CHAPTER 18. EDUCATION.

ARTICLE 7A. STATE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

§18-7A-13a. Resumption of service by retired teachers.

(a) For the purpose of this section, reemployment of a former or retired teacher as a teacher may in no way impair the teacher's eligibility for a prior service pension or any other benefit provided by this article.

(b) Retired teachers who qualified for an annuity because of age or service may not receive prior service allowance from the retirement board when employed as a teacher and when regularly employed by the State of West Virginia. The payment of the allowance shall be discontinued on the first day of the month within which the employment begins and shall be resumed on the first day of the month succeeding the month within which the employment ceases. The annuity paid the teacher on first retirement resulting from the Teachers' Accumulation Fund and the Employers' Accumulation Fund shall continue throughout the governmental service and thereafter according to the option selected by the teacher upon first retirement.

(c) Retired teachers who qualified for an annuity because of disability may receive no further retirement payments if the retirement board finds that the disability of the teacher no longer exists; payment shall be discontinued on the first day of the month within which the finding is made. If the retired teacher returns to service as a teacher, he or she shall contribute to the Teachers' Accumulation Fund as a member of the system. His or her prior service eligibility, if any, shall not be impaired because of his or her disability retirement. His or her accumulated contributions which were transferred to the benefit fund upon his or her retirement shall be returned to his or her individual account in the Teachers' Accumulation Fund, minus retirement payments received which were not supported by such contributions and interest. Upon subsequent retirement, he or she shall receive credit for all contributory experience, anything to the contrary in this article notwithstanding.

(d) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, a person who retires under the system provided by this article may subsequently become employed on either a full-time basis, part-time basis, or contract basis by any institution of higher education without any loss of retirement annuity or retirement benefits if the person's retirement commences between the effective date of the enactment of this section in 2002 and December 31, 2002: Provided, That the person may not be eligible to participate in any other state retirement system provided by this code.

(e) The retirement board may require of the retired teachers and their employers such reports as it deems necessary to effectuate the provisions of this section.

(f) Prior to any retirant subsequently becoming employed with an employer on a permanent (regularly employed for full-time service), substitute, or temporary basis, the employer shall notify the retirement board and the retirant, in writing, when the retirant's potential permanent, substitute, or temporary employment will negatively impact the retirant's retired status or benefits. Upon the retirant's acceptance of either permanent, substitute, or temporary employment, the employer shall notify the retirement board, in writing, of the retirant's subsequent employment.