Page 261

House Bill No. 5506

Public Act No. 22-118 261 of 739

member may retain the coparticipant designation and the coparticipant option elected at the time of retirement by filing a [qualified] domestic relations order with the board. Sec. 178. Section 10-183k of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): (a) A member who voluntarily or involuntarily terminates [prior to] service with the member's employer, including termination due to the member's death, before retirement shall be entitled to have refunded his or her accumulated voluntary contributions with credited interest. (b) A member who voluntarily or involuntarily terminates service with the member's employer, including termination due to the member's death, before retirement with less than five [years'] years of credited service in the public schools of Connecticut shall be entitled to have refunded his or her accumulated regular contributions with credited interest. A member who voluntarily or involuntarily terminates service with the member's employer, including termination due to the member's death, before the member's retirement with more than five years of credited service shall be entitled to have refunded his or her accumulated regular contributions with credited interest and his or her accumulated one per cent contributions withheld prior to July 1, 1989. A member who elects to receive a refund of contributions in accordance with this subsection, shall have all credited service canceled and any right to benefits under this chapter shall be extinguished, except as provided in subsection (d) of this section. (c) A member who voluntarily or involuntarily terminates service with the member's employer, including termination due to the member's death, before retirement with more than ten years' credited service in the public schools of Connecticut [but prior to retirement] may elect to receive in lieu of the benefits provided by this chapter a refund of his or her accumulated contributions with credited interest as