Sec. 7. 5 MRSA §18252-A, sub-§1, ¶¶A and B, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 709, §4, are amended to read:

A. An employee hired by a participating local district, or rehired following a break in service, after the date on which the employer provides a plan under section 18252-B shall must elect at the time of hiring or rehiring whether to be a member under the retirement system or to be covered under a plan provided by the employer under section 18252-B.

(1) If the employee elects to be a member under the retirement system, the election is effective as of the date of hire or rehire.

(a) An employee who elects to be a member of the retirement system may later elect to be covered under a plan provided by the employer under section 18252-B. The employee who so elects shall may, at the employee's discretion, withdraw accumulated contributions in accordance with applicable requirements of law and rule and retirement system procedures.

(b) An employee who elects under division (a) to be covered under a plan provided by the employer under section 18252-B may later elect to again become a member under the retirement system, unless to so elect would have the effect of requiring the employer, without the employer's agreement, to make an employer contribution to both the retirement system and the plan provided by the employer under section 18252-B.

(c) An employee who elects under division (b) to again become a member of the retirement system may not pay contributions or pick-up contributions or receive service credit for the period during which the employee elected not to be a member under the retirement system. The employee may, in accordance with section 18304, repay contributions withdrawn under division (a) and may, as permitted under other relevant retirement system law, rule and policy, repay other refunded contributions.

(d) An employee who, having elected to again become a member under the retirement system under