PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor                             Ch. 371

23-404.

(a)     (1) In this section[,] THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS
INDICATED.

(2)      ["appointed] "APPOINTED official" means an individual appointed to a
public office of the State who meets the legal criteria for an appointed official as
determined by the Office of the Attorney General.

(3)     "UNCLASSIFIED SERVICE OF THE STATE" MEANS THE UNCLASSIFIED
SERVICE IN THE STATE PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OR A COMPARABLE
POSITION IN AN INDEPENDENT PERSONNEL SYSTEM OF A PARTICIPATING
EMPLOYER.

(b)     The Board of Trustees shall pay a member of the Employees' Pension System
who qualifies under subsection (c) of this section a normal service retirement allowance,
regardless of age, if the member:

(1)     has at least 16 years of creditable service; and

(2)     elects to have the member's accumulated contributions paid as an
annuity of equivalent actuarial value instead of withdrawing the accumulated
contributions.

(c)     A member qualifies for a normal service retirement allowance under
subsection (b) of this section if the member:

(1)     (i) is an elected or appointed official of the State at the time of
application for retirement; and

(ii) was initially an elected or appointed official of the State before
July 22, 1981;

(2)     (i) is an elected or appointed official of the State when separating
from employment;

(ii) was initially an elected or appointed official of the State during the
period from July 22, 1981, through June 30, 1982, both inclusive; and

(iii) separated from employment involuntarily, as certified by the
Secretary of Personnel; or

(3)     (i) was promoted to [an unclassified position] A POSITION IN THE
UNCLASSIFIED SERVICE OF THE STATE on or before June 30, 1982;

(ii) has been in the unclassified service of the State continuously from
June 30, 1982, until separating from employment; and

(iii) separated from employment involuntarily, as certified by the
Secretary of Personnel.

- 2445 -