Section 16-25-5 Transfer of Membership in Employees’ Retirement System of Alabama, Etc., of Janitors, Maids, Cafeteria Workers and Other Full-Time Employees in Public Education.

(a) The phrase “public education,” as used in this section, shall be construed as meaning and referring to any institution of learning supported wholly by public funds, regardless of whether such institution is under the control and supervision of the State Department of Education. (b) All janitors, maids, cafeteria workers and any other full-time employees in public education, regardless of in what manner or on what basis paid, covered in the Employees’ Retirement System of Alabama under the provisions of Section 36-27-6 on October 1, 1975 shall be enrolled and transferred to the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama by their employer with all credit as has been established in the Employees’ Retirement System of Alabama. (c) All janitors, maids, cafeteria workers and any other full-time employees in public education who are not members of the Employees’ Retirement System of Alabama under the provisions of Section 36-27-6 shall become members of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama, regardless of in what manner or on what basis paid, and shall be so enrolled by their employer; provided, that such persons may elect, within six months after October 1, 1975, to decline to become members of the Teachers’ Retirement System by filing a written notice with the Secretary-Treasurer of such system within said six-month period. (d) Any person employed after October 1, 1975, as a janitor, maid, cafeteria worker or any other full-time employee in public education shall be deemed a teacher within the meaning of such word in the teachers’ retirement law and shall be enrolled in the Teachers’ Retirement System as a condition of employment, regardless of in what manner or on what basis paid. (e) The accumulated contributions of each employee described in subsection (b) of this section shall be transferred to the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama and credited to the employee’s individual account in the Annuity Savings Fund under that system. As soon as practicable after the transfer of such employees, an actuarial valuation of the assets and liabilities under the Employees’ Retirement System on account of each employer of such employees shall be made. On the basis of said valuation, the actuary shall allocate the present assets of the Employees’ Retirement System attributable to each such employer, exclusive of the member’s accumulated contributions, as follows: (1) An amount shall be allocated equal to the reserve required for retired employees and beneficiaries of deceased employees of the employer. (2) Any remaining assets shall be allocated actuarially between the employees who shall have transferred to the Teachers’ Retirement System and the employees, if any, who remain as members under the Employees’ Retirement System. The amount of assets allocated under subdivision (2) of this subsection to the members who shall have transferred to the Teachers’ Retirement System shall be transferred to that system and credited to the Pension Accumulation Fund of that system. If the employer continues to participate in the Employees’ Retirement System under Section 36-27-6, the actuary shall redetermine the accrued liability contribution rate payable by the employer on the basis of the remaining membership. If the employer does not continue to participate in the Employees’ Retirement System and the assets available for the allocation under subdivision (1) of this subsection are insufficient to cover the reserve for retired employees and beneficiaries of deceased employees of the employer, the employer shall pay to the Employees’ Retirement System the amount of the deficiency in a lump sum or, with the approval of the Board of Control, in installments over such period as the Board of Control may specify. (f) Any liabilities created by the transfers in subsection (e) of this section shall be a continuing liability of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama and shall be included in the regular valuation of the Teachers’ Retirement System; liabilities and appropriations shall be made as determined in the teachers’ retirement law governing such valuation and appropriation. (g) Any janitor, maid, cafeteria worker or any other full-time employee in public education who is employed in such capacity on or before October 1, 1975, and whose eligibility for membership in the Teachers’ Retirement System is subject to the provisions of this section, shall be entitled to receive credit for all eligible service creditable under the laws relating to the Teachers’ Retirement System, including prior service rendered by such member prior to October 1, 1975; provided, that such member shall pay to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Teachers’ Retirement System, within six months after October 1, 1975, a sum equal to the total contributions which he would have made as a member during the period of such employment from September 1, 1941 to October 1, 1975, plus eight percent interest on such total contributions compounded annually from the date of such service. (h) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, any employee who is transferred to the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama as provided in subsection (b) of this section shall be entitled to retire under said system to age 60 under the same conditions as provided by Section 36-27-18 with respect to members of the Employees’ Retirement System of Alabama. Any employee who is transferred to the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama as provided in subsection (b) of this section and who became a member of the Employees’ Retirement System prior to October 1, 1965, shall be entitled to a minimum annual retirement allowance upon retirement under the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama of $72.00 multiplied by the number of years of creditable service not in excess of 25 years in the event of service retirement or $54.00 multiplied by the number of years of his creditable service not in excess of 25 years in the event of disability retirement. (i) It being the intent and purpose of subsections (b), (e) and (f) of this section to transfer the accruing liabilities as well as past service liabilities to the Education Trust Fund for those employees eligible for transfer and enrollment under this section in the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama, no refunds to employing units shall be made in making such transfer.