§ 11-49-101. Right to pension - Amount.

A.  All retired volunteer fire fighters who qualify for retirement shall be entitled to a monthly pension.  The monthly pension of a volunteer fire fighter shall be in the amount retired volunteer fire fighters are receiving at the time the volunteer fire fighter begins to receive a pension for each year of credited service not to exceed thirty (30) years.  In determining the number of years of credited service, a fractional year of six (6) months or more shall be counted as one (1) full year and a fractional year of less than six (6) months shall not be counted in such determination.  Retired volunteer fire fighters of a municipality shall receive a pension of not less than that which retired volunteer fire fighters of such municipality were receiving on June 30, 1985.

B.  If a volunteer fire fighter whose first service with a participating employer of the System occurs prior to November 1, 2013, terminates service after completing ten (10) years of credited service, the volunteer fire fighter shall receive a vested benefit.  The volunteer fire fighter whose first service with a participating employer of the System occurs prior to November 1, 2013, shall be entitled to a monthly pension commencing on the date the fire fighter reaches fifty (50) years of age or the date the fire fighter would have had twenty (20) years of credited service had the fire fighter's service continued uninterrupted, whichever is later.  If a volunteer fire fighter whose first service with a participating employer of the System occurs on or after November 1, 2013, terminates service after completing eleven (11) years of credited service, the volunteer fire fighter shall receive a vested benefit.  The volunteer fire fighter whose first service with a participating employer of the System occurs on or after November 1, 2013, shall be entitled to a monthly pension commencing on the date the fire fighter reaches fifty (50) years of age or the date the fire fighter would have had twenty-two (22) years of credited service had the fire fighter's service continued uninterrupted, whichever is later.  The monthly amount of such retirement benefit shall be the amount being paid to volunteer fire fighters at the time the member vests multiplied by the number of years of credited service.  Credited service must be established at the time of the volunteer fire fighter's termination.  If a volunteer fire fighter who terminates employment and receives a vested benefit dies prior to being eligible to receive benefits, the volunteer fire fighter's beneficiary shall be entitled to the volunteer fire fighter's normal monthly retirement benefit on the date the deceased volunteer fire fighter would have been eligible to receive the benefit.

Added by Laws 1977, c. 256, § 49-101, eff. July 1, 1978.  Amended by Laws 1980, c. 352, § 8, eff. Jan. 1, 1981; Laws 1981, c. 224, § 1, emerg. eff. June 22, 1981; Laws 1983, c. 143, § 4, emerg. eff. May 26, 1983; Laws 1985, c. 222, § 4, emerg. eff. July 8, 1985; Laws 1986, c. 187, § 1, operative July 1, 1986; Laws 1987, c. 236, § 143, emerg. eff. July 20, 1987; Laws 1993, c. 126, § 2, emerg. eff. May 3, 1993; Laws 2013, c. 388, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2013.