Section R2-8-503. Requirements Applicable to All Service Credit Purchases

A.      To purchase service credit at the amount provided in an SP invoice, an eligible member shall purchase the service credit by check or money order, or request an Irrevocable Payroll Deduction Authorization, rollover, transfer or termination pay

distribution as specified in this Article, by the due date speci- fied on the SP invoice.

B.       An eligible member may purchase all of the service credit or a portion of the service credit. If the eligible member wishes to purchase only a portion of the service credit, the eligible mem- ber shall specify, on the Service Purchase Payment Request form identified in R2-8-502(D)(2):

1.        The dollar amount the eligible member wishes to pur- chase, up to the amount specified on the SP invoice, or

2.        The number of years or partial years the eligible member wishes to purchase, not exceeding the years or partial years specified on the SP invoice.

C.      If the eligible member elects to purchase only a portion of the service credit, the cost and amount of service credit the eligi- ble member identifies on the Service Purchase Payment Request form is only an estimate and may be more or less than the actual cost or amount of service credit purchased by the eligible member.

D.      The eligible member shall not request to purchase additional service credit based on the SP invoice until the member has completed the purchase of the previously requested portion of service credit or cancel the request as specified in subsection (F).

E.       ASRS shall not consider more than one active request at a time from a member to purchase service credit in a single category. The categories are:

1.        Leave of absence,

2.        Military service,

3.        Presidential Call-up service,

4.        Forfeited service, and

5.        Other public service.

F.       An eligible member may cancel an active request to purchase a specific category of service credit verbally or in writing, and submit a new request in the same category of service credit for a different amount of service credit.

G.      If an eligible member is entitled to a window credit, the eligi- ble member may apply the window credit to purchase service credit. To apply a window credit to a purchase of service credit, the eligible member shall make a request to the ASRS in writing by the due date specified on the SP invoice and include the following information:

1.        The amount the member wants to apply,

2.        The member’s signature, and

3.        The date of the member’s signature.

H.      The amount of service credit an eligible member may purchase and the benefits an eligible member may receive are subject to the limitations prescribed in A.R.S. § 38-747(E).

I.        On or before the due date specified on the SP Invoice, ASRS shall extend the time for an eligible member to respond to an SP invoice as follows:

1.        If the member notifies the ASRS of an ASRS error, the

time is extended 30 days after the date the ASRS sends notification to the eligible member that the ASRS has corrected the error;

2.        If an ASRS internal review is made of the member’s ser- vice credit purchase request, the time is extended 30 days after the date ASRS sends notification to the member that the review is completed;

3.        If the member appeals an issue regarding the SP invoice under Article 4 of this Chapter, the time is extended 30 days after the date ASRS sends notification to the mem- ber that a decision on the appeal has been made; or

4.        If an unforeseeable event occurs that is outside of the member’s control, such as an incapacitating illness of the member or death of an immediate family member, and the member notifies the ASRS of the event, the ASRS shall extend the time by up to six months, after a review

of the unforeseeable event to determine the length of the extension.

Historical Note

New Section made by final rulemaking at 11 A.A.R. 2640, effective June 30, 2005 (Supp. 05-2). Amended by final rulemaking at 12 A.A.R. 4667, effective December 5, 2006 (Supp. 06-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 18

A.A.R. 3130, effective January 6, 2013 (Supp. 12-4).