ENROLLED

H. B. 4541


(By Delegates Jenkins, Campbell, Williams,

J. Smith, Harrison, Hubbard and Hall)


[Passed March 11, 2000; in effect ninety days from passage.]




AN ACT to amend and reenact section twenty-four, article seven-a, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to the disposition of accumulated contributions in the teacher retirement system.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That section twenty-four, article seven-a, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 7A. STATE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

§18-7A-24. Disposition of accumulated contributions upon cessation of membership.

When a contributor with fewer than five years of service ceases to be a member because of absence from service as a teacher, his or her accumulated contributions with refund interest up to and including the fiscal year in which his or her membership ceased, shall be returned to him or her, or to his or her legal representative. Five years after cessation of membership, if such contributor or his or her legal representative cannot be found, his accumulated contributions with refund interest shall be forfeited to the retirement system and credited to the reserve fund.