40 ILCS 5/15-157

(40 ILCS 5/15-157) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 15-157)

Sec. 15-157. Employee Contributions.

(a) Each participating employee shall make contributions towards the retirement benefits payable under the retirement program applicable to the employee from each payment of earnings applicable to employment under this system on and after the date of becoming a participant as follows: Prior to September 1, 1949, 3 1/2% of earnings; from September 1, 1949 to August 31, 1955, 5%; from September 1, 1955 to August 31, 1969, 6%; from September 1, 1969, 6 1/2%. These contributions are to be considered as normal contributions for purposes of this Article.

Each participant who is a police officer or firefighter shall make normal contributions of 8% of each payment of earnings applicable to employment as a police officer or firefighter under this system on or after September 1, 1981, unless he or she files with the board within 60 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991 or 60 days after the board receives notice that he or she is employed as a police officer or firefighter, whichever is later, a written notice waiving the retirement formula provided by Rule 4 of Section 15-136. This waiver shall be irrevocable. If a participant had met the conditions set forth in Section 15-132.1 prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991 but failed to make the additional normal contributions required by this paragraph, he or she may elect to pay the additional contributions plus compound interest at the effective rate. If such payment is received by the board, the service shall be considered as police officer service in calculating the retirement annuity under Rule 4 of Section 15-136. While performing service described in clause (i) or (ii) of Rule 4 of Section 15-136, a participating employee shall be deemed to be employed as a firefighter for the purpose of determining the rate of employee contributions under this Section.

(b) Starting September 1, 1969, each participating employee shall make additional contributions of 1/2 of 1% of earnings to finance a portion of the cost of the annual increases in retirement annuity provided under Section 15-136, except that with respect to participants in the self-managed plan this additional contribution shall be used to finance the benefits obtained under that retirement program.

(c) In addition to the amounts described in subsections (a) and (b) of this Section, each participating employee shall make contributions of 1% of earnings applicable under this system on and after August 1, 1959. The contributions made under this subsection (c) shall be considered as survivor's insurance contributions for purposes of this Article if the employee is covered under the traditional benefit package, and such contributions shall be considered as additional contributions for purposes of this Article if the employee is participating in the self-managed plan or has elected to participate in the portable benefit package and has completed the applicable one-year waiting period. Contributions in excess of $80 during any fiscal year beginning before August 31, 1969 and in excess of $120 during any fiscal year thereafter until September 1, 1971 shall be considered as additional contributions for purposes of this Article.

(d) If the board by board rule so permits and subject to such conditions and limitations as may be specified in its rules, a participant may make other additional contributions of such percentage of earnings or amounts as the participant shall elect in a written notice thereof received by the board.

(e) That fraction of a participant's total accumulated normal contributions, the numerator of which is equal to the number of years of service in excess of that which is required to qualify for the maximum retirement annuity, and the denominator of which is equal to the total service of the participant, shall be considered as accumulated additional contributions. The determination of the applicable maximum annuity and the adjustment in contributions required by this provision shall be made as of the date of the participant's retirement.

(f) Notwithstanding the foregoing, a participating employee shall not be required to make contributions under this Section after the date upon which continuance of such contributions would otherwise cause his or her retirement annuity to exceed the maximum retirement annuity as specified in clause (1) of subsection (c) of Section 15-136.

(g) A participant may make contributions for the purchase of service credit under this Article; however, only a participating employee may make optional contributions under subsection (b) of Section 15-157.1 of this Article.

(h) A Tier 2 member shall not make contributions on earnings that exceed the limitation as prescribed under subsection (b) of Section 15-111 of this Article.

(Source: P.A. 98-92, eff. 7-16-13; 99-450, eff. 8-24-15.)