This Amended and Restated Notice Extending Certain Time Requirements (“Amended and Restated Notice”) is given by the Board of Trustees of the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (“System”) on March 1, 2021, acting pursuant to the Proclamation of Governor Lawrence J. Hogan, Jr. (the “Governor”) dated December 23, 2020, renewing the proclamation of a state of emergency and a catastrophic health emergency related to COVID-19 (“State of Emergency”), as it may be amended or renewed from time to time, and the Order of the Governor dated June 19, 2020, titled “Amending and Restating the Order of March 12, 2020, Extending Certain Licenses, Permits, Registrations, and Other Governmental Authorizations, and Authorizing Suspension of Legal Time Requirements,” as it may be amended from time to time, after finding that the action(s) described herein will not endanger the public health, welfare, or safety. This notice amends, restates, and supersedes in its entirety the prior notice of the Board of Trustees dated March 30, 2020 and titled “Maryland State Retirement and Pension System Notice Extending Certain Time Requirements.”

A. Disability Retirement

1. Accepting a disability award. A disability retirement applicant who is granted a disability retirement is required to accept a retirement allowance by properly completing and submitting an application to the State Retirement Agency (“Agency”) within 120 days of the date of written notice from the Agency’s Disability Unit, or the applicant’s file is closed and the disability claim is terminated.  See Code of Maryland Regulations (“COMAR”) 22.06.01.05B(4); COMAR 22.06.03.03C(3); and 22.06.05.03B and .04B.  If the 120-day time period for a disability applicant falls in whole or in part within the time period of the State of Emergency, then the applicant’s deadline to accept a retirement allowance is extended until the later of 120 days of the date of the written notice of the Agency’s Disability Unit, or 60 days after the date of this Amended and Restated Notice. 
2. Diligent pursuit of disability claims.  A disability applicant must diligently pursue the applicant’s claim for disability by, among other things, providing the Agency any requested information or documentation within 45 days of the date of the request by the Agency or the medical board. The Agency may provide not more than one extension of this time requirement, not to exceed 45 days.  See COMAR 22.06.01.05.  If the 45-day time period to respond to a request for information or documentation (or a 45-day extension period) falls in whole or in part within the time period of the State of Emergency, then the deadline to provide requested information or documentation is extended until the later of 45 days of the date of the request, or 60 days after the date of this Amended and Restated Notice.  Additionally, during the State of Emergency, the Agency may provide a second extension of the time requirement, not to exceed one additional 45-day period.
3. Requests for Reconsideration.  If a disability applicant disagrees with the recommendation of the medical board regarding the applicant’s claim, the applicant may request reconsideration by submitting a written request and any additional documentation to the Agency’s Disability Unit within 30 days of the date of the Disability Unit’s notice. See COMAR 22.06.03.03C. If the 30-day time period to request reconsideration falls in whole or in part within the time period of the State of Emergency, then the deadline to request reconsideration is extended until the later of 60 days after the date of the Disability Unit’s notice of the right to request reconsideration, or 60 days after the date of this Amended and Restated Notice.
4. Appeal of Denial of Disability Claim.  A disability applicant may appeal the denial of a disability claim by submitting a written request for hearing to the Executive Director within 30 days of the Disability Unit’s written notice of the denial of the disability claim.  See COMAR 22.06.03.01A(3); COMAR 22.06.05.04C and .05.  If the 30-day time period to appeal the denial of a disability claim falls in whole or in part within the time period of the State of Emergency, then the deadline to request an appeal is extended until the later of 60 days after the Disability Unit’s written notice of the denial of the disability claim, or 60 days after this Amended and Restated Notice.
5. Acceptance of disability application from a surviving beneficiary.  A surviving beneficiary of a deceased member may submit an application for disability retirement that was signed and dated by the deceased member within 7 days of the date of death, if the surviving beneficiary submits the application on or before 30 days after the date of the death of the member. See State Personnel and Pensions Article (“SPP”), § 29-104(d), Annotated Code of Maryland.  In the event of the death of a member during the State of Emergency, the member’s surviving beneficiary may submit a disability application that was signed and dated by the deceased member within 7 days of the date of the death of the member, if the application is submitted to the Agency on or before the later of 60 days after the date of the death of the member, or 60 days after the date of this Amended and Restated Notice.

B. Service Retirement

1. Effective date of a service retirement allowance and eligibility for unused sick leave credit.  A member or former member who is eligible to retire at the time of separation from employment may not retire with a normal service retirement allowance or early service retirement allowance until the later of the first day of the month after separation from employment, or the first day of the month after submission of a properly completed retirement application.  See SPP §§ 22-403, 23-403, 24-402, and 25-402; COMAR 22.01.14.03A(3) and B.  A member who retires within 30 days after separation from employment is entitled to receive creditable service for unused sick leave in accordance with SPP § 20-206.  If a member separates from employment during the State of Emergency, or separated from employment within 30 days prior to the State of Emergency, the member’s submission shall be considered timely, and the member therefore may retire on the first day of the month after separation from employment and retain eligibility for any unused sick leave credit, if the member submits a properly completed retirement application to the Agency on or before the later of 90 days after separation from employment, or 60 days after the date of this Amended and Restated Notice.
2. Change of optional form of allowance.  A member who has elected an optional form of allowance may change that election only if the member submits a written request to change the election to the Agency before the first allowance payment normally becomes due. See SPP § 21-401(c).  If a member retires during the State of Emergency, then the deadline to submit a written request to change the optional form of allowance is extended until the later of the date the second allowance payment normally becomes due, or 60 days after the date of this Amended and Restated Notice.

C. Public Information Act Requests.  The Agency shall endeavor to comply with the time requirements set forth in the General Provisions Article (“GP”), § 4-203, Annotated Code of Maryland, and COMAR 22.01.02.05 and .06.  However, in the event that compliance with the time requirements set forth in GP § 4-203 and COMAR 22.01.02.05 and .06 is impracticable during the State of Emergency due to limited access to physical documents, restrictions upon the communications, movements, or working hours of Agency personnel, or other exigencies arising solely due to the State of Emergency, the Agency may extend the time period to respond to a request under the Public Information Act to not later than 30 days after the State of Emergency expires, by providing notice to the applicant.   

D. Domestic Relations Orders.  Parties who wish to dispute the method of distribution of benefits in the Agency’s Notice of Administration (“NOA”) of an Eligible Domestic Relations Order (“EDRO”) may advise the Agency of their disagreement in writing within 45 days of the date that a NOA is sent to the parties to the EDRO.  COMAR 22.01.03.04C(1).  If the Agency determines that a genuine dispute exists regarding proper interpretation of the EDRO, the parties have 3 months, following the Agency’s receipt of the notice of disagreement, in which to submit a consent agreement or amended EDRO addressing and resolving the disagreement.  COMAR 22.01.03.04C(4).  If a member or alternate payee receives a NOA during the State of Emergency, then the deadline for advising the Agency in writing of a disagreement is extended until the later of 90 days after the date a Notice of Administration is sent to the parties, or 60 days after the date of this Amended and Restated Notice. If a member submits a notice of disagreement with a NOA during the State of Emergency, then the deadline to submit a consent agreement or amended EDRO is extended until the later of 6 months or 60 days after the date of this Amended and Restated Notice. 

Any effect of statute, rule, or regulation inconsistent with the foregoing is hereby suspended.

This Notice is effective immediately and shall remain in effect until 30 days after the State of Emergency has been terminated and the proclamation of the catastrophic health emergency has been rescinded.

R. Dean Kenderdine
Executive Director, State Retirement Agency  
On behalf of the Board of Trustees for the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System