Maine Revised Statutes Title 5. Administrative Procedures and Services § 18251. Compulsory and optional membership

1. Compulsory membership. Membership is compulsory for all persons entering the service of a participating local district after the date of establishment for the participating local district, except as otherwise provided by subsection 3; section 18201, subsection 3; or section 18256.

1. Compulsory membership. Membership is compulsory for all employees entering the service of a participating local district after the date of establishment for the participating local district, but not for employees exempted under subsection 2; under section 18201, subsection 3; or under section 18252.

2. Repealed. Laws 2003, c. 630, § A-2.

3. Optional membership. Membership in the Participating Local District Retirement Program is optional for the following employees of a participating local district:

Except as provided in section 18252-C, a person must make an election at the time of initial hire, or on the date of first eligibility to participate, whichever occurs earlier, whether to be a member of the program.

4. Repealed.Laws 2009, c. 474, § 29.

5. Repealed.Laws 2009, c. 474, § 30.

6. Limitations on claims for participation. If an employee claims that the employee was not offered participation in the program at the commencement of or during the course of employment with the participating local district, that claim must be commenced within 6 years of the date upon which the employee was first eligible for participation in the program.

7. Participation in other retirement plans. If an employee requests and is allowed retroactive participation in the program, and during the time for which these retroactive retirement benefits are sought the participating local district offered and the employee participated in another retirement plan, all contributions made to the alternative plan by the employer and all earnings made on employer and employee contributions must be paid to the retirement system, up to the amount that the employer is required by the retirement system to pay to fund retroactive benefits under the program. In the event the funds available in the employee's alternative retirement plan account are not sufficient to fund the employer's required contributions to the retirement system, the employer shall pay any remaining employer contributions required by the retirement system to fund retroactive benefits under the program.