21.370 Term of service to qualify -- Transfer of service credit to Judicial Retirement Plan -- Purchase of service credit for service as police judge and for military service -- Special provisions for
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military service -- Special provisions for active members. (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of KRS 21.410 and in subsection (2) of KRS 21.420, no benefits shall be payable under KRS 21.350 to 21.480 to any member or
to his surviving spouse, unless he has completed at least eight (8) years of service,
including service before becoming a member. No surviving spouse of a retired
member shall be entitled to any benefits unless the person was the spouse of the
member at the time he retired. (2) A member who has qualified for benefits under this section may transfer to the Judicial Retirement Plan up to ten (10) years of service credit which he has earned
in a retirement system administered by Kentucky Retirement Systems, and he may
transfer to the Judicial Retirement Plan up to ten (10) years of service credit which
he has earned in the Kentucky Legislators' Retirement Plan. If the member elects to
transfer his service credit, the system or plan from which the transfer is made shall
transfer to the judicial retirement fund an amount equal to the employee's and
employer's contributions attributable to that credit, together with interest on the
contributions from the date made to the date of transfer at the actuarially assumed
interest rate of the system or plan from which the transfer is made in effect at the
time the contributions were made, compounded annually at that same interest rate.
The member shall be entitled to the transferred service credit, at the rate at which he
qualifies under KRS 21.400, when he pays the total difference between the amount
of the funds transferred and the cost of the credit to the Judicial Retirement Plan, as
determined by the actuary for the Judicial Retirement Plan. The member may pay by
transfer, if authorized under subsection (5)(d) of this section, or by lump sum or
increments as set forth in subsection (4)(b) of this section. The payments made
under this section shall be considered accumulated contributions of the member and
shall not be picked up by the employer under KRS 21.360(6). (3) Any active member of the Judicial Retirement Plan who is vested in the Judicial Retirement Plan under subsection (1) of this section or KRS 21.375, shall receive
service credit for a maximum of four (4) years for his period of service as a city
police judge for a city within the Commonwealth of Kentucky, if the service was
performed prior to the first Monday in January, 1978, and if the service has not been
credited to the member's account with any other public defined benefit plan, by
paying the retirement system one hundred percent (100%) of the actuarial cost of
the service as determined by the board of trustees, based on assumptions used in the
most recent biennial evaluation. The period of service to be purchased shall be
certified to the board of trustees by the custodian of the records of the city for which
the service was performed. The service credit shall be awarded and the cost shall be
determined in conformity with the rate which applies to the member in question
under KRS 21.400. Service credit awarded under this subsection shall be
equivalent, for all purposes of the Judicial Retirement Plan, to other service credit
earned in the plan. The payments made under this section shall be considered accumulated contributions of the member and shall not be picked up by the
employer under KRS 21.360(6). (4) (a) 1. Any active member of the Judicial Retirement Plan who is vested in the
Judicial Retirement Plan under subsection (1) of this section or KRS
21.375, or his beneficiary acting in his place if the member dies prior to
retirement, shall receive service credit for a maximum of four (4) years
for his period of service in the Armed Forces of the United States, if his
discharge therefrom is honorable and he has not been credited with the
service by any other retirement system administered by the
Commonwealth of Kentucky, by paying the retirement system thirty-five
percent (35%) of the actuarial cost of the service as determined by the
board of trustees, based on assumptions used in the most recent biennial
evaluation. The service credit shall be awarded and the cost shall be
determined in conformity with the rate which applies to the member in
question under KRS 21.400. Service credit awarded under this
subsection shall be equivalent, for all purposes of the Judicial
Retirement Plan, to other service credit earned in the plan. 2. Any active member of the Judicial Retirement Plan who is vested in the
Judicial Retirement Plan may purchase and receive service credit for one
(1) month of service for each six (6) months of service in the reserves or
the National Guard by paying the retirement system one hundred percent
(100%) of the actuarial cost of the service as determined by the board of
trustees, based on assumptions used in the most recent biennial
evaluation. The service credit shall be awarded and the cost shall be
determined in conformity with the rate that applies to the member in
question as provided in KRS 21.400. Service credit awarded under this
subsection shall be equivalent, for all purposes of the Judicial
Retirement Plan, to other service credit earned in the plan. The service in
the military reserves or the National Guard shall be treated as service
earned prior to participation in the plan. The purchase can be made by
the member in a transfer, if authorized under subsection (5)(d) of this
section, or by a lump-sum payment or installment payments. The
payment shall not be picked up by the employer as provided in KRS
21.360(6). (b) The member may purchase all of his military service credit at one (1) time, or in increments of no less than one (1) year, unless there is a fraction remaining
after all full years have been paid for. Payment of the total or the increment
may be made by lump sum or by monthly installments through payroll
deduction. If the member chooses to pay by installment, the cost of the service
credit shall be computed in the same manner as for a lump-sum payment,
which shall be the principal. Interest, at the annual actuarial rate in effect at
the time each payment is made, shall be added to each monthly payment at the
rate of one-twelfth (1/12) of the annual interest rate applied to the declining
principal amount. Installment purchases shall be for no less than twelve (12)
nor more than sixty (60) months. If the member leaves office before completing his installment payments, he may satisfy his contract by a lump-
sum payment of the remaining principal amount, but no further installment
payments shall be accepted thereafter. In this case, the member shall be
credited with the military service credit for which he has paid, in years or
months but no fraction less than a full month, and any payment remaining
after credit for full months has been awarded shall be returned to the member. (c) The payments made under this section shall be considered accumulated contributions of the member and shall not be picked up by the employer under
KRS 21.360(6). (5) (a) Any active member of the Judicial Retirement Plan who is vested in the Judicial Retirement Plan under subsection (1) of this section or KRS 21.375
shall receive service credit for a maximum of four (4) years each for his period
of service as a Domestic Relations Commissioner, a Master Commissioner, or
a District Court Trial Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, or a
combination thereof, if the service has not been credited to the member's
account with any other public defined benefit plan, by paying the retirement
system one hundred percent (100%) of the actuarial cost of the service as
determined by the board of trustees, based on assumptions used in the most
recent biennial evaluation. The period of service to be purchased shall be
certified to the board of trustees by the custodian of the records. The service
credit shall be awarded and the cost shall be determined in conformity with
the rate that applies to the member in question under KRS 21.400. Service
credit awarded under this subsection shall be equivalent, for all purposes of
the Judicial Retirement Plan, to other service credit earned in the plan. The
member may pay by transfer as set forth in paragraph (d) of this subsection, or
by lump sum or increments as set forth in subsection (4)(b) of this section.
The payments made under this section shall be considered accumulated
contributions of the member and shall not be picked up by the employer under
KRS 21.360(6). (b) Any active member of the Judicial Retirement Plan who is vested in the Judicial Retirement Plan under subsection (1) of this section or KRS 21.375
shall receive service credit for his period of service to the United States
Government, other than service in the Armed Forces, if the service has not
been credited to the member's account with any other public defined benefit
plan, by paying the retirement system one hundred percent (100%) of the
actuarial cost of the service as determined by the board of trustees, based on
assumptions used in the most recent biennial evaluation. The period of service
to be purchased shall be certified to the board of trustees by the custodian of
the records. The service credit shall be awarded and the cost shall be
determined in conformity with the rate that applies to the member in question
under KRS 21.400. Service credit awarded under this subsection shall be
equivalent, for all purposes of the Judicial Retirement Plan, to other service
credit earned in the plan. The member may pay by transfer as set forth in
paragraph (d) of this subsection, or by lump sum or increments as set forth in
subsection (4)(b) of this section. The payments made under this section shall be considered accumulated contributions of the member and shall not be
picked up by the employer under KRS 21.360(6). (c) Any member of the Judicial Retirement Plan, who is in office on June 21, 2001, and who is in active contributing status to the applicable retirement plan
on June 21, 2001, and who has at least one hundred eighty (180) months of
service credit may purchase a combined maximum total of five (5) years
retirement service credit that is not otherwise purchasable, by paying the
retirement system one hundred percent (100%) of the actuarial cost of the
service as determined by the board of trustees, based on assumptions used in
the most recent biennial evaluation. The service credit shall be awarded and
the cost shall be determined in conformity with the rate that applies to the
member in question under KRS 21.400. Service credit awarded under this
subsection shall be equivalent, for all purposes of the Judicial Retirement
Plan, to other service credit earned in the plan, except that the service
purchased under this subsection shall not be used in determining a retirement
allowance until the member has accrued at least two hundred forty (240)
months of service, excluding service purchased under this subsection. If the
member does not accrue at least two hundred forty (240) months of service,
excluding service purchased under this subsection, then upon retirement,
death, or written request following termination, the payment shall be refunded.
The member may pay by transfer as set forth in paragraph (d) of this
subsection, or by lump sum or increments as set forth in subsection (4)(b) of
this section. The payments made under this section shall be considered
accumulated contributions of the member and shall not be picked up by the
employer under KRS 21.360(6). (d) A member of the Judicial Retirement Plan may purchase service credit under the provisions of this section by transferring funds through a direct trustee-to-
trustee transfer permitted under the applicable sections of the Internal
Revenue Code and any regulations or rulings issued thereunder, or through a
direct rollover as contemplated by and permitted under 26 U.S.C. sec.
401(a)(31). Service credit may also be purchased by a rollover of funds
pursuant to and permitted under the rules specified in 26 U.S.C. sec. 402(c)
and 26 U.S.C. sec. 408(d)(3). The Judicial Retirement Fund shall accept the
transfer or rollover to the extent permitted under the rules specified in the
applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and any regulations and
rulings issued thereunder. The amount shall be credited to the individual
member's contribution account and shall be considered accumulated
contributions of the member and shall not be picked up by the employer under
KRS 21.360(6). Effective: June 20, 2005
History: Amended 2005 Ky. Acts ch. 86, sec. 7, effective June 20, 2005. -- Amended 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 90, sec. 3, effective July 15, 2002; and ch. 258, sec. 2, effective
July 15, 2002. -- Amended 2001 Ky. Acts ch. 146, sec. 1, effective June 21, 2001. --
Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 389, sec. 7, effective July 15, 1998. -- Amended 1994
Ky. Acts ch. 266, sec. 2, effective July 15, 1994.