Effective date of transition to the Virginia Retirement System and transition period for Richmond Behavioral Health Authority employees.
Richmond, Va., City Code § 22-362
in effectSec. 22-362. - Effective date of transition to the Virginia Retirement System and transition period for Richmond Behavioral Health Authority employees.
(a) For the purposes of this section, the term "effective date" means the date when the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority becomes a participating employer in the Virginia Retirement System.
(b) Notwithstanding any section of this chapter to the contrary, an eligible employee hired or rehired by the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority on or after the effective date, and who is a person for whom "membership in the retirement system" is compulsory pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 51.1-135, shall not become a member of the System but shall be enrolled in the VRS Retirement Plan for which they are qualified.
(c) Notwithstanding any section of this chapter to the contrary, an eligible employee who is hired or rehired on or after the effective date, who is a person for whom "membership in the retirement system" is not compulsory pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 51.1-135, shall not become a member of the System.
(d) Eligible employees participating in the System as of the effective date, may elect to transition to the VRS Retirement Plan for which they qualify. Such election shall be made no later than 12 months after the effective date. An employee making such an election shall be enrolled in a VRS Retirement Plan as soon as administratively possible.
(e) Eligible employees who are members of the System as of the effective date who elect to remain enrolled in the System, or who do not elect to transition to a VRS Retirement Plan within 12 months of the effective date, shall remain active members of the System so long as they remain employed by a participating employer without a break of service of at least one full calendar month. A member incurring a one full calendar month break of service shall become a transition member if the member, upon rehire, is a person for whom "membership in the retirement system" is compulsory pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 51.1-135. The provisions of this chapter shall continue to apply to any eligible employee who remains an active member of the system.
(f) An eligible employee who is a member of the System but who is not a member of the defined contribution plan established pursuant to Section 22-142 and who elects to transition to a VRS Retirement Plan or who becomes a member of a VRS Retirement System following rehire after one full calendar month break of service shall waived, as a condition of the election or of rehire, any rights to make further contributions to or accrue additional benefits in the system, and the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority shall make no further contributions to the system on the employee's behalf but shall instead make contributions to a VRS Retirement Plan on the employee's behalf but shall instead make contributions to a VRS Retirement Plan on the employee's behalf. If such employee is not vested at the time of the election, the employee shall also, as a condition of their election, elect to either a trustee-to-trustee transfer of their member contribution account to the Virginia Retirement System, or continue to accrue service towards gaining vested rights to benefits pursuant to Section 22-146.
(g) An eligible employee who is a member of the defined contribution plan established pursuant to Section 22-142 and who elects to transition to a VRS Retirement Plan or who becomes a member of a VRS Retirement System following rehire after a one full calendar month break of service shall waive, as a condition of the election or of rehire, any rights to make additional contributions to or accrue additional benefits in the system, and the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority shall make no further contributions to the system on the employee's behalf but shall instead make contributions to a VRS Retirement plan on the employee's behalf. If such employee is not vested at the time of the election, the employee shall also, as a condition of their election, elect to either a trustee-to-trustee transfer of their member contribution account to the Virginia Retirement System, or continue to accrue service towards gaining vested rights to benefits pursuant to Section 22-146.
(Code 2020, § 22-342; Ord. No. 2023-313, § 5, 11-13-2023)
Source: City of Richmond, Virginia, Code (2026 recodification) and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/va/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICICO_CH22PURE_ARTXIIITRVIRESY_S22-362EFDATRVIRESYTRPERIBEHEAUEMFetched: 11/8/2026