirement system at the time the credit was earned;
    3. (iii) If applicable, an amount equal to the amount paid on behalf of the member by an employer under section 145.483 of the Revised Code;
    4. (iv) Interest compounded annually on the amounts specified in divisions (B)(5)(a)(i), (ii), and (iii) of this section at the lesser of the actuarial assumption rate for that year of the school employees retirement system or the other retirement system or systems transferring amounts under this section.
  2. (b) The annuity rates and mortality tables of the state retirement system making the calculation and paying the benefit shall be exclusively applicable.
  3. (c) Deposits made for the purchase of an additional annuity, and including guaranteed interest, upon the request of the member, shall be transferred to the state retirement system paying the retirement or disability benefit. The return upon such deposits shall be that offered by the state retirement system making the calculation and paying the retirement or disability benefit.
(C) A former member receiving a retirement or disability benefit under this section, who accepts employment amenable to coverage in any state retirement system that participated in the member's combined benefit, shall be subject to the applicable provisions of law governing such re-employment. If a former member should be paid any amount in a retirement allowance, to which the former member is not entitled under the applicable provisions of law governing such re-employment, such amount shall be recovered by the state retirement system paying such allowance by utilizing any recovery procedure available under the code provisions of the state retirement system covering such re-employment.
(D) An SERS retirant or other system retirant, as defined in section 3309.341 of the Revised Code, is not eligible to receive any benefit under this section for service subject to section 3309.341 of the Revised Code.