Page 237

House Bill No. 5506

Public Act No. 22-118 237 of 739

Higher Education or any of the constituent units, the governing body of the Children's Center and its successors, The University of Connecticut Board of Trustees, the E. O. Smith School, [and] or any other activity, institution or school employing members. [(15)] (16) "Formal leave of absence" means any absence from active service in the public schools of Connecticut formally granted by a member's employer as evidenced by contemporary records of the employer, provided in the case of an absence due to illness, medical or other evidence of such illness may, at the discretion of the Teachers' Retirement Board, be accepted in lieu of evidence of the formal granting of a leave. [(16)] (17) "Formal application of retirement" means: (A) the member's application, birth certificate or notarized statement supported by other evidence satisfactory to the board, in lieu thereof, (B) records of service, if such records are required by the board to determine a salary rate or years of creditable service, (C) a statement of payment plan, including, if applicable, the fixed period of time selected by a member under Plan C or the coparticipant's share designated under Plan D, (D) in the case of an application for a disability benefit, a physician's, a physician assistant's or an advanced practice registered nurse's statement of health, and (E) any other documentation required by the board. [(17)] (18) "Funding" means the accumulation of assets in advance of the payment of retirement allowances in accordance with a [definite actuarial program] board-approved actuarial methodology. [(18)] (19) "Member" means any Connecticut teacher employed (A) on, and compensated for, the first school day, in accordance with the member's contractual schedule, and (B) for an average of at least one- half of each school day after the first school day, except that no teacher who under any provision of the general statutes elects not to participate