Membership Criteria

Membership in KP&F is mandatory for all employees in a covered position.
Criteria?

• Position is not temporary
• Position is not seasonal
• Position requires at least 1,000 hours of work per year
• Position is covered by Social Security.

Please contact KP&F to determine whether a new employee is or ever was a KP&F member.

Exception: If a KP&F member retires and returns to work in a KP&F position, the member may not contribute to the System from which he or she retired. If a KP&F member retires and returns to work in a KPERS covered position, the member must contribute to KPERS.

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Definitions

Police Officer
A “police officer” means an employee assigned to the police department whose principal duties are law enforcement and maintenance of order within the state and its political subdivisions. This group includes sheriffs and sheriffs’ deputies who have successfully completed the required course for law enforcement officers approved by the Kansas law enforcement training center.

Firefighter
A “fire fighter” means an employee assigned to the fire department whose principal duties are fighting and extinguishing fires and the protection of life and property. For the purposes of any affiliation under subsection (c), whenever the word “fireman” is used in article 49 of chapter 74 and amendments thereto, it shall be construed to include “emergency medical service technician” as defined by subsection (a).

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Membership Classifications

Tier I
Members who were employed before July 1, 1989, who did not choose Tier II coverage

Tier II
Members who were employed before July 1, 1989, who did elect Tier II coverage, as well as all members employed on or after July 1, 1989

Tier I or Tier II members can also be “Transfer” or “Brazelton” members.

Transfer Member
Members who are former members of local plans who chose to participate in KP&F when their employers affiliated for KP&F coverage. Former Kansas Highway Patrol and former Kansas Bureau of Investigation members are included in this group. Also included are countywide law enforcement agencies.

Brazelton Member
Members who participated in a class action lawsuit, whose contribution is lower and benefits are offset by Social Security.

Special Member
Special members cannot be Tier I or Tier II members. These members chose to stay under provisions of their local plans when their employers affiliated with KP&F.

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Completing the Report of Member Status form (KPERS-1)

Membership is required once an employee is eligible to become a member. The designated agent completes a Report of Member Status form (KPERS-1) and sends it to the Retirement System as soon as possible. The member’s signature is not required.

New Hires
Please contact KP&F to determine whether a new employee is or ever was a Retirement System member.

When completing the Report of Member Status form (KPERS-1) on a new employee, you will need to complete the following:

Part A - Member Information
Check “Enroll as a new member”
Member’s Social Security Number (all member contributions are reported using the member’s social security number)
Members’ name (current name and previous name if applicable)
Member’s address
Employer ID number (this is the employer’s four-digit ID number given to each employer upon affiliation with KP&F; it is not the federal ID number)
System Type (KP&F is 3)
Department # (if different groups of employees have different pay periods, you have department numbers and KP&F needs to know which department number each individual is under)
Name of employer (your agency or governmental unit)
Date of member’s employment in a covered position (this is the member’s hire date but does not include hire date in any temporary or seasonal position)
Check if member is KPERS, KP&F, Judges or Elected Official

Part B - for new members only
Date of Birth
Sex
Membership Date
Service Claim

Part C - Member’s signature
If member does not sign, please forward to KP&F office without signature.

Part D - Designated Agent Signature
Designated Agent must sign.

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Return to Payroll
When an employee leaves and later returns to employment with your agency and the person did not withdraw contributions or transfer to another KP&F employer in the interim you will complete a Report of Member Status form (KPERS-1). If the employee withdrew contributions, enroll him or her as a new member.

Part A - Check “Return to payroll”
Social Security Number
Name
Address
Employer ID number
System Type
Department number
Name of Participating Employer
Date of Member’s Employment or Return to Payroll in a KP&F Covered Position (hire date)
Check if member is KPERS, KP&F, Judges or Elected Official

Part B - Does not need to be completed

Part C - Member’s signature (if member does not sign, please forward to the KP&F office without the member’s signature)

Part D - Designated Agent’s Signature (designated agent must sign)

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Transfer of Membership
There is a "transfer of membership" when a member leaves a KP&F covered position with one employer and goes to a KP&F covered position with another employer (but only if the member has not withdrawn his or her contributions in the interim). As the designated agent at the new employer you complete a Report of Member Status form (KPERS-1) and check Transfer Membership.

In addition, if your agency is affiliated for optional group life insurance (OGLI) find out if the member had OGLI at his or her previous employment, so the coverage will continue. If the member withdrew contributions, then you complete the KPERS-1 form and check "enroll as a new member."

Part A - Check “Transfer Membership”
Social Security Number
Name
Address
Employer ID number
System Type
Department number
Name of Participating Employer
Date of Member’s Employment or Return to Payroll in a KP&F Covered Position (hire date)
Check if member is KPERS, KP&F, Judges or Elected Official

Part B - Does not need to be completed

Part C - Member’s signature
If member does not sign, please forward to the KP&F office without the member’s signature.

Part D - Designated Agent’s Signature
Designated Agent must sign.

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Portability

K.S.A. 74-4988 is known as the portability section of the Kansas Retirement Act. Portability allows members under certain conditions to combine their service and salaries from the three retirement systems KPERS administers (KPERS, KP&F and Judges). This is done to meet eligibility requirements for retirement and vesting. Normally, portability does not apply to any member who has retired under one system and then began working under another system.

All members can use portability if they retire under both accounts at the same time. All members can freeze their inactive accounts if they need to use the service from the inactive account but are not eligible to retire because of age.

If you have regular KPERS credited service, it may be used to count towards your KP&F service requirement but will not be included in the computation of your monthly benefit. A separate retirement benefit will be computed for your regular KPERS credited service.

Please contact the Retirement System if you have any questions regarding portability.

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Dual Employment

If the member is employed in a KP&F position and also working with another employer in a KP&F covered position, the member will contribute to KP&F with both employers.

If the member is employed in a KP&F position and also working another job in a KPERS position, the member will not contribute to KPERS. A member cannot receive service credit from two separate retirement systems at the same time that KPERS administers.

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Totality of Employment

Contributions must be taken from all compensation earned with the same employer if the member is in a KP&F covered position.

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Making Contributions

All KP&F members contribute a percentage of their salaries. Contribution and interest rates vary according to the member’s membership classification.

Tier I and Tier II members contribute 7 percent of their gross wages (reduced to 2 percent after 32 complete years of KP&F service).
Brazelton members contribute 0.008 percent with a social security offset.
Special members contribute 3 percent of their gross wages.

Employer contributions are not credited to an individual’s account. Employer contributions stay with KP&F if a member ends employment and withdraws his or her contributions.

Interest
Individuals who became members before July 1, 1993, earn 8 percent annually.

Individuals who became members on or after July 1, 1993, earn 4 percent annually.

If a person has membership before July 1, 1993, with any retirement system that KPERS administers, that member will earn 8 percent interest on his or her contributions. If a member has membership with a different retirement system July 1, 1993, and after and has not withdrawn his or her contributions from the previous membership, that member will continue to accrue 8 percent interest on both retirement system memberships.

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Vesting

A member must be “vested” to qualify for a KP&F retirement benefit. A vested member has accrued enough service credit to be eligible for retirement benefits, even if he or she ends employment. To remain eligible, the member must leave his or her contributions with KP&F.

Tier I members: are vested with 20 years of service credit
Tier II members: are vested with 15 years of service credit

Keep in mind that vesting requirements differ from the requirements used to determine eligibility for retirement.

The most significant benefit to being a vested member is that it guarantees a lifetime retirement benefit as long as the member’s contributions stay with the Retirement System. Vested members who withdraw their contributions forfeit all rights and privileges under KP&F.

Non-vested members have their memberships protected and interest credited to their accounts for five years from the date they end employment. If a member leaves his or her contributions on deposit and returns to covered employment within the five-year protection period, that member will immediately begin contributing and earning service credit.

If a person has membership with more than one retirement system administered by KPERS, and his or her service credit with both systems vests the member with one retirement system but not the other, the member does not have to withdraw the non-vested membership after five years.

Please remind members who become inactive (end employment) to keep their contact information up-to-date with the Retirement System.

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Annual Statements

Each year KP&F will provide the member with an Annual Statement of Member Account. This statement will advise the member of which Tier group the member is as well as the following personal information.

1. Prior service months. This is credited service before the member’s original employer’s entry date into the System, which the employer must verify.
2. Participating service. This is service credited by calendar quarter for employment after the employer’s entry date.
3. The member’s previous year’s balance as of December 31.
4. Current year contributions. The member’s contributions credited to his or her account for the current year
5. Interest. On June 30 KP&F will apply interest to the balance of account on the previous December 31. If his or her membership date is June 30, 1993, or before, the member will receive 8 percent interest. If membership date is July 1, 1993, and after the interest is 4 percent.
6. Total accumulated contributions. The total of C, D and E as of December 31 of previous year.
7. Beneficiary. When the member names a beneficiary, this person will receive all benefits, including any optional insurance the member may have, the return of the member’s contributions, and/or if the member is retired, the lump-sum death benefit, unless the Retirement Act specifically provides otherwise. Any beneficiaries named will share equally in the benefits.

Annual statements are distributed by the Retirement System to the designated agents. Designated agents must distribute annual statements to members in a confidential manner. Members should carefully review the information on their annual statements and bring any discrepancies to the attention of their designated agent.

If you continue to receive an annual statement for an employee who no longer works for your employer, complete an Arrearage/Refund Adjustment to Prior Contribution Report form (KPERS-17 OPT) to give us the employee’s last day on the payroll. If available, send KP&F current contact information for the employee.

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