KRS 161.168: Certified employee granted leave of absence for active military service --

Medical insurance -- Contribution to retirement system to be retroactive --

Credit given -- Exclusions.

Notwithstanding any other statute to the contrary, a certified employee of a local board of

education who is a member of a state National Guard or a Reserve component ordered to

active military duty by the President of the United States shall be granted a leave of

absence for this purpose and shall be considered to be rendering service to the state.

(1) A local board of education that has granted military leave to a certified employee

and has a commitment from the employee to return to work upon the conclusion of

military leave may provide the employer's contribution toward the purchase of the

state's medical insurance program during the period of military leave as long as the

employee or spouse pays the additional cost of dependent coverage.

(2) Upon the employee's return to work, the Commonwealth of Kentucky shall pay the

member contribution and any accrued interest that is required to be paid under KRS

161.507(4)(b) in order for the member to receive retirement service credit for the

period of active military duty. Under no circumstances shall a member be entitled to

service c redit under this paragraph that is in violation of the provisions of KRS

161.500. The provisions of this subsection shall be retroactive to January 1, 2003,

for employees who have been deployed to active combat service.

(3) For each year of military servic e or each year of combined military and school

service within a school year, the certified employee shall receive a year of service

credit for purposes of the district's single salary schedule defined in KRS 157.320.

(4) No provisions of this section shall be construed to provide disability benefits under

KRS 161.611 or 161.663, survivorship benefits under KRS 161.520, life insurance

benefits under KRS 161.555 or any other benefit available from the Kentucky

Teachers' Retirement System as a result of active military service, or conditions or

injuries resulting from active military service, except for the accrual of service

credit which shall be acknowledged by the retirement system subject to the relevant

conditions set forth in KRS 161.507.