81-2031.

Termination of employment; return of contributions, when; rejoining system; deferred annuity.

(1) Upon termination of employment prior to becoming eligible to retire, as provided in section 81-2025, and for reasons other than death or disability, an officer shall be entitled to receive all payments which have been made by compensation deductions into the State Patrol Retirement Fund plus regular interest. The return of such contributions and interest to such officer shall preclude such officer from any benefits under the Nebraska State Patrol Retirement Act unless and until such officer is reemployed in such capacity and repays such withdrawals pursuant to section 81-2031.06. If the officer chooses not to repay such withdrawals with interest, the officer shall enter the system as a new member with no prior rights.

(2) In lieu of the benefit described in subsection (1) of this section, the officer may elect to receive a deferred annuity to commence as early as age fifty. If this election is made, the contributions made to the system by the officer may not be withdrawn from the system. The deferred annuity shall be computed as a percentage of the retirement annuity, as computed in subsection (1) of section 81-2026. The percentage shall be:

(a) Zero percent for the first five years of (i) creditable service plus (ii) eligibility and vesting credit;

(b) Twenty percent for each completed year for the next five years of (i) creditable service plus (ii) eligibility and vesting credit; and

(c) One hundred percent after ten completed years of (i) creditable service plus (ii) eligibility and vesting credit.

In the event of the death of any officer during the deferred period, the accumulated value of the officer's contributions at the date of termination plus regular interest to the date of his or her death shall be paid to such officer's beneficiary.