Creditable military service under the Wisconsin Retirement System. (FE)

1. If the participant left employment covered under the WRS to enter military service and returned to the same employer within 180 days after being discharged, the participant may receive one year of military service credit for each year of military service.

2. If the participant's military service was performed before 1974, the participant may receive up to one, two, three, or four years of military service credit if the participant has at least five, ten, fifteen, or twenty years, respectively, of creditable service (not counting previously granted military service credit).

This bill provides that a participating employee in the WRS who was an employee of the Department of Corrections for at least five years and who terminates covered service on or after the effective date of the bill may receive creditable military service for active military service performed at any time. The requirements and standards of item 2. apply to such a grant of creditable military service.

The bill provides that, for the purposes of item 2., the participant may receive military service credits under the WRS for military service that is also used for the purpose of establishing entitlement to a retirement benefit that is paid by the federal government.

The bill provides that, for the purpose of item 1., the participant need not return to employment with the same WRS employer, but may return to employment with any WRS employer.

The bill requires that DOC make additional contributions as determined by the actuary and agreed to by the Employee Trust Funds Board to cover the costs of granting the additional military service credits authorized under the bill.

Because this bill relates to public employee retirement or pensions, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill.