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Florida Statute 121.71 - Full Text and Legal Analysis
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The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title X
PUBLIC OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND RECORDS
Chapter 121
FLORIDA RETIREMENT SYSTEM
View Entire Chapter
F.S. 121.071
121.071 Contributions.Contributions to the system shall be made as follows:
(1) The following tables state the required retirement contribution rates for members of the Regular Class, Special Risk Class, or Special Risk Administrative Support Class and their employers in terms of a percentage of the member’s gross compensation. A change in a contribution rate is effective with the first salary paid on or after the beginning date of the change. Contributions shall be made or deducted as may be appropriate for each pay period and are in addition to the contributions required for social security and the Retiree Health Insurance Subsidy Trust Fund.
(a)1. Retirement contributions for regular members are as follows:
Dates of Contribution
 Rate Changes
MembersEmployers
 
July 1, 2001, through June 30, 20020%9.91%
2. Effective July 1, 2002, the retirement contributions for regular members shall be specified in s. 121.71.
(b)1. Retirement contributions for special risk members are as follows:
Dates of Contribution
 Rate Changes
MembersEmployers
 
July 1, 2001, through June 30, 20020%22.07%
2. Effective July 1, 2002, retirement contributions for special risk members shall be specified in s. 121.71.
(c)1. Retirement contributions for special risk administrative support members are as follows:
Dates of Contribution
 Rate Changes
MembersEmployers
 
July 1, 2001, through June 30, 20020%12.55%
2. Effective July 1, 2002, retirement contributions for special risk administrative support members shall be specified in s. 121.71.
(2)(a) Effective January 1, 1975, or October 1, 1975, as applicable, and through June 30, 2011, each employer shall make the contribution required by subsection (1) by a procedure in which no employee’s gross salary is reduced. Effective July 1, 2011, each employer and employee shall pay retirement contributions as specified in s. 121.71.
(b) Upon termination of employment from all participating employers for 3 calendar months for any reason other than retirement pursuant to s. 121.021(39)(c), a member may receive a refund of all contributions he or she has made to the pension plan, subject to the restrictions otherwise provided in this chapter. Partial refunds are not permitted. The refund may not include any interest earnings on the contributions for a member of the pension plan. Employer contributions made on behalf of the member are not refundable. A member may not receive a refund of employee contributions if a pending or an approved qualified domestic relations order is filed against his or her retirement account. By obtaining a refund of contributions, a member waives all rights under the Florida Retirement System and the health insurance subsidy to the service credit represented by the refunded contributions, except the right to purchase his or her prior service credit in accordance with s. 121.081(2).
(3) The employer paying the salary of a member shall contribute an amount as specified in this section or s. 121.71, as appropriate, which shall constitute the entire employer retirement contribution with respect to such member. The employer shall also withhold one-half of the entire contribution of the member required for social security coverage. Contributions for social security by each member and each employer, in the amount required for social security coverage as now or hereafter provided by the federal Social Security Act, shall be in addition to contributions specified in subsection (1).
(4) The following table states the required employer contribution on behalf of each member of the Regular Class, Special Risk Class, or Special Risk Administrative Support Class in terms of a percentage of the member’s gross compensation. Such contribution constitutes the entire health insurance subsidy contribution with respect to each such member. A change in the contribution rate is effective with the first salary paid on or after the beginning date of the change. The retiree health insurance subsidy contribution rate is as follows:
Dates of Contribution
 Rate Changes
Contribution
Rate
 
October 1, 1987, through December 31, 19880.24%
January 1, 1989, through December 31, 19930.48%
January 1, 1994, through December 31, 19940.56%
January 1, 1995, through June 30, 19980.66%
July 1, 1998, through June 30, 20010.94%
July 1, 2001, through June 30, 20131.11%
July 1, 2013, through June 30, 20141.20%
July 1, 2014, through June 30, 20151.26%
July 1, 2015, through June 30, 20231.66%
Effective July 1, 20232.00%

Such contributions shall be deposited by the administrator in the Retiree Health Insurance Subsidy Trust Fund.

(5) Contributions made in accordance with subsections (1), (2), (3), and (4) and s. 121.71 shall be paid into the system trust funds in accordance with rules adopted by the administrator pursuant to chapter 120, except as may be otherwise specified herein. Effective July 1, 2002, contributions paid under subsections (1) and (4) and accompanying payroll data are due and payable no later than the 5th working day of the month immediately following the month during which the payroll period ended.
(6)(a) Required employee contributions for all service other than current service, including, but not limited to, prior service, past service, military service, leave-of-absence service, out-of-state service, and certain non-Florida Retirement System in-state service, shall be paid by cash, personal check, cashier’s check, money order, or a direct rollover or transfer from a qualified plan as provided under the Internal Revenue Code. The payment must be accompanied by a statement identifying the service for which payment is made and shall be made in a lump sum for the total amount due or in annual payments of not less than $100, except for the final payment if less than $100, unless another method of payment is authorized by law or rule.
(b) On and after July 1, 1972, all remittances made by a member for the purchase of optional creditable service shall be credited to the member’s account. A refund of a member’s retirement contributions at termination, as provided in paragraph (2)(b), shall include all such remittances made by the member and credited to his or her account. If requested, a member may, at the time of retirement, receive a refund of any contributions he or she made for the purchase of any optional creditable service. A member is not entitled to a refund of contributions paid by an employer, except for employee contributions made by an employer for an employee’s past service earned prior to October 1, 1975.
(c) By obtaining a refund of contributions, a member waives all rights under the Florida Retirement System and the health insurance subsidy as provided in s. 112.363 to the service credit represented by the refunded contributions, except the right to purchase his or her prior service credit in accordance with s. 121.081(2).
(d) If a member or former member of the pension plan receives an invalid refund from the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund, such person must repay the full amount of the invalid refund, plus interest at 6.5 percent compounded annually on each June 30 from the date of refund until full payment is made to the trust fund. The invalid refund must be repaid before the member retires or, if applicable, transfers to the investment plan.
(e) The contributions required of a member of the Teachers’ Retirement System who transfers to the Florida Retirement System must be adjusted, based on the rate of 6.25 percent of salary earned while a member of the Teachers’ Retirement System. Any overpayment that results from this adjustment will be refunded to the member, while any amount due, plus interest compounded annually, must be paid by the member prior to retirement. Effective upon the date of transfer to the Florida Retirement System, contributions shall be paid as required under this chapter.
(7) Benefits, including employee contributions, are not payable under the pension plan for employee hardships, unforeseeable emergencies, loans, medical expenses, educational expenses, purchase of a principal residence, payments necessary to prevent eviction or foreclosure on an employee’s principal residence, or any other reason except a requested distribution for retirement, a mandatory de minimis distribution authorized by the administrator, or a required minimum distribution provided pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code.
History.s. 7, ch. 70-112; ss. 4, 13, ch. 74-302; s. 1, ch. 74-376; s. 2, ch. 77-467; s. 5, ch. 78-308; s. 4, ch. 81-307; s. 2, ch. 82-169; s. 6, ch. 83-76; ss. 7, 8, ch. 84-266; s. 3, ch. 86-137; s. 8, ch. 87-373; s. 1, ch. 88-238; s. 11, ch. 88-382; s. 1, ch. 89-220; s. 12, ch. 90-274; s. 57, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 7, ch. 93-193; s. 8, ch. 94-259; s. 1426, ch. 95-147; s. 6, ch. 96-423; s. 7, ch. 98-138; s. 6, ch. 98-413; s. 35, ch. 99-255; s. 9, ch. 99-392; s. 2, ch. 2000-167; ss. 3, 11, 16, ch. 2001-262; s. 4, ch. 2002-177; s. 6, ch. 2002-273; s. 7, ch. 2009-209; s. 13, ch. 2011-68; s. 5, ch. 2012-222; s. 4, ch. 2013-53; s. 4, ch. 2014-54; s. 4, ch. 2015-227; s. 6, ch. 2023-193.

F.S. 121.071 on Google Scholar

F.S. 121.071 on CourtListener

Amendments to 121.071


Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 121.071

Total Results: 11

Florida Ass'n of Counties, Inc. v. DEPT. OF ADMIN., DIV. OF RETIREMENT

580 So. 2d 641, 1991 WL 43187

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Mar 29, 1991 | Docket: 1364538

Cited 12 times | Published

[3] Ch. 88-238, § 1, Laws of Fla. (codified at § 121.071(2)(a), Fla. Stat. (Supp. 1988)). [4] Ch. 88-238

Florida Sheriffs Ass'n v. Dept. of Admin.

408 So. 2d 1033

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Dec 10, 1981 | Docket: 1732578

Cited 9 times | Published

burden of making the plan actuarially sound. § 121.071, Fla. Stat. (1975). Employees, therefore, no longer

Scott v. Williams

107 So. 3d 379, 38 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 25, 55 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 2267, 2013 Fla. LEXIS 65, 2013 WL 173955

Supreme Court of Florida | Filed: Jan 17, 2013 | Docket: 60228654

Cited 7 times | Published

13, Laws of Fla.; § 121.071(2)(a), Fla. Stat. (1975). Prior to 2011, section 121.071 provided that contributions

Wiggins v. DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SERV.

882 So. 2d 1030, 2004 WL 1781259

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 11, 2004 | Docket: 1289598

Published

and to receive a higher contribution rate. See, § 121.071, Fla. Stat. (2003). The intent of the legislature

Boggs v. Department of Management Services

823 So. 2d 297, 2002 Fla. App. LEXIS 11576, 2002 WL 1842320

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 14, 2002 | Docket: 64816827

Published

established by law. Section 121.021(10) and Section 121.071, Florida Statutes (2001)1. Service credit under

Ago

Florida Attorney General Reports | Filed: Nov 21, 1994 | Docket: 3257309

Published

purposes of the Florida Retirement System, section 121.071(1), Florida Statutes, sets forth the percentage

Long v. Florida

805 F.2d 1542, 42 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1058, 7 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 2648, 1986 U.S. App. LEXIS 34989, 42 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 36,709

Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | Filed: Dec 19, 1986 | Docket: 66221424

Published

compensation of participating employees. Id. § 121.071. Upon retirement an employee’s right to a certain

School Board of Pinellas County v. Florida Department of Administration, Division of Retirement

492 So. 2d 767, 11 Fla. L. Weekly 1703, 1986 Fla. App. LEXIS 9296

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 6, 1986 | Docket: 64621019

Published

to cover the penalty and accrued interest. Section 121.071(5), Florida Statutes, states in pertinent part:

Hillman v. Division of Retirement

446 So. 2d 158, 1984 Fla. App. LEXIS 11696

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jan 26, 1984 | Docket: 64603261

Published

employees were no longer required to contribute. Section 121.071, Florida Statutes (1975). Prior to amendment

Ago

Florida Attorney General Reports | Filed: Dec 29, 1978 | Docket: 3257024

Published

(3), F. S. (1978 Supp.). Section 121.071(4), F. S. (1978 Supp.). Section 121.071(5), F. S. (1978 Supp.)

Ago

Florida Attorney General Reports | Filed: Jul 3, 1974 | Docket: 3256653

Published

each pay period for special risk members. Section 121.071, as amended. (Regular members are presently