1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
A. "CETA employee" means an employee enrolled in a program under the United States Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973, as amended. [PL 1985, c. 801, §§5, 7 (NEW).]
B. "Employer" means the State or the participating local district with which the CETA employee is placed for training and employment. [PL 1985, c. 801, §§5, 7 (NEW).]
C. "Prime sponsor" means the CETA prime sponsor, a unit of government responsible for planning and operating all CETA programs within the geographic jurisdiction encompassed by that unit of government. [PL 1985, c. 801, §§5, 7 (NEW).]
[PL 1985, c. 801, §§5, 7 (NEW).]
2. Eligibility for membership. CETA employees are considered eligible for membership in the State Employee and Teacher Retirement Program from the date of their enrollment in a CETA program, whether or not they become members.
[PL 2007, c. 491, §114 (AMD).]
3. Employer's contributions. Employer's contributions are governed as follows.
A. Notwithstanding this subchapter, subchapter 2 and chapter 421, subchapter 4, neither the State nor a participating local district is required to contribute to a retirement program of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System for CETA employees. [PL 2007, c. 491, §114 (AMD).]
B. If an employee elects, under section 17761, to purchase the employee's CETA time for past creditable service, the employee's CETA prime sponsor shall then pay to the applicable retirement program an amount equal to the employer's contribution, plus regular interest, for the employee's CETA time, using only CETA funds. [PL 2007, c. 491, §114 (AMD).]
[PL 2007, c. 491, §114 (AMD).]
4. Employee's contributions. Employee's contributions are governed as follows.
A. Notwithstanding section 17701, a CETA employee is not required to contribute to a retirement program of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System. [PL 2007, c. 491, §114 (AMD).]
B. A CETA employee may contribute during the employee's period of CETA employment or may defer contributions until the employee's post-CETA employment status is known. [PL 2007, c. 491, §114 (AMD).]
C. If an employee who has not contributed during the employee's CETA employment or who has withdrawn the employee's contributions later elects, under section 17761, to purchase the employee's CETA time for past creditable service, the employee shall pay to the applicable retirement program of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System an amount equal to the employee's contributions, plus interest, at a rate, to be set by the board, not to exceed regular interest by 5 or more percentage points. Interest must be computed beginning at the end of the year when those contributions or pick-up contributions would have been made to the date of payment. [PL 2009, c. 474, §21 (AMD).]
D. If an employee or member who has not contributed during that employee's or member's CETA employment or who has withdrawn that employee's or member's contributions later elects, under section 17761, subsection 3, to purchase that employee's or member's CETA time for past creditable service before any retirement benefit becomes effective for that member, that employee or member must pay into the Members' Contribution Fund, by a single direct payment or annual direct payments to the applicable retirement program of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System, an amount that, together with regular interest on that amount, is the actuarial equivalent, at the effective date of the retirement benefit, of the portion of the retirement benefit based on the additional creditable service. Annual payments must be made in accordance with section 17701, subsection 4. Additional amounts paid under this paragraph become a part of the employee's or member's accumulated contributions. If any retirement benefit becomes effective before the completion of the payment under this paragraph, the employee or member is entitled to service credit for a portion of the additional creditable service in the same proportion that the total amount of payments actually made, plus regular interest on those payments to the date the retirement benefit becomes effective, bears to the actuarial equivalent of the total portion of the retirement benefit based on the additional creditable service. [PL 2007, c. 491, §114 (AMD).]
[PL 2009, c. 474, §21 (AMD).]
5. Return of contributions. Any CETA employee who contributed to a retirement program of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System during the member's CETA employment and who does not meet the requirements of section 17761, must be refunded the member's employee contributions, plus regular interest, upon request to the retirement system.
[PL 2007, c. 491, §114 (AMD).]
