Section 495.8.1. Service eligible for purchase.

         8.1(1) Prior service buy-back.

            a.               Effective July 1, 1990, a member who was active, vested or retired on or after July 1, 1978, and who made contributions to IOASI between January 1, 1946, and June 30, 1953, and took a refund of those contributions, may buy back the amount of that refund plus interest in order to establish quarters of service covered by the refund. Less than a full quarter of service will be considered equivalent to a full quarter of service. A teacher who has three quarters of service and a contract for the following year will be granted four quarters of service. IPERS may require the submission of a copy of the contract.

            b.               Prior to July 1, 1990, a member who was active, vested or retired as of July 1, 1978, and who made contributions to IOASI between January 1, 1946, and June 30, 1953, and who took a refund of those contributions, was able to buy back the amount of that refund and establish years of service covered by the refund.

            c.               A member cannot participate in the prior service buy-back if the member had taken an IPERS refund (contributions made after July 4, 1953) unless the member first participated in the IPERS buy-back in accordance with this rule.

If a member decides to buy back prior service credit, the member must repay the entire refunded amount plus the accumulated interest and interest dividends on that amount.

If a member participating in a prior service buy-back had years of public service within Iowa prior to January 1, 1946, those years of service will also be added to the member’s account at no cost, subject to the member’s providing verification of public service.

         8.1(2) Service credit for other public employment.

            a.               Effective July 1, 1992, a vested or retired member may make application to IPERS for purchasing credit for service rendered to another public employer. In order to be eligible, a member must:

             (1)             Have been a public employee in a position comparable to an IPERS covered position at the time the application for buy-in is processed. Effective July 1, 1990, “public employee” includes a member who had service as a public employee in another state, or for the federal government, or within other retirement systems established in the state of Iowa; and

             (2)             Submit verification of service for that other public employer to IPERS.

A quarter of credit may be purchased for each quarter the employee received wages.

            b.               Effective July 1, 1992, through June 30, 1999, a qualifying member who decides to purchase IPERS credit must make employer and employee contributions to IPERS for each calendar quarter of service allowed in this buy-in. This contribution shall be determined using the member’s IPERS covered wages for the most recent full calendar year of IPERS coverage, the applicable rates established in Iowa Code sections 97B.11, 97B.49B and 97B.49C, and multiplied by the number of quarters being purchased from other public employment. “Applicable rates” means the rates in effect at the time of purchase for the types of service being purchased. A member must have at least four quarters of reported wages in any calendar year before a buy-in cost may be calculated.

            c.               Effective July 1, 1992, through June 30, 1999, if a vested or retired member does not have wages in the most recent calendar year, the cost of the buy-in will be calculated using the member’s last calendar year of reported wages, adjusted by an inflation factor based on the Consumer Price Index as published by the United States Department of Labor.

            d.               Members eligible to complete the buy-in may buy the entire period of service for a public employer or may buy credit in increments of one or more calendar quarters. The quarters need not be specifically identified to particular calendar quarters. A period of service is defined as follows: (1) if a member was continuously employed by an employer, the entire time is one period of employment, regardless of whether a portion or all of the service was covered by one or more retirement systems; and (2) if a member is continuously employed by multiple employers within a single retirement system, the entire service credited by that retirement system is one period of employment. A member with service credit under another public employee retirement system who wishes to transfer only a portion of the service value of the member’s public service in another public system to IPERS must provide a waiver of that service time to IPERS together with proof that the other public system has accepted this waiver and allowed partial withdrawal of service credit. Members are allowed to purchase time credited by the other public employer as a leave of absence in the same manner as other service credit. However, members wishing to receive free credit for military service performed while in the employ of a qualifying non-IPERS covered public employer must purchase the entire period of service encompassing the service time for that public employer or in the other retirement system, excluding the military time. Veterans’ credit originally purchased in another retirement system may be purchased in the same manner as other service credit.

            e.               The total amount paid will be added to the member’s contributions, and the years of service this amount represents will be added to the member’s IPERS years of service. Effective January 1, 1993, the purchase will not affect the member’s three-year average covered wage.

            f.                Effective July 1, 1999, an eligible member must pay the actuarial cost of a buy-in, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost of a buy-in, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions and cost methods used in preparing IPERS’ annual actuarial valuation, except that: (1) the retirement assumption shall be changed to 100 percent at the member’s earliest unreduced retirement age; and (2) if gender-distinct mortality assumptions are used in the annual actuarial valuation, the system shall use blended mortality assumptions reasonably representative of the system’s experience. The actuarial cost of a service purchase shall be the difference between (1) the actuarial accrued liability for the member using the foregoing assumptions and current service credits, and (2) the actuarial accrued liability for the member using the foregoing assumptions, current service credits, and all quarters of service credit available for purchase. If IPERS changes the service purchase mortality assumptions, all outstanding service purchase quotes shall be binding for the remainder of the periods for which the cost quotes were issued. A cost quote for a service purchase shall expire six months after the date printed on the cost quote letter. After that time, a new cost quote must be obtained for any quarters not previously purchased.

            g.               Effective January 1, 2016, for new service purchase applications and updated cost requests received, the following procedures and calculations shall apply:

             (1)             Service purchase estimate prior to retirement. Members who are vested by service may request a service purchase estimate by completing and submitting a service purchase application. Once the application is submitted, IPERS shall complete a cost estimate. This calculation is an estimate only and is not considered binding. The cost estimate shall be calculated as follows:

            1.      IPERS will calculate the cost by capturing the baseline benefit attributes at the member’s anticipated retirement date without any service purchase quarterly credits including: average salary, years of service, the Option 2 benefit amount, current member investment amount and the calculated present-day reserve value. The present-day reserve value is a lump sum value calculated with actuarial tables provided by the system’s actuary which represents the lump sum value sufficient to pay the monthly benefits over the member’s expected life span.

            2.      With each potential purchasable quarterly service credit, IPERS will recalculate the Option 2 benefit amount. A new present-day reserve value will also be calculated. The cost of each quarterly service credit will be the difference between the new reserve amount and the previous one.

             (2)             Final service purchase cost quote at retirement. On or before the date that a member’s first benefit payment is issued, a member who is vested by service may request a final service purchase cost quote by completing and submitting an application for retirement/disability benefit indicating the member’s desire to receive a final service purchase cost quote. After the completed application has been submitted, IPERS shall generate a final service purchase cost quote once all of the member’s wages are submitted to IPERS, which may be after the member’s first month of entitlement. The final cost quote shall be calculated as follows:

            1.      IPERS will calculate the cost by capturing the baseline benefit attributes at the member’s first month of entitlement without any service purchase quarterly credits including: average salary, years of service, the Option 2 benefit amount, current member investment amount and the calculated present-day reserve value. The present-day reserve value is a lump sum value calculated with actuarial tables provided by the system’s actuary which represents the lump sum value sufficient to pay the monthly benefits over the member’s expected life span. With each potential purchasable service credit, IPERS will recalculate the Option 2 benefit amount. A new present-day reserve value will also be calculated. The cost of each purchasable quarter of service credit will be the difference between the new reserve amount and the previous one.

            2.      The retired member will have six months from the date in which IPERS generates the final service purchase cost quote to purchase additional service.

            3.      If the retired member purchases service within the six-month deadline, the increase in the retirement benefit shall be made effective with the month of the service purchase payment.

            4.      Retired members who do not indicate their desire for a final service purchase cost quote on or before the date their first payment is issued or do not complete the purchase within the six-month deadline indicated on the final service purchase cost quote shall not be eligible to purchase additional credit.

            5.      Retired members who selected Option 1 upon retirement may request the lump sum death benefit to be increased to take into account the additional contributions from making a service purchase. If the member requests an increase in the death benefit, the monthly benefit will be reduced to take into account the increased death benefit.

             (3)             Cost adjustments due to changes in the original retirement benefit. If an error in the service purchase cost is discovered or a retired member’s account is adjusted in any manner after a purchase is made, IPERS may rescind the service purchase, make adjustments to the service purchase cost, or adjust the retirement allowance to ensure the member paid the actuarial cost of buying additional service. In the event that a retired member overpays due to an adjustment, IPERS will issue a refund to the retired member directly or to the rollover institution.

         8.1(3) IPERS buy-back. Effective July 1, 1996, only vested or retired members may buy back previously refunded IPERS credit. For the period beginning July 1, 1996, and ending June 30, 1999, an eligible member is required to make membership contributions equal to the accumulated contributions received by the member for the period of service being purchased plus accumulated interest and interest dividends. Effective July 1, 1999, an eligible member must pay the actuarial cost of a buy-back, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions and cost methods used in preparing IPERS’ annual actuarial valuation, except that: (1) the retirement assumption shall be changed to 100 percent at the member’s earliest unreduced retirement age; and (2) if gender-distinct mortality assumptions are used in the annual actuarial valuation, the system shall use blended mortality assumptions reasonably representative of the system’s experience. The actuarial cost of a service purchase shall be the difference between (1) the actuarial accrued liability for the member using the foregoing assumptions and current service credits, and (2) the actuarial accrued liability for the member using the foregoing assumptions, current service credits, and all quarters of service credit available for purchase. If IPERS changes the service purchase mortality assumptions, all outstanding service purchase quotes shall be binding for the remainder of the periods for which the cost quotes were issued. A cost quote for a service purchase shall expire six months after the date printed on the cost quote letter. After that time, a new cost quote must be obtained for any quarters not previously purchased.

Effective July 1, 1996, buy-backs may be made in increments of one or more calendar quarters. Prior to July 1, 1996, the member was required to repurchase the entire period of service and repay the total amount received plus accumulated interest and interest dividends.

A member who is vested solely by having attained the age of 55 must have at least one calendar quarter of wages on file with IPERS before completing a buy-back.

For persons who submitted requests for buy-back cost quotes on or before January 14, 2004, IPERS shall restore the wage records of a member who makes a buy-back based on those quotes and utilize those wage records in subsequent benefit calculations for that member.

For persons who submit requests for buy-back cost quotes and make purchases based on those quotes after January 14, 2004, IPERS shall not restore the wage records for the purchased quarters. After January 14, 2004, such buy-backs shall be treated like all other service purchases and IPERS will only restore service credit.

Effective January 1, 2016, the member must be vested by service and must pay the actuarial cost of a service purchase, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions, procedures and cost methods as those described in paragraph 8.1(2)“g.”

         8.1(4) Prior service credit prior to January 1946. A member who had service before January of 1946 but no service between January 1, 1946, and June 30, 1953, is eligible to receive credit for that service at no cost, subject to the member’s providing verification of that service. If the member was employed after July 4, 1953, and took a refund of contributions, that member must first participate in the membership service buy-back (see subrule 8.1(3)) before receiving credit for service prior to 1946.

A member must submit proof of service in order to qualify.

         8.1(5) Veterans’ credit.

            a.               Effective July 1, 1992, a vested or retired member, in order to receive service credit under the IPERS system, may elect to make employer and employee contributions to IPERS for a period of active duty service in the armed forces of the United States, in increments of one or more calendar quarters, if the member produces verification of active duty service in the armed forces of the United States.

            b.               A member must have at least four quarters of reported wages in any calendar year before a buy-in cost may be calculated.

            c.               A service purchase shall not affect the member’s high three-year average wage.

            d.               Effective July 1, 1999, an eligible member must pay the actuarial cost of a military service purchase, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions and cost methods as those in paragraph 8.1(2)“f.”

            e.               Effective January 1, 2016, the member must be vested by service and must pay the actuarial cost of a service purchase, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions, procedures and cost methods as those described in paragraph 8.1(2)“g.”

         8.1(6) Legislative members.

            a.                Active members. Persons who are members of the Seventy-first General Assembly or a succeeding general assembly during any period beginning July 4, 1953, may, upon proof of such membership in the general assembly, make contributions to the system for all or a portion of the period of such service in the general assembly. The contributions made by the member shall be determined in the same manner as provided in paragraph 8.1(2)“f.”

            b.                Vested or retired former members of the general assembly.

             (1)             A vested or retired member of the system who was a member of the general assembly prior to July 1, 1988, may make contributions to the system for all or a portion of the period of service in the general assembly.

             (2)             The contributions made by the member shall be equal to the accumulated contributions as defined in Iowa Code section 97B.1A(2), which would have been made if the member of the general assembly had been a member of the system during the period of service in the general assembly being purchased.

             (3)             The member shall submit to IPERS proof of membership in the general assembly for the period claimed.

             (4)             Upon determining a member eligible and receiving the appropriate contributions from the member, IPERS shall credit the member with the period of membership service for which contributions are made.

            c.                Incremental purchases. Service purchased under this subrule must be purchased in increments of one or more calendar quarters.

            d.                Actuarial cost. Effective July 1, 1999, an eligible member must pay 40 percent and the Iowa legislature shall pay 60 percent of the actuarial cost of a legislative service purchase, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions and cost methods as those in paragraph 8.1(2)“f.”

            e.               Effective January 1, 2016, the member must be vested by service and must pay 40 percent and the Iowa legislature shall pay 60 percent of the actuarial cost of a service purchase, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions, procedures and cost methods as those described in paragraph 8.1(2)“g.”

         8.1(7) Vocational school (area community college) employees who may elect coverage under another retirement system.

            a.               Effective July 1, 1990, a person newly entering employment with an area vocational school or area community college may choose to forego IPERS coverage and elect coverage under an alternative retirement benefits system, which is issued by or through a nonprofit corporation issuing retirement annuities exclusively to educational institutions and their employees. This option is available only to those newly hired persons who are already members of the alternative retirement system. Such an election by a newly employed person is irrevocable.

            b.               Effective July 1, 1994, and providing that the board of directors of the area vocational school or area community college have approved participation in an alternative retirement system pursuant to Iowa Code section 260C.23, a member employed by an area vocational school or an area community college may elect coverage under an alternative retirement benefits system, which is issued by or through a nonprofit corporation issuing retirement annuities exclusively to educational institutions and their employees, in lieu of continuing or commencing contributions to IPERS.

            c.               Effective July 1, 1994, a person who is employed before that date with an area community college may file a one-time irrevocable election form with IPERS and the employer electing participation in an alternative plan. The election form must be postmarked by December 31, 1995. If a person is employed July 1, 1994, or later, the person may file a one-time election form with IPERS and the employer electing participation in the alternative plan. The election form must be postmarked within 60 days from the date employed. The employee will be a member of IPERS unless an election is filed within the specified time frames. An employee vested with IPERS retains all of the rights of any vested member for as long as the contributions remain with the fund. Such members may not, however, apply for retirement benefits until attaining the age of 70, or until they terminate employment with all public employers.

            d.               Effective July 1, 1999, an eligible member must pay the actuarial cost of a service purchase, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions and cost methods as those in paragraph 8.1(2)“f.”

            e.               Effective January 1, 2016, the member must be vested by service and must pay the actuarial cost of a service purchase, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions, procedures and cost methods as those described in paragraph 8.1(2)“g.”

         8.1(8) Leaves of absence. Service credit for leaves of absence that begin on or after July 1, 1998, may be purchased. A member must be vested or retired and must have one calendar year of wages on file in order to make such a purchase.

For a leave of absence beginning on or after July 1, 1998, and purchased before July 1, 1999, the service purchase cost shall be equal to the employer and employee contributions and interest payable for the employee’s most recent year of covered wages, adjusted by the inflation factor used in paragraph 8.1(2)“c.” For a leave of absence beginning on or after July 1, 1998, and purchased on or after July 1, 1999, the service purchase cost shall be the actuarial cost, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost of a service purchase under this subrule, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions and cost methods as those in paragraph 8.1(2)“f.”

Effective January 1, 2016, the member must be vested by service and must pay the actuarial cost of a service purchase, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions, procedures and cost methods as those described in paragraph 8.1(2)“g.”

         8.1(9) Service credit for elective coverage positions—coverage not elected. Service credit for periods of time prior to January 1, 1999, when the member was employed in a position for which coverage could have been elected, but was not, may be purchased. The cost of such service purchases shall be calculated in the same manner as provided for buy-ins under paragraph 8.1(2)“f.” In addition, a member must be vested or retired, and must have one calendar year of wages on file in order to make such a purchase.

Effective January 1, 2016, the member must be vested by service and must pay the actuarial cost of a service purchase, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions, procedures and cost methods as those described in paragraph 8.1(2)“g.”

         8.1(10) Service credit for noncovered public employment in Iowa. A vested or retired member who has one or more years of service credit and who was previously employed in public employment for which optional coverage was not available, such as substitute teaching or other temporary employment, may purchase service credit for such employment subject to the requirements of Iowa Code section 97B.80C. Service credit may not be purchased under this subrule for periods in which the individual was performing services as an independent contractor. The contributions required under this subrule shall be in an amount equal to the actuarial cost of the service purchase as determined under paragraph 8.1(2)“f.”

Effective January 1, 2016, the member must be vested by service and must pay the actuarial cost of a service purchase, as certified by IPERS. In calculating the actuarial cost, IPERS shall apply the same actuarial assumptions, procedures and cost methods as those described in paragraph 8.1(2)“g.”

         8.1(11) Federal Peace Corps program service credit under Iowa Code section 97B.80C. Rescinded IAB 7/16/08, effective 6/25/08.

         8.1(12) Purchase of service credit for employment with a qualified Canadian governmental entity. Rescinded IAB 7/16/08, effective 6/25/08.

         8.1(13) Patient advocate service purchases. Rescinded IAB 7/16/08, effective 6/25/08.

[ARC 1887C, IAB 2/18/15, effective 3/25/15; ARC 2402C, IAB 2/17/16, effective 3/23/16]