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Public employee retirement law in Utah would see several changes under this bill. It creates a formal definition of "bona fide termination of employment," requiring that a member fully sever any employment or fee-for-service relationship with a participating employer, with no prior agreement to return to work or a contract role after retiring, before that person can qualify for a retirement allowance; this standard would replace the current, looser requirement that a member simply "cease actual work" for their employer. The bill also expands the Membership Council, an advisory body for the state retirement systems, from 15 to 18 members by adding seats for a director of the Division of Human Resource Management (or their designee), a local school board member, and a school district superintendent, while keeping other existing seats in place. It clarifies that service credit earned in the judges' retirement systems cannot be transferred into the newer Tier II retirement system, and it extends to the attorney general and senior staff who report directly to the attorney general the same option already available to other top state officials to opt out of the traditional pension and move their accrued retirement value into an individual defined contribution account, with employer contributions vesting immediately. Finally, the bill changes who at the Utah Retirement Systems office can issue an initial appeal ruling when the executive director delegates that authority, and it tightens the rules on permanently giving up retirement benefits by specifying that only a designated beneficiary — not a member, retiree, or plan participant — may permanently relinquish a defined benefit or defined contribution benefit.