Maine Code § 5-17859

Retiring and returning to work
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1. Restoration to service. Any state employee or teacher who has reached normal retirement age
may be restored to service. The decision to hire a retired state employee or retired teacher under this
section is at the discretion of the appointing authority. The retired state employee or retired teacher
shall terminate employment in accordance with state and federal laws and rules, may not return to
employment after retirement with the same employer for at least 30 calendar days after the termination
of employment and may not return to employment before the effective date of the person's retirement.
[PL 2025, c. 221, §24 (AMD).]
1-A. Restoration to work as classroom-based employees or administrators. Any retired state
employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator may be restored to service as a classroom-

based employee or school administrator in a school in the unorganized territory or with a school
administrative unit as defined in Title 20-A, section 1, subsection 26:
A. In one-year contracts, which may be nonconsecutive. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (AMD).]
B. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (RP).]
C. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (RP).]
The retired classroom-based employee shall terminate employment in accordance with state and federal
laws and rules, may not return to employment after retirement with the same employer for at least 30
calendar days after the termination of employment and may not return to employment before the
effective date of the person's retirement.
For purposes of this section, "classroom-based employee" means a teacher whose principal function is
to introduce new learning to students in the classroom or to provide support in the classroom during the
introduction of new learning to students.
[PL 2025, c. 221, §25 (AMD).]
2. Compensation and benefits.
[PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (RP).]
2-A. Compensation. The compensation rate of the retired state employee, retired teacher or retired
school administrator returning to service under subsection 1 or 1-A is the same as is required for the
position as if the position were filled by an employee who is not a retired state employee, retired teacher
or retired school administrator. The compensation rate is determined on the basis of the position under
any applicable collective bargaining agreement or determined through normal salary negotiations when
the position is not part of a collective bargaining unit.
[PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]
2-B. Benefits. The benefits of the retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school
administrator who returns to service after retirement as set out in subsection 1 or 1-A are governed by
this subsection.
A. During the period of reemployment, a retired teacher or retired school administrator continues
to receive any retirement benefits that the teacher or administrator is entitled to under Title 20-A,
section 13451. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]
B. During the period of reemployment, a retired state employee continues to receive any retirement
benefits that the employee is entitled to under sections 285 and 18055. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1
(NEW).]
C. During the period of reemployment, a retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school
administrator who is not receiving any retirement benefits as described in paragraphs A and B is
eligible for such benefits as per the local collective bargaining agreement or established through
normal negotiations if the position is not part of a collective bargaining unit. [PL 2019, c. 436,
§1 (NEW).]
D. During the period of reemployment, a retiree as described in paragraphs A and B may receive
additional compensation toward such benefits in an amount not to exceed that of the local collective
bargaining agreement if applicable. [PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]
[PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]
3. Contributions to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System and state group health
plan.
[PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (RP).]
3-A. Contributions to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System. For a reemployed
retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator, the portion of the employer

contribution that goes to pay the retirement system for the unfunded liability must be continued at the
same contribution rate of the employer as described in section 17253 as is required for the position as
if the position were filled by an employee who is not a retired state employee, retired teacher or retired
school administrator. A retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator who
returns to service under this section is not a member and therefore may not accrue additional creditable
service during the reemployment period or change the retired state employee's, retired teacher's or
retired school administrator's earnable compensation for benefit calculation purposes.
[PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]
3-B. Contributions to the state group health plan. For a reemployed retired state employee,
retired teacher or retired school administrator, the portion of the employer and employee contribution
that goes to pay the state group health plan for health care must be continued at the same contribution
rate of the employer and employee as is required for the position as if the position were filled by an
employee who is not a retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator.
[PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (NEW).]
4. Notification requirements. Employers under this section are required to identify and report to
the retirement system, in the manner specified by the retirement system, each individual who is a retiree
who becomes an employee of the employer under an option provided in this section. Departments shall
also report each retiree who becomes an employee to the Bureau of the Budget in a manner specified
by the bureau. The employer shall report each such employee whenever and so long as the employee
is the employer's employee.
[PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (AMD).]
5. Exclusion.
[PL 2019, c. 436, §1 (RP).]

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