Section 7
SEC. 7. Subsections (a) and (d) of section twelve of the same Act, as amended, are hereby further amended to read as follows: "SEC. 12. Conditions for retirement.—(a) On completion of thirty years of total service and attainment of age fifty-seven years, a member shall have the option to retire. In all cases of retirement under this Act, the last three years of service before retirement must be continuous and he must have made contributions for at least five years, which contributions may, upon his request approved by the Board, be deducted from his life annuity under such terms and conditions as the Board may prescribe: Provided, That leaves of absence without pay shall not interrupt the continuity of the last three years of service if the total of said leaves or separation during the last three years immediately prior to retirement does not exceed one year: Provided, further, That if, prior to the completion of said three years' continuous service, the employee be separated from the service due to abolition of his position or reduction in force, he shall nevertheless be entitled to retirement benefit if otherwise qualified. In the case of those who are at least fifty-seven years of age a period of service shorter than thirty years may be allowed, provided that each year decrease in service shall be compensated by one-half year increase in age over fifty-seven years. A younger age of retirement may be permitted provided that each year decrease below fifty-seven years shall be compensated by one year increase in service over thirty years. If an employee is a laborer or one whose work is mostly manual, the ages mentioned above may be decreased by not more than five years at the discretion of the System. In all cases no one shall be entitled to retirement benefit if his age is below fifty-two years or his total service is less than fifteen years. * * * * * * * * "(d) An employee separated from the service who is receiving an annuity described under section eleven shall not be eligible again to appointment to any appointive position or employment under any "employer" unless the appointing authority determines that he is possessed of special qualifications and his medical examination has been approved by payments of his annuity during the period of his new the System, in which event he shall not be entitled to employment: Provided, however, That nothing in this Act shall be so construed as to affect the rights of the annuitant's beneficiary if the annuitant has been receiving or had elected, and was otherwise entitled to, a reduced annuity under subsection (a) of section eleven: Provided, further, That upon the termination of his new appointment, the payments of the annuity which were discontinued shall be resumed: And provided, finally, That if the annuitant's salary in his new position is less than the annuity granted to him under this Act, he shall be entitled to receive the difference."