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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>61992</law_id><section_number>51.1-155.1</section_number><catch_line>Exceptions from general early retirement provisions for certain state employees and constitutional officers</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>51.1-166</reference><reference>51.1-217</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="51.1">Pensions, Benefits, and Retirement</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">Virginia Retirement System</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="9">Benefits</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The provisions of this subsection apply to any <span class="dictionary">member</span> of the <span class="dictionary">retirement system</span> (i) whose position is described by subdivision 1 (except a <span class="dictionary">member</span> of the Judicial <span class="dictionary">Retirement System</span> (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Judicial Retirement System continued; administration; application of provisions of Virginia Retirement System" href="/51.1-300/">51.1-300</a> et seq.)), 2 (except a <span class="dictionary">member</span> of the Judicial <span class="dictionary">Retirement System</span> (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Judicial Retirement System continued; administration; application of provisions of Virginia Retirement System" href="/51.1-300/">51.1-300</a> et seq.)), 3, 4 (except an officer elected by popular vote), 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, or 20 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Certain officers and employees exempt from chapter" href="/2.2-2905/">2.2-2905</a>; (ii) who is an agency head appointed by a state <span class="dictionary">board</span>, state commission, or state council; or (iii) who is a school division superintendent appointed by a school <span class="dictionary">board</span> pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Appointment and term of superintendent; certain contractual matters" href="/22.1-60/">22.1-60</a>, and (a) who is involuntarily separated from state service and (b) who has 20 or more years of <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> at the date of separation. Such <span class="dictionary">member</span> may retire with the <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> as provided in subdivision A 1 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement allowance" href="/51.1-155/">51.1-155</a> upon attaining age 50, provided, however, that if (1) the <span class="dictionary">member</span> is a person who becomes a <span class="dictionary">member</span> on or after July 1, 2010, (2) the <span class="dictionary">member</span> does not have at least 60 months of <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> as of January 1, 2013, or (3) the <span class="dictionary">member</span> is enrolled in the hybrid retirement program described in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Hybrid retirement program" href="/51.1-169/">51.1-169</a>, then the <span class="dictionary">member</span> may retire with the <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> as provided in subdivision A 1 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement allowance" href="/51.1-155/">51.1-155</a> upon attaining age 60. <a id="paragraph-226276" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-155.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The provisions of this subsection apply to any <span class="dictionary">member</span> of the <span class="dictionary">retirement system</span> who (i) serves as chief executive officer of an interstate commission pursuant to Virginia&#x2019;s participation in such commission; (ii) is involuntarily separated from service; and (iii) has 20 or more years of <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> at the date of separation. Such <span class="dictionary">member</span> may retire without the reduction in <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> required by subdivision A 2 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement allowance" href="/51.1-155/">51.1-155</a> upon attaining age 50, provided, however, that if (a) the <span class="dictionary">member</span> is a person who becomes a <span class="dictionary">member</span> on or after July 1, 2010, (b) the <span class="dictionary">member</span> does not have at least 60 months of <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> as of January 1, 2013, or (c) the <span class="dictionary">member</span> is enrolled in the hybrid retirement program described in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Hybrid retirement program" href="/51.1-169/">51.1-169</a>, then the <span class="dictionary">member</span> may retire without the reduction in <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> required by subdivision A 2 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement allowance" href="/51.1-155/">51.1-155</a> upon attaining age 60. <a id="paragraph-226277" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-155.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The provisions of this subsection apply to any <span class="dictionary">member</span> of the <span class="dictionary">retirement system</span> who (i) serves as a constitutional officer, (ii) is involuntarily separated from service because his office is lawfully abolished, and (iii) has 20 or more years of <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> at the date of separation. Such <span class="dictionary">member</span> may retire with the <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> as provided in subdivision A 1 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement allowance" href="/51.1-155/">51.1-155</a>, upon attaining age 50, provided, however, that if (a) the <span class="dictionary">member</span> is a person who becomes a <span class="dictionary">member</span> on or after July 1, 2010, (b) the <span class="dictionary">member</span> does not have at least 60 months of <span class="dictionary">creditable service</span> as of January 1, 2013, or (c) the <span class="dictionary">member</span> is enrolled in the hybrid retirement program described in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Hybrid retirement program" href="/51.1-169/">51.1-169</a>, then the <span class="dictionary">member</span> may retire with the <span class="dictionary">retirement allowance</span> as provided in subdivision A 1 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement allowance" href="/51.1-155/">51.1-155</a> upon attaining age 60. <a id="paragraph-226278" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-155.1/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> For the purposes of this section, except for subsection C, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">involuntary separation</span>&#x201D; means any <span class="dictionary">dismissal</span>, requested resignation, or failure to obtain reappointment, except in case of a <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> for a <span class="dictionary">felony</span> or <span class="dictionary">crime</span> involving <span class="dictionary">moral turpitude</span> or dishonesty. <a id="paragraph-226279" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-155.1/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">state employee</span> who retires under the provisions of this section on or after January 1, 1994, shall be eligible to participate in the state health insurance program as provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Health and related insurance for state employees" href="/2.2-2818/">2.2-2818</a> and receive group life insurance benefits as provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Amounts of life and accident insurance for each employee; reduction and termination of insurance" href="/51.1-505/">51.1-505</a>. <a id="paragraph-226280" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-155.1/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1994, c. 785; 1995, cc. 152, 692, 721, 811; 1996, cc. 662, 924; 1997, c. 711; 1998, c. 746; 2000, c. 911; 2003, c. 220; 2011, cc. 250, 880; 2014, c. 356.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
