(a) Who may elect. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) police officers employed as members of the MWAA police force as of December 21, 2000, who are covered by the provisions of the Civil Service Retirement System by 49 U.S.C. 49107(b) may elect to be deemed a law enforcement officer for retirement purposes and have past service as a member of the MWAA and Federal Aviation Administration police forces credited as law enforcement officer service.

(b) Procedure for making an election. Elections by an MWAA police officer to be treated as a law enforcement officer for retirement purposes must be made in writing to the MWAA and filed in the employee's personnel file in accordance with procedures established by OPM in consultation with the MWAA.

(c) Time limit for making an election. An election under paragraph (a) of this section must be made either before the MWAA police officer separates from service with the MWAA or July 25, 2002.

(d) Effect of an election. An election under paragraph (a) of this section is effective on the beginning of the first pay period following the date of the MWAA police officer's election.

(e) Irrevocability. An election under paragraph (a) of this section becomes irrevocable when received by the MWAA.

(f) Employee payment for past service. (1) An MWAA police officer making an election under this section must pay an amount equal to the difference between law enforcement officer retirement deductions and retirement deductions actually paid by the police officer for the police officer's past police officer service with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Federal Aviation Administration. The amount paid under this paragraph shall be computed with interest in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 8334(e) and paid to the MWAA prior to separation.

(2) Starting with the effective date under paragraph (d) of this section, the MWAA must make deductions and withholdings from the electing MWAA police officer's base pay in accordance with 5 CFR 831.907.

(g) Employer contributions. (1) Upon the police officer's payment for past service credit under paragraph (f) of this section, the MWAA must, in accordance with procedures established by OPM, pay into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund the additional agency retirement contribution amounts required for the police officer's past service, plus interest.

(2) Starting with the effective date under paragraph (d) of this section, the MWAA must make agency contributions for the electing police officer in accordance with 5 CFR 831.907.

(h) Mandatory Separation. (1) An MWAA police officer who elects to be treated as a law enforcement officer for CSRS retirement purposes is subject to the mandatory separation provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8335(b) and 5 CFR 831.502(a).

(2) The President and Chief Operating Officer of the MWAA is deemed to be the head of an agency for the purpose of exempting an MWAA police officer from mandatory separation in accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8335(b) and 5 CFR 831.502.

(i) Reemployment. An MWAA police officer who has been mandatorily separated under 5 U.S.C. 8335(b) is not barred from reemployment after age 60 in any position except a CSRS primary or secondary law enforcement officer position or a FERS rigorous law or secondary enforcement officer position. Service by a reemployed former MWAA police officer who retired under 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) is not covered by the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c).

(a) This subpart contains regulations of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to supplement 5 U.S.C. 8336(c), which establishes special retirement eligibility for law enforcement officers and firefighters employed under the Civil Service Retirement System; 5 U.S.C. 8331(3) (C) and (D), pertaining to basic pay; 5 U.S.C. 8334(a) (1) and (c), pertaining to deductions, contributions, and deposits; 5 U.S.C. 8335(b), pertaining to mandatory retirement; and 5 U.S.C. 8339(d), pertaining to computation of annuity.

(b) The regulations in this subpart are issued pursuant to the authority given to OPM in 5 U.S.C. 8347 to prescribe regulations to carry out subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5 of the United States Code, and in 5 U.S.C. 1104 to delegate authority for personnel management to the heads of agencies.

In this subpart—

Agency head means, for the executive branch agencies, the head of an executive agency as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105; for the legislative branch, the Secretary of the Senate, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, or the head of any other legislative branch agency; for the judicial branch, the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts; for the Postal Service, the Postmaster General; and for any other independent establishment that is an entity of the Federal Government, the head of the establishment. For the purpose of an approval of coverage under this subpart, agency head is also deemed to include the designated representative of the head of an executive department as defined in 5 U.S.C. 101,except,or,and. For the purpose of a denial of coverage under this subpart, agency head is also deemed to include the designated representative of the agency head, as defined in the first sentence of this definition, at any level within the agency.

Detention duties means duties that require frequent direct contact in the detention, direction, supervision, inspection, training, employment, care, transportation, or rehabilitation of individuals suspected or convicted of offenses against the criminal laws of the United States or the District of Columbia or offenses against the punitive articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (10 U.S.C. chapter 47). (See 5 U.S.C. 8331(20).)

Firefighter means an employee, whose duties are primarily to perform work directly connected with the control and extinguishment of fires or the maintenance and use of firefighting apparatus and equipment. Also included in this definition is an employee engaged in this activity who is transferred to a supervisory or administrative position. (See 5 U.S.C. 8331(21).) An employee whose primary duties are the performance of routine fire prevention inspection is excluded from this definition.

Frequent direct contact means personal, immediate, and regularly-assigned contact with detainees while performing detention duties, which is repeated and continual over a typical work cycle.

Law enforcement officer means an employee, the duties of whose position are primarily the investigation, apprehension, or detention of individuals suspected or convicted of offenses against the criminal laws of the United States, including an employee engaged in this activity who is transferred to a supervisory or administrative position. (See 5 U.S.C. 8331(20).) The definition does not include an employee whose primary duties involve maintaining law and order, protecting life and property, guarding against or inspecting for violations of law, or investigating persons other than persons who are suspected or convicted of offenses against the criminal laws of the United States.

Primary duties are those duties of a position that—

(1) (i) Are paramount in influence or weight; that is, constitute the basic reasons for the existence of the position;

(ii) Occupy a substantial portion of the individual's working time over a typical work cycle; and

(iii) Are assigned on a regular and recurring basis.

(2) Duties that are of an emergency, incidental, or temporary nature cannot be considered “primary” even if they meet the substantial portion of time criterion. In general, if an employee spends an average of at least 50 percent of his or her time performing a duty or group of duties, they are his or her primary duties.

Primary position means a position whose primary duties are:

(1) To perform work directly connected with controlling and extinguishing fires or maintaining and using firefighter apparatus and equipment; or

(2) Investigation, apprehension, or detention of individuals suspected or convicted of offenses against the criminal laws of the United States.

Secondary position means a position that:

(1) Is clearly in the law enforcement or firefighting field;

(2) Is in an organization having a law enforcement or firefighting mission; and

(3) Is either—

(i) Supervisory; i.e., a position whose primary duties are as a first-level supervisor of law enforcement officers or firefighters in primary positions; or

(ii) Administrative; i.e., an executive, managerial, technical, semiprofessional, or professional position for which experience in a primary law enforcement or firefighting position, or equivalent experience outside the Federal government, is a prerequisite.

(a) An employee's service in a position that has been determined by the employing agency head to be a primary law enforcement officer or firefighter position is covered under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c).

(b) An employee who is not in a primary position, nor covered while in a secondary position, and who is detailed or temporarily promoted to a primary position is not covered under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(C)

(a) An employee's service in a position that has been determined by the employing agency head to be a secondary law enforcement officer or firefighter position is covered under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) if all of the following criteria are met:

(1) The employee is transferred directly (i.e., without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position; and

(2) If applicable, the employee has been continuously employed in secondary positions since transferring from a primary position without a break in service exceeding 3 days, except that a break in employment in secondary positions which begins with an involuntary separation (not for cause), within the meaning of 8336(d)(1) of title 5, United States Code, is not considered in determining whether the service in secondary positions is continuous for this purpose.

(b) This requirement for continuous employment in a secondary position applies only to voluntary breaks in service beginning after January 19, 1988.

(c) An employee who is not in a primary position, nor covered while in a secondary position, and who is detailed or temporarily promoted to a secondary position is not covered under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c).

(d) The service of an employee who is in a position on January 19, 1988, that has been approved as a secondary position under this subpart will continue to be covered under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) as long as the employee remains in that position without a voluntary break in service, and coverage is not revoked by OPM under § 831.911, or by the agency head.

(a) An agency head's determination that a position is a primary position must be based solely on the official position description of the position in question, and any other official description of duties and qualifications. The official documentation for the position must establish that it satisfies the requirements defined in § 831.902.

(b) A determination under § 831.904 must be based on the official position description and any other evidence deemed appropriate by the agency head for making the determination.

(a) An employee who requests credit for service under 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) bears the burden of proof with respect to that service, and must provide the employing agency with all pertinent information regarding duties performed, including—

(1) For law enforcement officers, a list of the provisions of Federal criminal law the incumbent is responsible for enforcing and arrests made; and

(2) For firefighters, number of fires fought, names of fires fought, dates of fires, and position occupied while on firefighting duty.

(b) An employee who is currently serving in a position that has not been approved as a primary or secondary position, but who believes that his or her service is creditable as service in a primary or secondary position may request the agency head to determine whether or not the employee's service should be credited and, if it qualifies, whether it should be a primary or secondary position.

(c) A current or former employee (or the survivor of a former employee) who believes that a period of past service in an unapproved position qualifies as service in a primary or secondary position and meets the conditions for credit must follow the procedure in paragraph (b) of this section. Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, the request must be made to the agency where the claimed service was performed.

(d) For a current or former employee seeking credit under 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) for service performed at an agency that is no longer in existence, and for which there is no successor agency, OPM will accept, directly from the current or former employee (or the survivor of a former employee), a request for a determination as to whether a period of past service qualifies as service in a primary or secondary position and meets the conditions for credit.

(e) Coverage in a position or credit for past service will not be granted for a period greater than 1 year prior to the date that the request from an individual is received under paragraphs (b), (c), or (d) of this section by the employing agency, the agency where past service was performed, or OPM.

(f) An agency head, in the case of a request filed under paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, or OPM, in the case of request filed under paragraph (d) of this section, may extend the time limit for filing when, in the judgment of such agency head or OPM, the individual shows that he or she was prevented by circumstances beyond his or her control from making the request within the time limit.

(a) During the service covered under the conditions established by § 831.903 and § 831.904, the employing agency will deduct and withhold from the employee's base pay the amount required under 5 U.S.C. 8334(a) for such positions and submit that amount, together with agency contributions required by 5 U.S.C. 8334(a), to OPM in accordance with payroll office instructions issued by OPM.

(b) If the correct withholdings and/or Government contributions are not submitted to OPM for any reason whatsoever, including cases in which it is finally determined that past service of a current or former employee was subject to the higher deduction and Government contribution rates, the employing agency must correct the error by submitting the correct amounts (including both employee and agency shares) to OPM as soon as possible. Even if the agency waives collection of the overpayment of pay under any waiver authority that may be available for this purpose, such as 5 U.S.C. 5584,or,the.

(c) Upon proper application from an employee, former employee or eligible survivor of a former employee, an employing agency or former employing agency will pay a refund of erroneous additional withholdings for service that is found not to have been covered service. If an individual has paid to OPM a deposit or redeposit, including the additional amount required for covered service, and the deposit or redeposit is later determined to be erroneous because the service was not covered service, OPM will pay the refund, upon proper application, to the individual, without interest.

(d) The additional employee withholding and agency contribution for covered or creditable service properly made as required under 5 U.S.C. 8334(a)(1) or deposited under 5 U.S.C. 8334(c) are not separately refundable, even in the event that the employee or his or her survivor does not qualify for a special annuity computation under 5 U.S.C. 8339(d).

(e) While an employee who does not hold a primary or secondary position is detailed or temporarily promoted to a primary or secondary position, the additional withholdings and agency contributions will not be made. While an employee who does hold a primary or secondary position is detailed or temporarily promoted to a position which is not a primary or secondary position, the additional withholdings and agency contributions will continue to be made.

(a) The mandatory separation provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8335(b) apply to all law enforcement officers and firefighters in primary and secondary positions. A mandatory separation under section 8335(b) is not an adverse action under part 752 of this chapter or a removal action under part 359 of this chapter. Section 831.502 provides the procedures for requesting an exemption from mandatory separation.

(b) In the event an employee is separated mandatorily under 5 U.S.C. 8335(b), or is separated for optional retirement under 5 U.S.C. 8336(c), and OPM finds that all or part of the minimum service required for entitlement to immediate annuity was in a position which did not meet the requirements of a primary or secondary position and the conditions set forth in this subpart, such separation will be considered erroneous.

An employee who has been mandatorily separated under 5 U.S.C. 8335(b) is not barred from reemployment in any position except a primary position after age 60. Service by a reemployed annuitant is not covered by the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c).

(a) The final decision of an agency head or OPM issued to an employee, former employee, or survivor as the result of a request for determination filed under § 831.906 may be appealed to the Merit Systems Protection Board under procedures prescribed by the Board.

(b) The final decision of an agency head that a break in service referred to in § 831.904(a)(2) did not begin with an involuntary separation within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 8336(d)(1) may be appealed to the Merit Systems Protection Board under procedures prescribed by the Board.

(a) Upon deciding that a position is a law enforcement officer or firefighter position, each agency head must notify OPM (Attention: Associate Director for Retirement and Insurance) stating the title of each position, the number of incumbents, and whether the position is primary or secondary. The Director of OPM retains the authority to revoke an agency head's determination that a position is a primary or secondary position, or that an individual's service in any other position is creditable under 5 U.S.C. 8336(c).

(b) Each agency must establish a file containing each coverage determination made by an agency head under § 831.903 and § 831.904, and all background material used in making the determination.

(c) Upon request by OPM, the agency will make available the entire coverage determination file for OPM to audit to ensure compliance with the provisions of this subpart.

(d) Upon request by OPM, an agency must submit to OPM a list of all covered positions and any other pertinent information requested.

(e) A coverage determination issued by OPM or its predecessor, the Civil Service Commission, will not be reopened by an employing agency, unless the agency head determines that new and material evidence is available that, despite due diligence, was not available before the decision was issued.