24 CAR § 10-512. Purchasable service credit — Gap period service

(a) A member may purchase permissive service credit for one (1) or more consecutive or nonconsecutive gap periods if the member: (1) Has five (5) years of actual service in the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System; (2) Has left his or her position as a classroom teacher immediately before each nonconsecutive gap period or the initial gap period of consecutive gap periods; (3) Returns to his or her position as a classroom teacher after one (1) or more gap periods; (4) Accrues at least one-half (1/2) year of service credit after returning to his or her position as a classroom teacher; (5) Was inactive during the gap period or gap periods; and (6) Is ineligible to receive free service credit for each gap period under another provision of the law applicable to the system. (b)(1) A member shall not: (A) Purchase more than five (5) years of permissive service credit; or (B) Purchase one (1) or more gap periods after the member retires from the system. (2) A member’s purchased permissive service credit shall be credited in accordance with Arkansas Code § 24-7-601. (c)(1) A member shall purchase permissive service credit for one (1) or more gap periods at the actuarial cost. (2) At the member’s request, a member’s payment for permissive service credit shall be refunded by the system if the: (A) Member ceased to be an active member before the permissive service is established as credited service in the system; or (B) Permissive service credit is not otherwise used to establish the member’s eligibility for retirement under the system.