8301 - Mandatory and optional membership.

                                CHAPTER 83                  MEMBERSHIP, CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS     Subchapter        A.  General Provisions        B.  Contributions        C.  Benefits        Enactment.  Chapter 83 was added October 2, 1975, P.L.298,     No.96, effective immediately.        Cross References.  Chapter 83 is referred to in sections     8522, 8523, 8524 of this title.                               SUBCHAPTER A                            GENERAL PROVISIONS     Sec.     8301.  Mandatory and optional membership.     8302.  Credited school service.     8303.  Eligibility points for retention and reinstatement of            service credits.     8303.1. Waiver of adjustments.     8304.  Creditable nonschool service.     8305.  Classes of service.     8305.1. Election to become a Class T-D member.     8306.  Eligibility points.     8307.  Eligibility for annuities.     8308.  Eligibility for vesting.     8309.  Eligibility for death benefits.     8310.  Eligibility for refunds.     8311.  Eligibility for early retirement.     8312.  Eligibility for special early retirement.     8313.  Eligibility for limited early retirement.     § 8301.  Mandatory and optional membership.        (a)  Mandatory membership.--Membership in the system shall be     mandatory as of the effective date of employment for all school     employees except the following:            (1)  Any officer or employee of the Department of        Education, State-owned educational institutions, community        colleges, area vocational-technical schools, technical        institutes, or the Pennsylvania State University and who is a        member of the State Employees' Retirement System or a member        of another retirement program approved by the employer.            (2)  Any school employee who is employed on a per diem or        hourly basis for less than 80 full-day sessions or 500 hours        in any fiscal year or annuitant who returns to school service        under the provisions of section 8346(b) (relating to        termination of annuities).            (3)  Any officer or employee of a governmental entity who        subsequent to December 22, 1965 and prior to July 1, 1975        administers, supervises, or teaches classes financed wholly        or in part by the Federal Government so long as he continues        in such service.            (4)  Any part-time school employee who has an individual        retirement account pursuant to the Federal act of September        2, 1974 (Public Law 93-406, 88 Stat. 829), known as the        Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.        (b)  Prohibited membership.--The school employees categorized     in subsection (a)(1) and (2) shall not have the right to elect     membership in the system.        (c)  Optional membership.--The school employees categorized     in subsection (a)(3) and, if otherwise eligible, subsection     (a)(4) shall have the right to elect membership in the system.     Once such election is exercised, membership shall commence from     the original date of eligibility and shall continue until the     termination of such service.     (July 9, 1976, P.L.965, No.189, eff. imd.; Aug. 5, 1991,     P.L.183, No.23, eff. imd.)        1991 Amendment.  Act 23 amended subsec. (a).        Part-Time Employees.  See section 4(4) of Act 96 of 1975 in     the appendix to this title for the effective date of provisions     relating to membership of part-time employees.        Cross References.  Section 8301 is referred to in section     8304 of this title; section 5303.2 of Title 71 (State     Government).