Section 169.611 - Community college district retirement system may merge with public education employees' retirement system1. The board may enter into an agreement with the board of trustees of any community college district, which maintains a local retirement system for its employees who are not members of the public school retirement system of Missouri, to provide for the merger of the local retirement system into the system and, in connection with such merger, for the transfer of assets and liabilities from the local retirement system to the system, the inclusion of members of the local retirement system and all other eligible employees as members of the system, and the continuation of retirement, disability and death benefits to former members and beneficiaries of former members of the local retirement system by the system.2. The merger agreement shall require membership in the system as of the effective date of the merger for all employees of the community college district who meet the definition of "employee" as set forth in section 169.600, RSMo 1978, including any employees who may not be members of the local retirement system as of the date of the merger agreement.3. If the separate boards of trustees of the public school retirement system of Missouri and the community college district enter into an agreement for a merger of the local retirement system into the system, the assets and liabilities of the local retirement system, as specified in the merger agreement, existing at the effective date of the merger, shall become the property of the system, and the local retirement system shall cease to exist as of that date.4. Members of the local retirement system of a community college district who become members of the system under this section shall receive credit in the system for credit established with the local retirement system.5. The separate boards of trustees of the public school retirement system of Missouri and the community college district may enter into an agreement of merger under this section if the actuary employed by the public school retirement system of Missouri certifies that the merger will not actuarially impair the system. The merger agreement shall specify those assets and liabilities of the local retirement system to be transferred and shall provide for the payment of any necessary additional funds to the system by the community college district so that the merger will not actuarially impair the system.6. No employee of a community college or member of the local retirement system who becomes a member of the system, or his beneficiary, may receive benefits greater or lesser in amount than that payable to any other member, or his beneficiary, of the system with the same creditable service and earnings records. This provision shall not apply to those former members of the local retirement system, or their beneficiaries, who are receiving monthly benefits from the local retirement system at the effective date of the merger.7. Any retirement, disability, or death benefits being paid by the local retirement system to former members, or beneficiaries of such members, as of the effective date of the merger shall be continued by the system, and shall extend for the same period as was specified under the rules of the local retirement system which initiated the benefits.