Kansas Statutes § 19-4419 Death, disability and retirement benefits for agency officer; credited service; officers transferring from police or sheriff's department, rights.

19-4419. Death, disability and retirement benefits for agency officer; credited service; officers transferring from police or sheriff's department, rights. (a) County law enforcement agencies established under the provisions of this act are hereby declared to be "eligible employers" as defined by K.S.A. 74-4952(3) for the purpose of affiliating with the Kansas police and firemen's retirement system established under the provisions of K.S.A. 74-4951 et seq., and amendments thereto. All such agencies shall make application for affiliation with such system in the manner provided by K.S.A. 74-4954, to be effective on the first day of January next following the appointment of the first members of such agency. Such application shall cover all county law enforcement officers. (b) Every person who shall be appointed a law enforcement officer on or after the entry date of such agency shall become a member of the Kansas police and firemen's retirement system on the date of such person's appointment. (c) Law enforcement officers appointed under the provisions of this act are hereby declared to be "policemen" as defined by K.S.A. 74-4952(12) for the purpose of participating in the Kansas police and firemen's retirement system. (d) For the purpose of determining and computing retirement benefits and death and disability benefits computed upon the basis of "credited service" of law enforcement officers appointed under the provisions of this act, the term "credited service," as used in K.S.A. 74-4951 et seq., shall mean and include only "participating service" with the agency, except that continuous prior service of any officer, with the city or county sheriff's department from which such officer transferred at the time of the establishment of the department, shall for officers serving with the department upon the entry date of the agency, be considered and included in determining if the death or disability of such officer was "service connected" under the provisions of K.S.A. 74-4952(10) and for the purpose of determining the eligibility of such officer for non-service connected death and disability benefits under the provisions of K.S.A. 74-4959(2) and 74-4960(2). (e) Notwithstanding the provisions of K.S.A. 74-4957 and 74-4963, all service of any officer with a city police department or county sheriff's department prior to becoming a member of the Kansas police and firemen's retirement system, shall be included and counted together with credited participating service for the meeting of requirements for completion of years of service fixed under the provisions of such sections, except that no such service shall be considered "credited service" for the purpose of computing years of service if such officer shall have withdrawn his or her contributions from any pension or retirement system established under the provisions of K.S.A. 13-14a01 et seq., and amendments thereto, 14-10a01 et seq., and amendments thereto, or 74-4901 et seq., and amendments thereto. If any officer shall elect to leave his or her contributions for credited service, under the provisions of K.S.A. 13-14a01 et seq., and amendments thereto, 14-10a01 et seq., and amendments thereto, or 74-4901 et seq., and amendments thereto, on deposit with such system, such officer shall be granted a vested retirement benefit in such system and all credited participating service in the Kansas police and firemen's retirement system shall be included and counted together with such prior vested service in fulfilling the requirements of years of service for retirement benefits under such pension and retirement systems. (f) Notwithstanding the provisions of K.S.A. 74-4965 and 74-4966, the employee contribution and the benefits payable to members of the system appointed under the provisions of this act, shall not be reduced by the amount of the contributions to or benefits received by such member from social security. (g) Any officer transferring from a city police department or sheriff's department of such county and becoming a member of the system on the "entry date" of the agency shall be considered a transferring member and shall have the rights and benefits granted under the provisions of K.S.A. 74-4957(3) and 74-4958(3). History: L. 1970, ch. 117, § 19; L. 1974, ch. 344, § 1; L. 1979, ch. 76, § 1; April 20.