40.02(40)(40) “Leave of absence” means any period during which an employee has ceased to render services for a participating employer and receive earnings and there has been no formal termination of the employer-employee relationship. For purposes of the fund every leave of absence, except a military leave or union service leave, shall terminate 3 years after it begins or, if earlier, upon the date specified by the employer in a notification to the department that the employer-employee relationship has terminated. A leave of absence is not deemed ended or interrupted by reason of resumption of active duty until the employee has resumed active performance of duty for 30 consecutive calendar days for at least 50 percent of what is considered that employee’s normal work time with that employer. For the purpose of group health insurance coverage, every leave of absence due to employee layoff which has not been terminated before 3 years have elapsed shall continue for affected insured employees until an additional 2 years elapse or until sick leave credits used to pay health insurance premiums are exhausted, whichever occurs first. 40.02(40m)(40m) “Long-term care insurance” means insurance that primarily provides coverage for care that is provided in institutional and community-based settings and that is convalescent or custodial care or care for a chronic condition or terminal illness. The term does not include a medicare supplement policy, as defined in s. 600.03 (28r), a medicare replacement policy, as defined in s. 600.03 (28p), or a continuing care contract, as defined in s. 647.01 (2). 40.02(41)(41) “Milwaukee teacher” means any teacher employed by the board of school directors of the city of Milwaukee. 40.02(41m)(41m) “Monthly salary” means the gross amount paid to a participant making a claim under s. 40.65, at the time he or she becomes disabled within the meaning of s. 40.65 (4), by the employer in whose employ the injury occurred or the disease was contracted. Overtime pay may not be considered part of an employee’s monthly salary unless the employee received it on a regular and dependable basis. 40.02(41r)(41r) “Named survivor” means the natural person designated by a participant on an application for a joint and survivor annuity or pursuant to a request under s. 40.24 (4) to receive, after the death of the participant, a continuing percentage of the annuity payable in monthly installments. A participant may not designate more than one natural person as the named survivor for a joint and survivor annuity. A participant’s designation of a named survivor on an application for a joint and survivor annuity is irrevocable after the deadline specified under s. 40.24 (4). Pursuant to rules promulgated by the department, a named survivor may designate one or more beneficiaries to receive any remaining guaranteed monthly installments that are unpaid at the time of the named survivor’s death. 40.02(42)(42) “Normal retirement date” means: 40.02(42)(a)(a) The date on which a participant attains the age of 55 years for a protective occupation participant who terminates covered employment before July 1, 1990, or, for a protective occupation participant who terminates covered employment on or after July 1, 1990, the date on which the participant attains the age of 54 years if the participant has accumulated less than 25 years of creditable service or the age of 53 years if the participant has accumulated at least 25 years of creditable service, except as provided in par. (g). 40.02(42)(b)(b) The date on which a participant attains the age of 62 years for a participant who was an elected official or an executive participating employee before January 1, 2017, except as provided in par. (g). 40.02(42)(d)(d) The date on which a participant attains the age of 65 years for any participant not subject to par. (a) or (b), except as provided in par. (g). 40.02(42)(g)(g) The date applicable to the participant under pars. (a) to (d) at the earlier of either the date it is necessary to make any determination or to take any action relative to the participant for purposes of the retirement system or the date of termination of employment of the participant, notwithstanding the fact that a participant may have been in one or more different employment categories at any previous time except for the purpose of calculating an annuity. For the purpose of calculating an annuity, the normal retirement date for each category provided by pars. (a) to (d) applies to service which is subject to that category. For the purpose of calculating a retirement benefit for an executive participating employee qualifying only under s. 40.02 (30) (b), 1985 stats., a normal retirement date of the date the executive participating employee attains the age of 62 years shall be applied to creditable service of the executive participating employee for which par. (d) would otherwise apply except the number of creditable service years to which that normal retirement date shall be applied under this paragraph may not exceed the number of executive service years of the executive participating employee. 40.02(43)(43) “OASDHI” means federal old-age, survivors, disability and health insurance under Titles II and XVIII of the federal social security act. 40.02(44)(44) “OASDHI benefit” means the primary or disability insurance monthly benefit amount for which a person is eligible, or for which a participant will be eligible upon attaining the lowest age at which old-age benefits are payable under the OASDHI program. 40.02(45)(45) “Participant” means any person included within the provisions of the Wisconsin retirement system by virtue of being or having been a participating employee whose account has not been closed under s. 40.25 (1) or (2). 40.02(46)(46) “Participating employee” means an employee who is currently in the service of, or an employee who is on a leave of absence from, a participating employer under the Wisconsin retirement system and who has met the requirements for inclusion within the provisions of the Wisconsin retirement system under s. 40.22. 40.02(47)(47) “Participating employer” means, for purposes of each of the respective benefit plans, any employer subject to the provisions of that plan under this chapter. 40.02(48)(a)(a) “Protective occupation participant” means any participant whose principal duties are determined by the participating employer, or, subject to s. 40.06 (1) (dm), by the department head in the case of a state employee, to involve active law enforcement or active fire suppression or prevention, provided the duties require frequent exposure to a high degree of danger or peril and also require a high degree of physical conditioning. 40.02(48)(am)(am) “Protective occupation participant” includes any participant whose name is certified to the fund as provided in s. 40.06 (1) (d) and (dm) and who is any of the following: 40.02(48)(am)19.19. A special agent employed by the department of revenue who is authorized to act under s. 73.031. 40.02(48)(am)20.20. A special criminal investigation agent in the department of justice. 40.02(48)(b)(b) Each determination of the status of a participant under this subsection shall include consideration, where applicable, of the following factors: 40.02(48)(b)1.1. A “police officer” is any officer, including the chief, or employee of a police department, except one whose principal duties are those of a telephone operator, clerk, stenographer, machinist or mechanic and whose functions do not clearly fall within the scope of active law enforcement even though such an employee is subject to occasional call, or is occasionally called upon, to perform duties within the scope of active law enforcement. Police officer includes any person regularly employed and qualifying as a patrol officer or a person of equal or higher rank, even if temporarily assigned to other duties. 40.02(48)(b)2.2. A “fire fighter” is any officer, including the chief, or employee of a fire department, except one whose principal duties are those of a telephone operator, clerk, stenographer, machinist or mechanic and whose functions do not clearly fall within the scope of active fire suppression or prevention even though such an employee is subject to occasional call, or is occasionally called upon, to perform duties within the scope of active fire suppression or prevention. Fire fighter includes any person regularly employed and qualifying as a fire fighter, hose handler or a person of equal or higher rank, even if temporarily assigned to other duties. 40.02(48)(b)3.3. A “deputy sheriff” or a “county traffic police officer” is any officer or employee of a sheriff’s office or county traffic department, except one whose principal duties are those of a telephone operator, clerk, stenographer, machinist or mechanic and whose functions do not clearly fall within the scope of active law enforcement even though such an employee is subject to occasional call, or is occasionally called upon, to perform duties within the scope of active law enforcement. Deputy sheriff or county traffic police officer does not include a county jailer, but does include any person regularly employed and qualifying as a deputy sheriff or county traffic police officer, even if temporarily assigned to other duties. 40.02(48)(b)4.4. A “member of the state traffic patrol” includes one division administrator in the department of transportation who is counted under s. 230.08 (2) (e) 12. and whose duties include supervising the state traffic patrol, if the division administrator is certified by the law enforcement standards board under s. 165.85 (4) (a) 1. as being qualified to be a law enforcement officer. 40.02(48)(b)5.5. A “county jailer” is an employee of a county whose principal duties involve supervising, controlling, or maintaining a jail or house of correction or the persons confined in a jail, as assigned by the sheriff under s. 59.27 (1), or the persons confined in a house of correction, as assigned by a county board of supervisors under s. 303.17, regardless of whether the employee has been sworn regarding his or her duties or whether the employee serves on a full-time basis, provided the department receives notification of the participant’s name as provided in s. 40.06 (1) (d) and (dm). Notwithstanding par. (a), an employer may classify an employee who is a county jailer as a protective occupation participant under par. (am) 23. without making a determination that the principal duties of the employee involve active law enforcement or active fire suppression or prevention. A determination under this subdivision may not be appealed under s. 40.06 (1) (e) or (em). A county jailer is not a protective occupation participant if he or she so elects with the employer under s. 59.52 (8m) or 2023 Wisconsin Act 4. 40.02(48)(bm)(bm) “Protective occupation participant” includes any participant who is an emergency medical services practitioner, as defined in s. 256.01 (5), if the participant’s employer classifies the participant as a protective occupation participant and the department receives notification of the participant’s name as provided in s. 40.06 (1) (d) and (dm). Notwithstanding par. (a), an employer may classify a participant who is an emergency medical services practitioner as a protective occupation participant without making a determination that the principal duties of the participant involve active law enforcement or active fire suppression or prevention. A determination under this paragraph may not be appealed under s. 40.06 (1) (e) or (em), but a determination under this paragraph regarding the classification of a state employee is subject to review under s. 40.06 (1) (dm). Notwithstanding sub. (17) (d), each participant who is classified as a protective occupation participant under this paragraph on or after January 1, 1991, shall be granted creditable service as a protective occupation participant for all covered service as an emergency medical services practitioner that was earned on or after the date on which the department receives notification of the participant’s name as provided in s. 40.06 (1) (d) and (dm), but may not be granted creditable service as a protective occupation participant for any covered service as an emergency medical services practitioner that was earned before that date. 40.02(48)(c)(c) In s. 40.65, “protective occupation participant” means a participating employee who is a police officer, fire fighter, an individual determined by a participating employer under par. (a) or (bm) to be a protective occupation participant, county undersheriff, deputy sheriff, county jailer who is certified as a protective occupation participant, state probation and parole officer, county traffic police officer, conservation warden, state forest ranger, field conservation employee of the department of natural resources who is subject to call for forest fire control or warden duty, member of the state traffic patrol, state motor vehicle inspector, University of Wisconsin System full-time police officer, guard or any other employee whose principal duties are supervision and discipline of inmates at a state penal institution, special agent employed by the department of revenue who is authorized to act under s. 73.031, person employed under s. 60.553 (1), 61.66 (1), or 62.13 (2e) (a), or special criminal investigation agent employed by the department of justice. 40.02(48m)(48m) “Qualified domestic relations order” means a judgment, decree or order issued by a court pursuant to a domestic relations law of any state or territory of the United States, that meets all of the following criteria: 40.02(48m)(a)(a) The name, date of birth, social security number and last-known mailing address of the participant and the alternate payee are specified. 40.02(48m)(b)(b) The Wisconsin retirement system is specified by name. 40.02(48m)(c)(c) The decree date is specified as the date to be used for valuing and dividing the participant’s account. 40.02(48m)(d)(d) The alternate payee share is specified as a single percentage, not to exceed 50 percent of the value of the participant’s account on the decree date, to be applied to all parts of the participant’s account. 40.02(48m)(e)(e) The determination of the alternate payee share does not require that benefits be paid to the alternate payee if those benefits are also required to be paid to another alternate payee under another judgment, decree, or order previously determined to be a qualified domestic relations order or to the internal revenue service under a lien placed on the participant’s account under section 64 of the Internal Revenue Code. 40.02(48m)(f)(f) The judgment, decree or order requires the participant to certify, in a form prescribed by the department, all of the participant’s active military service, as described in sub. (15) (a). 40.02(48m)(g)(g) The judgment, decree or order does not require payment of benefits exceeding in value those benefits to which the participant is entitled on the decree date. 40.02(48m)(h)(h) The judgment, decree or order does not assign any form of joint ownership of a participant’s account or benefits payable from the account. 40.02(48m)(i)(i) The judgment, decree or order does not require a division of the participant’s account in a manner contrary to s. 40.08 (1m). 40.02(48m)(j)(j) The judgment, decree or order requires the participant’s employer to submit to the department a report of all earnings, service and contributions of the participant as provided in s. 40.06 (7). 40.02(48m)(k)(k) The judgment, decree or order does not require the department to enforce or otherwise monitor the benefits assigned to the alternate payee under s. 40.08 (1m). 40.02(48r)(48r) “Required beginning date” means the later of April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which a participant attains the age set under section 401 (a) (9) of the Internal Revenue Code or April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which a participating employee retires. 40.02(49)(49) “Retired employee” means a former insured employee who is not a participating employee and who is retired on an immediate or disability annuity or who receives a lump sum payment under s. 40.25 (1) which would have been an immediate annuity if paid as an annuity or who is an eligible employee under sub. (25) (b) 6., 6e., or 6g. 40.02(50)(50) “Retirement annuity” means any annuity payable under s. 40.23, including the continuation of retirement annuities after the death of the participant. 40.02(51)(51) “Retirement system” means a pension, annuity, retirement or similar fund or system established by this state or by a political subdivision of this state. 40.02(52)(52) “Salary index” means the percentage increase in the average of the total wages, as determined under 42 USC 415 (b) (3) (A), between the year before the preceding year and the preceding year. 40.02(53)(53) “Secretary” means the secretary of the department. 40.02(54)(54) “State agency” means any office, department or independent agency in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government and includes the following: 40.02(54)(b)(b) The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. 40.02(54)(c)(c) The Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority. 40.02(54)(e)(e) The community development finance authority created under ch. 233, 1985 stats., before July 1, 1988. 40.02(54)(f)(f) The nonprofit corporation with which the department of workforce development contracts under s. 47.03 (1m) (a), 1989 stats. 40.02(54)(h)(h) The University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. 40.02(54)(i)(i) The Fox River Navigational System Authority. 40.02(54)(m)(m) The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. 40.02(54m)(54m) “State annuitant” means a person receiving a retirement annuity, beneficiary annuity or a disability annuity from this state’s retirement system who at one time received a salary or wages from this state and who is a resident of this state. 40.02(54t)(54t) “State employee” means an employee of a state agency. 40.02(55)(55) “Teacher” means any employee engaged in the exercise of any educational function for compensation in the public schools, including charter schools as defined in s. 115.001 (1) that are instrumentalities of a school district, or the university in instructing or controlling pupils or students, or in administering, directing, organizing or supervising any educational activity, but does not include any employee determined to be an auxiliary instructional employee under s. 115.29 (3). “Teacher” includes the following: 40.02(55)(a)(a) Any person employed as a librarian by any school board in a library in any school under its jurisdiction, including a charter school as defined in s. 115.001 (1) that is an instrumentality of a school district, whose qualifications as a librarian are at least equal to the minimum librarian qualifications prescribed by the state superintendent of public instruction. 40.02(55)(b)(b) Any person employed as a full-time social center, community house, adult education or recreation director, instructor or other employee employed by the board of school directors of the city of Milwaukee, who possesses the qualifications required for employment as a teacher. 40.02(55g)(55g) “Technical college educational support personnel employee” means a person who is a technical college district employee, but who is not a teacher. 40.02(55m)(55m) “Timely appeal” means a written request for the review of a determination that is filed within 90 days after the determination is mailed to the person aggrieved by the determination. 40.02(56)(56) “Union service leave” means that period of absence from employment commencing on the date an employee commences a leave of absence for the purpose of serving in a position with a labor organization representing employees of the employee’s employer, and terminating on the date that leave of absence terminates or the date that service with that labor organization terminates, whichever first occurs. 40.02(57)(57) “University” means the University of Wisconsin System under ch. 36. 40.02(57m)(57m) “U.S. armed forces” means any of the following:
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