Section 40 ILCS 5/17-130.2 - Pickup of optional contributions(a) For the purposes of this Section, "optional contributions" means contributions that a member elects to make in order to qualify for the augmented service retirement pension rate under Section 17-119.1.(b) Subject to the requirements of federal law and the rules of the Board, beginning July 1, 1998 a member who is employed on a full-time basis may elect to have the Employer pick up optional contributions that the member has elected to pay to the Fund, and the contributions so picked up shall be treated as employer contributions for the purposes of determining federal tax treatment. The election to have optional contributions picked up is irrevocable. At the time of making the election, the member shall execute a binding, irrevocable payroll deduction authorization. Upon receiving notice of the election, the Employer shall pick up the contributions by a reduction in the cash salary of the member and shall pay the contributions from the same source of funds that is used to pay earnings to the member.(c) Each Employer under this Fund shall take the steps necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 414(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to permit the pickup of optional contributions on a tax-deferred basis. P.A. 90-582, eff. 5/27/1998.