ID H0021

Amends Idaho Code Section 59-1303 to designate specific positions as police officer members for retirement purposes, including state police, sheriffs, city police, corrections officers, emergency medical technicians, criminal investigators, and emergency communications officers.

Requires police officer membership status for retirement to be fixed only by law or by order of the retirement board, with ongoing criteria that positions involve hazardous law enforcement duties.

Allows employers to petition the retirement board to reclassify positions as police officer roles if they meet hazardous law enforcement duty criteria, with board decisions being final but subject to resubmission after six months.

Members reclassified from general to police officer status retain previously earned retirement benefits and are deemed police officers for retirement eligibility purposes if they continue in the same position until retirement.

Permits members whose positions became classified as police officer or firefighter on or before July 1, 2017, to elect to remain under general member contribution rates set forth in Section 59-1333 rather than the higher 72% police officer/firefighter contribution rate.