Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/WVCODE/code.cfm?chap=51&art=9&section=6A
Timestamp: 2018-04-25 00:59:56
Document Index: 750695048

Matched Legal Cases: ['§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§1', '§1', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51']

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§51-9-1. Establishment.
There is hereby established a judges' retirement system for the purpose and to be administered as hereinafter provided.
§51-9-1a. Definitions.
(a) As used in this article, the term "judge", "judge of any court of record" or "judge of any court of record of this state" means, refers to and includes judges of the several circuit courts and justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals. For purposes of this article, the terms do not mean, refer to or include family court judges.
(b) "Actuarially equivalent" or "of equal actuarial value" means a benefit of equal value computed upon the basis of the mortality table and interest rates as set and adopted by the retirement board in accordance with the provisions of this article: Provided, That when used in the context of compliance with the federal maximum benefit requirements of Section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code, "actuarially equivalent" shall be computed using the mortality tables and interest rates required to comply with those requirements.
(c) "Beneficiary" means any person, except a member, who is entitled to an annuity or other benefit payable by the retirement system.
(d) "Board" means the Consolidated Public Retirement Board created pursuant to article ten-d, chapter five of this code.
(e) "Final average salary" means the average of the highest thirty-six consecutive months' compensation received by the member as a judge of any court of record of this state.
(h) "Plan year" means the twelve-month period commencing on July 1 of any designated year and ending the following June 30.
(i) "Required beginning date" means April 1 of the calendar year following the later of: (i) The calendar year in which the member attains age seventy and one-half; or (ii) the calendar year in which the member retires or otherwise separates from covered employment.
(j) "Retirement system" or "system" means the Judges' Retirement System created and established by this article. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the provisions of this article are applicable only to circuit judges and justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals in the manner specified in this article. No service as a family court judge may be construed to qualify a person to participate in the Judges' Retirement System or used in any manner as credit toward eligibility for retirement benefits under the Judges' Retirement System.
§51-9-1b. Statement of legislative intent, policy and finding.
The decision and opinion of the state Supreme Court of Appeals in the case of, which was rendered on November 7, 1984, and other decisions and opinions of that court based upon the decision have served to make substantial and fundamental changes in the retirement system for judges as established by the Legislature under the provisions of this article. These substantial and fundamental changes have served to or resulted in (i) expanding and greatly easing the requirements necessary to qualify to receive retirement annuity benefits from the system, (ii) making many persons eligible for retirement annuity benefits from the system at an earlier date than would have been the case under the provisions of the article, (iii) unjustly increasing the amount of retirement annuity benefits to be received by certain judges or justices would or will receive and (iv) altering or reducing the authority of the State Auditor as the primary administrator of the judges retirement fund and of the Governor to determine the eligibility of persons seeking to claim retirement annuity benefits from the fund and placed these functions within the province of the court administrator; thus removing the statutory authority of public officers outside the judicial branch of state government to determine the eligibility of judges and justices to receive such benefits or to see to the financial stability and soundness of the fund or to ensure fiscal accountability with respect thereto.
The Legislature hereby declares that the decision and the subsequent decisions of the Supreme Court of Appeals which were based upon the decision were not and do not constitute sound legal principles, in that they have served to rewrite contractual arrangements found to exist by the Supreme Court of Appeals in the case of v. decided on June 15, 1981, and, further, usurped the authority of the Legislature to determine or formulate the public policy of this state as required by article V, section 1 and article VI, section 1 of the Constitution of West Virginia and further usurped the authority of the Legislature to set judicial compensation.
The Legislature hereby states and finds that its intent and policy recognizes a compelling state interest is present in carrying out its Constitutional responsibilities of establishing, determining and setting reasonable compensation guidelines and amounts for judicial officers, by law, and of protecting the fiscal responsibility and soundness of the moneys required for payment into the trust fund, as a part of the judicial branch budget request, which is determined by benefits payable from the judicial retirement system, and which judicial budget request may not be reduced by the Legislature, Constitutionally.
The amendments now made to the provisions of this retirement system by the Legislature are made within the original and continuing framework of such system and with the benefits hereunder being directed toward those meeting the strict and fundamental requirements of career judicial service on the bench, of military service and service as a prosecuting attorney as granted by this article.
§51-9-2. Judges' retirement fund created; composition.
As a part of the judges' retirement system, there is hereby created a Judges' Retirement Fund which shall be made up of and into which shall be paid
(a) Percentage contributions from salaries of judges as provided in section four of this article;
(b) Gifts and bequests to the fund and any accretions and accumulations which may properly be paid into and become a part of the fund;
(c) Specific appropriations to the fund made by the Legislature of the State of West Virginia and by any county court or courts of the state;
(d) Interest on the investment of any part or parts of the fund;
(e) Any other moneys, available and not otherwise expended, which may be appropriated or transferred to the fund.
§51-9-3. Custody, permissible investment and administration of retirement system trust fund; State Auditor's authority as administrator and trust fund fiduciary; refunds required, including interest; federal qualification requirements.
(a) The State Treasurer shall be the custodian of the fund and of any investment securities of the retirement system and shall give a separate and additional bond for the faithful performance of his or her duties as such custodian. The Governor shall fix the amount of such bond which shall be approved as to sufficiency and form by the Attorney General and shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. The premium on such bond shall be paid from the fund.
(b) In a manner and to an extent consonant with sound administrative principles, the state Board of Investments shall have authority to invest such fund in interest-bearing securities of the United States of America, of the State of West Virginia and of any political subdivision thereof or such other investments as may be authorized or permitted by the provisions of article six, chapter twelve of this code.
(c) The State Auditor shall be the primary fiscal officer, responsible for the records and administration of the trust fund, including budgetary matters incident to the authority vested in him or her with respect to judicial department appropriations under article VI, section fifty-one of the Constitution of West Virginia. The State Auditor shall also, as trust fund fiduciary, independently determine anew, in a substantive sense and as a check and balance, any information concerning eligible service years, required money contributions, computation of judge's retirement benefit or spousal benefit or any other substantive element of qualification supplied or certified to the State Auditor by any other public officer, including the supreme court administrator or the chief executive, toward proper final review before issuance of a state warrant in payment of any benefit under the judges' retirement system.
(d) Through June 30, 1991, the State Auditor shall be the primary fiscal officer, responsible for the records and administration of the trust fund, including budgetary matter incident to the authority vested in him or her with respect to judicial department appropriations under article VI, section fifty-one of the Constitution of West Virginia. The State Auditor shall also, as trust fund fiduciary, independently determine anew, in a substantive sense and as a check and balance, any information concerning eligible service years, required money contributions, computation of judge's retirement benefit or spousal benefit or any other substantial element of qualification supplied or certified to the State Auditor by any other public officer, including the supreme court administrator or the chief executive, toward proper final review before issuance of a state warrant in payment of any benefit under the judges' retirement system. From July 1, 1991 and thereafter, the funds shall be administered by the Consolidated Public Retirement Board created by article ten-d, chapter five of this code.
(e) In respect of any credited service heretofore acquired under the Dostert decision and subsequent related decisions, the State Auditor shall make refund to any person heretofore making payment to acquire such service credit, primary or derivative, in the amount so earlier paid, together with interest at the same rate such sum actually earned because of its investment by the Auditor or treasurer, as the case may be, in the consolidated pension pool or with the interest such sum would have earned if timely invested in such pool, whichever amount of interest be greater.
(f) The retirement system is intended to meet the federal qualification requirements of Section 401(a) and related sections of the Internal Revenue Code as applicable to governmental plans. Notwithstanding any other provision of state law, the board shall administer the retirement system to fulfill this intent for the exclusive benefit of the members and their beneficiaries. Any provision of this article referencing or relating to these federal qualification requirements shall be effective as of the date required by federal law. The board may promulgate rules and amend or repeal conflicting rules in accordance with the authority granted to the board pursuant to section one, article ten-d, chapter five of this code to assure compliance with the requirements of this section.
The board at its first meeting in each calendar year or as soon thereafter as may be practicable shall adopt and specify actuarial assumptions for the system, which assumptions shall become part of the terms of this system.
§51-9-4. Required percentage contributions from salaries; any termination of required contributions prior to actual retirement disallowed; leased employees; military service credit; maximum allowable and qualified military service; qualifiable prosecutorial service.
(a) Every person who is now serving or shall hereafter serve as a judge of any court of record of this state shall pay into the Judges' Retirement Fund six percent of the salary received by such person out of the State Treasury: Provided, That when a judge becomes eligible to receive benefits from such trust fund by actual retirement, no further payment by him or her shall be required, since such employee contribution, in an equal treatment sense, ceases to be required in the other retirement systems of the state, also, only after actual retirement: Provided, however, That on and after January 1, 1995, every person who is then serving or shall thereafter serve as a judge of any court of record in this state shall pay into the Judges' Retirement Fund nine percent of the salary received by that person: Provided further, That consistent with the salary increase granted to judges of courts of record during the 2005 regular legislative session and to changes effectuated in judicial retirement by provisions enacted during the third extraordinary legislative session of 2005, on and after July 1, 2005, every person who is then serving or shall thereafter serve as a judge of any court of record in this state shall pay into the Judges' Retirement Fund ten and one-half percent of the salary received by that person: And provided further, That on and after July 1, 2013, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, every person who is then serving or shall thereafter serve as a judge of any court of record in this state and who elects to participate in this retirement system shall pay into the Judges' Retirement Fund seven percent of the salary received. Any prior occurrence or practice to the contrary, in any way allowing discontinuance of required employee contributions prior to actual retirement under this retirement system, is rejected as erroneous and contrary to legislative intent and as violative of required equal treatment and is hereby nullified and discontinued fully, with the State Auditor to require such contribution in every instance hereafter, except where no contributions are required to be made under any of the provisions of this article.
(b) On and after July 1, 2014, every person who is serving or shall hereafter serve as a judge of any court of record of this state and who elects to participate in this retirement system shall contribute to the fund an amount determined by the board. This amount will be based on the annual actuarial valuation prepared by the State Actuary: Provided, That the contribution will be no less than seven percent or no more than ten and one-half percent of the participant's annual compensation.
(c) On or after July 1, 2013, and each year thereafter, the annual actuarial valuation prepared by the State Actuary for determination of all participants' contributions and the annual actuarially required contribution prepared by the State Actuary for use by the courts of this state for legislative appropriation shall be provided to the Legislature's Joint Committee on Government and Finance and the Joint Committee on Pensions and Retirement.
(d) An individual who is a leased employee shall not be eligible to participate in the system. For purposes of this system, a "leased employee" means any individual who performs services as an independent contractor or pursuant to an agreement with an employee leasing organization or other similar organization. If a question arises regarding the status of an individual as a leased employee, the board has the final power to decide the question.
(e) In drawing warrants for the salary checks of judges, the State Auditor shall deduct from the amount of each such salary check six percent thereof, which amount so deducted shall be credited by the Consolidated Public Retirement Board to the trust fund: Provided, That on or after January 1, 1995, the amount so deducted and credited shall be nine percent of each such salary check: Provided, however, That consistent with the salary increase granted to judges of courts of record during the 2005 regular legislative session and to changes effectuated in judicial retirement by provisions enacted during the third extraordinary legislative session of 2005, on or after July 1, 2005, the amount so deducted and credited shall be ten and one-half percent of each such salary check: Provided further, That on and after July 1, 2013, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the amount so deducted and credited shall be seven percent of each salary check: And provided further, That on and after July 1, 2014, the amount so deducted and credited will be determined by the board.
(f) Any judge seeking to qualify military service to be claimed as credited service, in allowable aggregate maximum amount up to five years, shall be entitled to be awarded the same without any required payment in respect thereof to the Judges' Retirement Fund.
(g) Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this section, contributions, benefits and service credit with respect to qualified military service shall be provided in accordance with Section 414(u) of the Internal Revenue Code. For purposes of this section, "qualified military service" has the same meaning as in Section 414(u) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Retirement Board is authorized to determine all questions and make all decisions relating to this section and may promulgate rules relating to contributions, benefits and service credit pursuant to the authority granted to the retirement board in section one, article ten-d, chapter five of this code to comply with Section 414(u) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(h) Any judge holding office as such on the effective date of the amendments to this article adopted by the Legislature at its 1987 regular session who seeks to qualify service as a prosecuting attorney as credited service, which service credit must have been earned prior to the year 1987, shall be required to pay into the Judges' Retirement Fund nine percent of the annual salary which was actually received by such person as prosecuting attorney during the time such prosecutorial service was rendered prior to the year 1987 and for which credited service is being sought, together with applicable interest. No judge whose term of office shall commence after the effective date of such amendments to this article shall be eligible to claim any credit for service rendered as a prosecuting attorney as eligible service for retirement benefits under this article, nor shall any time served as a prosecutor after the year 1988 be considered as eligible service for any purposes of this article.
§51-9-5. Election not to participate, contribute, or be a member; authorized transfers of service credit by a judge; duplicate use of service credit prohibited.
(a) Notwithstanding any provisions of this article, any judge may in writing notify the Auditor within thirty days after he or she takes office, or, if he or she is in office, on the date this article becomes effective, then within thirty days from such latter date, that such judge elects not to become a member or make any payments or contributions to the trust fund, in which event every judge, so electing, shall not thereafter at any time be entitled to receive any retirement pay or benefits under provisions of this article, and any deduction that may have theretofore been made from the salary of such judge and paid into the fund shall be refunded without interest, to him or her by the Auditor by warrant drawn on the trust fund. Any judge who has so elected not to become a member or not to contribute, shall nevertheless thereafter be permitted to become such member, contribute and become eligible for retirement benefits by paying into the Judges' Retirement Fund all contributions such judge would have been required to pay into the fund, together with interest thereon at a rate to be determined by the State Auditor as reasonable for such prior periods, as if such judge had not previously elected not to be a member and not to contribute.
(b) There may be transfers of service credit on proper basis between the judges' retirement system and the Public Employees Retirement System, where such service credit constitutes qualified and eligible credit under the recipient system's statutes, in order to allow full flexibility of choice of option by a judge or judicial member; but in no case shall benefits be receivable from more than one of such state retirement systems, nor shall any service credit be usable more than once and then only in the finally chosen state retirement system.
§51-9-6a. Eligibility benefits; service and retirement of judges over sixty-five years of age.
Any judge of a court of record of this state who shall have served for a period of not less than eight full years after attaining the age of sixty-five years and who shall have made payments into the Judges' Retirement Fund as provided in this article for each month during which he or she served as such judge following the effective date of this section, shall be subject to all the applicable terms and provisions of this article, not inconsistent with the provisions hereof, and shall receive retirement benefits in an amount equal to seventy-five percent of the annual salary of the office from which he or she has retired based upon such salary of such office as such salary may be changed from time to time during the period of his or her retirement and the amount of his or her retirement benefits shall be based upon and be equal to seventy-five percent of the highest annual salary of such office for any one calendar year during the period of his or her retirement and shall be payable in monthly installments. If such judge shall become incapacitated to perform his or her said duties before the expiration of his or her said term and after serving for six years thereof, and upon the acceptance of his or her resignation as in this article provided, he or she shall be paid the annual retirement benefits as herein provided so long as he or she shall live. The provisions of this section shall prevail over any language to the contrary in this article contained, except those provisions of sections twelve-a and twelve-b of this article: Provided, That no individual who is appointed or elected for the first time as judge of a court of record of this state after July 1, 2005, is eligible for retirement under this section.
§51-9-6b. Annuities for surviving spouses and surviving dependent children of judges; automatic escalation and increase of annuity benefit; proration designation by judge permitted.
(a) There shall be paid, from the fund created or continued by section two of this article, or from such funds as may be appropriated by the Legislature for such purpose, an annuity to the surviving spouse of a judge, if such judge at the time of his or her death is eligible for the retirement benefits provided by any of the provisions of this article, or who has, at death, actually served five years or more as a sitting judge of any court of record of this state, exclusive of any other service credit to which such judge may otherwise be entitled, and who dies either while in office or after resignation or retirement from office pursuant to the provisions of this article. Said annuity shall amount to forty percent of the annual salary of the office which said judge held at his or her death or from which he or she resigned or retired. In the event said salary is increased or decreased while an annuitant is receiving the benefits hereunder, his or her annuity shall amount to forty percent of the new salary: Provided, That with respect to any individual who is appointed or elected for the first time as judge of a court of record of this state after July 1, 2005, any annuity to the surviving spouse of the judge shall be an amount equal to forty percent of the judge's final average salary: Provided, however, That the annuitant is not entitled to an increase in benefits by virtue of any increase in the salaries of the offices of circuit court judge or Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals. The annuity granted hereunder shall accrue monthly and shall be due and payable in monthly installments on the first business day of the month following the month for which the annuity shall have accrued. Such annuity shall commence on the first day of the month in which said judge dies and shall, subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, terminate upon the death of the annuitant or shall terminate upon the remarriage of the annuitant.
(b) If there be no surviving spouse at the time of death of a judge who dies after serving five years or more as a sitting judge of any court of record and such judge leaves surviving him any dependent child or children, such dependent child or children shall receive an amount equal to twenty percent of the annual salary of the office which said judge held at the time of his or her death: Provided, That the total of all such annuities payable to each such child shall not exceed in the aggregate an amount equal to forty percent of such salary. Such annuity shall continue as to each such child until: (i) He or she attains the age of eighteen years; or (ii) attains the age of twenty-three years so long as such child remains a full-time student. The Auditor shall by legislative rule establish the criteria for determining a person's status as a full-time student within the meaning and intent of this subsection. In the event there are surviving any such judge three or more dependent children, then each such child's annuity shall be proratably reduced in order that the aggregate annuity received by all such dependent children does not exceed forty percent of such salary and the amount to be so received by any such child shall continue throughout the entire period during which each such child is eligible to receive such annuity. The provisions of this subsection shall also apply to those circumstances and situations wherein a surviving spouse of a deceased judge shall die while receiving benefits pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and who shall leave surviving dependent children of such deceased judge who would be entitled to benefits under this subsection as if they had succeeded to such annuity benefits upon the death of such judge in the first instance. In the event the salary of judges is increased or decreased while an annuitant is receiving benefits pursuant to this subsection, the annuities payable shall be likewise increased or decreased proportionately to reflect such change in salary: Provided, however, That with respect to any individual who is appointed or elected for the first time as judge of a court of record of this state after July 1, 2005, any annuity to any children of the judge shall be calculated with respect to the judge's final average salary: Provided further, That the child is not entitled to an increase in benefits by virtue of any increase in the salaries of the offices of circuit court judge or Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals. The annuities granted hereunder shall accrue monthly and shall be due and payable in monthly installments on the same day as surviving spouses' benefits are required to be paid. Such annuities shall commence on the first day of the month in which any such dependent child becomes eligible for benefits hereunder and shall terminate on the last day of the month during which such eligibility ceases.
(a) The state shall not increase any existing benefits or create any new benefits for any retirees or beneficiaries currently receiving monthly benefit payments from the system, other than an increase in benefits or new benefits effected by operation of law in effect on the effective date of this article, in an amount that would exceed more than one percent of the accrued actuarial liability of the system as of the last day of the preceding fiscal year as determined in the annual actuarial valuation for the plan completed for the Consolidated Public Retirement Board as of the first day of the following fiscal year as of the date the improvement is adopted by the Legislature.
(b) If any increase of existing benefits or creation of new benefits for any retirees or beneficiaries currently receiving monthly benefit payments under the system, other than an increase in benefits or new benefits effected by operation of law in effect on the effective date of this article, causes any additional unfunded actuarial accrued liability in any of the West Virginia state sponsored pension systems as calculated in the annual actuarial valuation for the plan during any fiscal year, the additional unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the system shall be fully amortized over no more than the six consecutive fiscal years following the date the increase in benefits or new benefits become effective as certified by the Consolidated Public Retirement Board. Following the receipt of the certification of additional actuarial accrued liability, the Governor shall submit the amount of the amortization payment each year for the system as part of the annual budget submission or in an executive message to the Legislature.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the computation of annuities or benefits for active members due to retirement, death or disability as provided for in the system shall not be amended in such a manner as to increase any existing benefits or to provide for new benefits.
(d) The provisions of this section terminate effective July 1, 2009teen: Provided, That if bonds are issued pursuant to article eight, chapter twelve of this code, the provisions of this section shall not terminate while any of the bonds are outstanding.
In calculating the annual retirement benefits under section six of this article for any individual who is appointed or elected for the first time as judge of a court of record of this state after July 1, 2005, the judge shall receive retirement benefits in an amount equal to seventy-five percent of the individual's final average salary. The individual is not entitled to an increase in benefits by virtue of any increase in the salaries of the offices of circuit court judge or Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals.
§51-9-7. Ineligibility to receive pay or benefits.
A judge who retires under the provisions of any section of this article and accepts the pay or benefits payable under this article shall, while receiving said pay or benefits, be permitted to hold any public office or trust for which the judge receives compensation from the State of West Virginia. If, after retirement under the provisions of this article, a judge is elected or appointed to any public office or trust for which he or she receives any salary or other compensation from the State of West Virginia, the retired judge is not eligible to participate in any other pension plan maintained by the State of West Virginia, nor accrue additional years of credited service under this system or any other state pension system. A judge who retires because of disability and accepts the pay or benefits payable under this article because of his or her disability shall not, while receiving said pay or benefits because of his or her disability, be permitted to practice law. If, after disability retirement under the provisions of this article and while receiving pay or benefits payable under said article because of his or her disability, he or she shall enter the practice of law, his or her pay or benefits under this article because of his or her disability shall be suspended for such time only as he or she shall be engaged in the practice of law.
§51-9-8. Retirement upon disability.
(a) Whenever a judge of a court of record of this state, who is not disqualified from participation herein as provided in section five of this article, who shall have served for ten full years, or if over the age of sixty-five years, who shall have served at least six years as a judge of a court of record, shall become physically or mentally incapacitated to perform the duties of his or her office as judge during the remainder of his or her term and shall make a written application to the Governor for his or her retirement, setting forth the nature and extent of his or her disability and tendering his or her resignation as such judge upon condition that upon its acceptance he or she be retired with pay under the provisions of this article, the Governor shall make such investigation as the Governor shall deem advisable and, if the Governor shall determine that such disability exists and that the public service is suffering and will continue to suffer by reason of such disability, the Governor shall thereupon accept the resignation and, by written order filed in the office of the Secretary of State, direct the retirement of the judge for the unexpired portion of the term for which such judge was elected or appointed. The Secretary of State shall thereupon file a certified copy of such order with the State Auditor. When so accepted, said resignation shall create a vacancy in such office of judge, which shall be filled by appointment or election as provided by law. The retired judge shall thereupon be paid annual retirement pay during the remainder of his or her unexpired term in an amount equal to the annual salary he or she was receiving at the time of his or her disability retirement, which annual retirement pay, so long as it shall be paid to him or her, shall be in lieu of any and all retirement benefits such judge may otherwise have received under provisions of this article: Provided, That when the payment of such full salary as disability retirement pay shall have terminated with the close of his or her term of office, such judge, even though he or she shall not have arrived at the age of sixty-five years, shall, so long as the disability determined by the Governor continues to exist, be paid the retirement benefits for which provision is made in section six of this article: Provided, however, That in the event any such judge shall die during the continuation of his or her disability, then such judge's surviving spouse shall receive the benefits to which he or she would have been entitled pursuant to the provisions of section six-b of this article and subject to the limitations thereon: Provided further, That any judge becoming a new member of this retirement system on or after April 1, one thousand nine hundred eighty-seven, and retiring upon disability retirement subsequent to such date shall be paid upon the basis of seventy-five percent of highest annual salary, with allowable salary increase, as provided in section six of this article during all disability retirement receipt periods.
(b) Any other provision of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, no judge shall be eligible pursuant to this section unless such judge is also disabled to such an extent so as to preclude such judge from engaging in the practice of law during all of the period of such disability.
§51-9-9. Determination of eligibility for benefits.
Before any person is entitled to retirement benefits under the provisions of this article, he or she shall submit proof of his or her eligibility for retirement benefits to the Governor. If the judge is still sitting, he or she shall at the same time tender to the Governor his or her resignation as judge to the Governor upon condition that, if the resignation is accepted, he or she will be paid retirement benefits as provided in this article. Upon request for retirement by a sitting judge, the Governor shall investigate to the extent he or she deems advisable to determine the judge's eligibility. If the Governor determines that such person is entitled to retirement benefits under the provisions of this article, the Governor shall accept the resignation and certify the facts and the amount of retirement benefits to be paid to the judge upon retirement by a written order filed in the office of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State shall, upon receipt of the order, file a certified copy of the order with the State Auditor, the Governor's office, the Supreme Court of Appeals' administrative office and the Consolidated Public Retirement Board. After accepting the judge's resignation, a vacancy is created in the office of the retiring judge which shall be filled by appointment or election as provided by law.
§51-9-10. Services of senior judges.
The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals is authorized and empowered to create a panel of senior judges to utilize the talent and experience of former circuit court judges and supreme court justices of this state. The Supreme Court of Appeals shall promulgate rules providing for said judges and justices to be assigned duties as needed and as feasible toward the objective of reducing caseloads and providing speedier trials to litigants throughout the state: Provided, That reasonable payment shall be made to said judges and justices on a per diem basis: Provided, however, That the per diem and retirement compensation of a senior judge shall not exceed the salary of a sitting judge, and allowances shall also be made for necessary expenses as provided for special judges under articles two and nine of this chapter.
§51-9-11. Monthly payments.
The retirement benefits and retirement pay, as herein provided, shall be paid in equal monthly installments upon the warrant of the State Auditor drawn on the Judges' Retirement Fund. If at any time moneys in said fund are insufficient to meet the orderly requirements of the retirement system, payments hereunder shall then be made from funds in the State Treasury appropriated and otherwise available for such purposes.
§51-9-12. Refunds.
Any judge of a court of record of this state whose services have terminated, otherwise than by retirement under provisions of this article, shall, upon his written demand, or the written demand of his personal representative, filed with the State Auditor, by a proper warrant of the State Auditor drawn on the fund, be refunded, without interest, any and all money paid by or for said judge into the fund. Such repayment shall terminate all rights of said judge to participate thereafter at any time in the benefits and pay of the retirement system, without prejudice, however, to his right to reenter the system after a subsequent appointment or election to a qualified judgeship, but without credit for any prior years of service: Provided, however, That should a retired judge die, without leaving a widow surviving, while receiving retirement benefits under the provisions of this article, and before he has received from the Judges' Retirement Fund an amount equal to, or in excess of, sums paid by him into such fund, or should the widow, as defined by section six-b of this article, who is entitled to an annuity under the provisions of section six-b die or remarry while receiving annuity benefits, and before she and her husband have received from the Judges' Retirement Fund an amount equal to, or in excess of, sums contributed by him to such fund, then, and in either of these events, the State Auditor shall, upon the written demand of the personal representative of the judge or widow, as the case may be, filed with the State Auditor, by a proper warrant drawn on the fund, refund, without interest, to the estate of such judge or such widow, as the case may be, an amount equal to the difference between the sums contributed to the fund by or for such judge and the amount of such retirement benefits and annuities paid to him and his widow.
(g) The application of the provisions of this section shall not cause the maximum annual benefit provided to a member to be less than the member's accrued benefit as of December 31, 2008 (the end of the limitation year that is immediately prior to the effective date of the final regulations for this retirement system as defined in Treasury Regulation §1.415(a)-1(g)(2)), under provisions of the retirement system that were both adopted and in effect before April 5, 2007, provided that such provisions satisfied the applicable requirements of statutory provisions, regulations, and other published guidance relating to Section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code in effect as of December 31, 2008, as described in Treasury Regulation §1.415(a)-1(g)(4). If additional benefits are accrued for a member under this retirement system after January 1, 2009, then the sum of the benefits described under the first sentence of this subdivision and benefits accrued for a member after January 1, 2009, must satisfy the requirements of Section 415, taking into account all applicable requirements of the final 415 Treasury Regulations.
The requirements of this section apply to any distribution of a member’s or beneficiaries’ interest and take precedence over any inconsistent provisions of this retirement system. This section applies to plan years beginning after December 31, 1986. Notwithstanding anything in the retirement system to the contrary, the payment of benefits under this article shall be determined and made in accordance with Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code and the federal regulations promulgated thereunder as applicable to governmental plans. Any term used in this article has the same meaning as when used in a comparable context in Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code and the federal regulations promulgated thereunder unless a different meaning is clearly required by the context or definition in this article. The following provisions apply to payments of benefits required under this article:
(1) "Eligible rollover distribution" means any distribution of all or any portion of the balance to the credit of the distributee, except that an eligible rollover distribution does not include any of the following: (i) Any distribution that is one of a series of substantially equal periodic payments not less frequently than annually made for the life or life expectancy of the distributee or the joint lives or the joint life expectancies of the distributee and the distributee's designated beneficiary, or for a specified period of ten years or more; (ii) any distribution to the extent such distribution is required under Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code; (iii) the portion of any distribution that is not includable in gross income determined without regard to the exclusion for net unrealized appreciation with respect to employer securities; (iv) any hardship distribution described in Section 401(k)(2)(B)(i)(iv) of the Internal Revenue Code; and (v) any other distribution or distributions expected to total less than $200 during a year. For distributions after December 31, 2001, a portion of a distribution shall not fail to be an eligible rollover distribution merely because the portion consists of after-tax employee contributions which are not includable in gross income. However, this portion may be paid only to an individual retirement account or annuity described in Section 408(a) or (b) of the Internal Revenue Code, or (for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2007) to a qualified trust which is part of a defined contribution plan described in Section 401(a) or (for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2006) to a qualified trust or to an annuity contract described in Section 403(a) or (b) of the Internal Revenue Code that agrees to separately account for amounts transferred (including interest or earnings thereon), including separately accounting for the portion of the distribution which is includable in gross income and the portion of the distribution which is not so includable, or (for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2007) to a Roth IRA described in Section 408A of the Internal Revenue Code.
(3) "Distributee" means a judge or former judge. In addition, the judge's or former judge's surviving spouse and the judge's or former judge's spouse or former spouse who is the alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as defined in Section 414(p) of the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to governmental plans, are distributees with regard to the interest of the spouse or former spouse. For distributions after December 31, 2007, "distributee" also includes a designated beneficiary (other than a surviving spouse) as such term is defined in Section 402(c)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(b) Nothing in this section may be construed as permitting rollovers into this system or any other system administered by the board.
§51-9-12d. Rollovers and transfers to purchase service credit or repay withdrawn contributions.
(a) This section applies to rollovers and transfers as specified in this section made on or after January 1, 2002. Notwithstanding any provision of this article to the contrary that would otherwise prohibit or limit rollovers and plan transfers to this system, the retirement system shall accept the following rollovers and plan transfers on behalf of a member solely for the purpose of purchasing permissive service credit, in whole and in part, as otherwise provided in this article or for the repayment of withdrawn or refunded contributions, in whole and in part, with respect to a previous forfeiture of service credit as otherwise provided in this article: (i) One or more rollovers within the meaning of Section 408(d)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code from an individual retirement account described in Section 408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code or from an individual retirement annuity described in Section 408(b) of the Internal Revenue Code; (ii) one or more rollovers described in Section 402(c) of the Internal Revenue Code from a retirement plan that is qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code or from a plan described in Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code; (iii) one or more rollovers described in Section 457(e)(16) of the Internal Revenue Code from a governmental plan described in Section 457 of the Internal Revenue Code; or (iv) direct trustee-to-trustee transfers or rollovers from a plan that is qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, from a plan described in Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code or from a governmental plan described in Section 457 of the Internal Revenue Code: Provided, That any rollovers or transfers pursuant to this section shall be accepted by the system only if made in cash or other asset permitted by the board and only in accordance with policies, practices and procedures established by the board from time to time. For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
§51-9-13. Disqualification for pay and benefits.
No judge of a court of record of this state, who has become physically incapacitated to perform the duties of his office as judge and who has remained so for one year without making application for retirement and submitting his resignation as provided in section eight hereof, shall be entitled to retirement pay or retirement benefits under the provisions of any section of this article.
§51-9-14. Moneys exempt from execution, etc.; unassignable and nontransferable; exception for certain domestic relations orders.
The moneys in the Judges' Retirement Fund, the right of any judge to participate in the pay and benefits of the retirement system and the right of any judge to a refund of payments or contributions made to the fund shall not be subject to execution, garnishment, attachment or any other process whatsoever except that the benefits or contributions under this system shall be subject to "qualified domestic relations orders" as that term is defined in Section 414(p) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to governmental plans; and shall be unassignable and nontransferable.
§51-9-15. County commissioners excluded.
Commissioners of county commissions, or of any tribunal established in lieu thereof, are excluded from the retirement pay and retirement benefits herein provided.
§51-9-16. Severability of article and amendments thereto.
If any section, subsection, clause, phrase or requirement of this article or if any section, subsection, clause, phrase or requirement of this article as amended by the Legislature at its regular session held in the year one thousand nine hundred eighty-seven, if for any reason held to be unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions. The Legislature hereby declares that it would have passed this article, and each section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase and requirement thereof, including any amendments thereto adopted by the Legislature at its regular session held in the year one thousand nine hundred eighty-seven, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, clauses, phrases or requirements be declared unconstitutional.
§51-9-17. Benefits not forfeited if system terminates.
If the retirement system is terminated or contributions are completely discontinued, the rights of all members to benefits accrued or contributions made to the date of such termination or discontinuance, to the extent then funded, may not be forfeited.
§51-9-18. Correction of errors; underpayments; overpayments.
(b) Underpayments to the system: Any error resulting in an underpayment to the system, may be corrected by the member or retirant remitting the required employee contribution or underpayment and the participating public employer remitting the required employer contribution or underpayment. Interest shall accumulate in accordance with the legislative rule 162 CSR 7 concerning retirement board refund, reinstatement, retroactive service, loan and correction of error interest factors and any accumulating interest owed on the employee and employer contributions or underpayments resulting from an employer error shall be the responsibility of the participating public employer. The participating public employer may remit total payment and the employee reimburse the participating public employer through payroll deduction over a period equivalent to the time period during which the employer error occurred. If the correction of an error involving an underpayment to the system will result in the system correcting an erroneous underpayment from the system, the correction of the underpayment from the system shall be made only after the board receives full payment of all required employee and employer contributions or underpayments, including interest.
(c) Overpayments to the retirement system by an employer: When mistaken or excess employer contributions, including any overpayments have been made to the retirement system by a participating public employer, the board, upon learning of the error, shall credit the participating public employer with an amount equal to the overpayment, to be offset against the employer's future liability for employer contributions to the system. If the employer has no future liability for employer contributions to the retirement system, the board shall refund the erroneous contributions directly to the employer. Earnings or interest shall not be returned, offset or credited to the employer under any of the means used by the board for returning employer overpayments to the retirement system.
(d) Overpayments to the retirement system by an employee: When mistaken or excess employee contributions or overpayments have been made to the retirement system, the board, upon learning of the error, shall have sole authority for determining the means of return, offset or credit to or for the benefit of the individual making the mistaken or excess employee contribution of the amounts, and may use any means authorized or permitted under the provisions of section 401(a), et seq. of the Internal Revenue Code and guidance issued thereunder applicable to governmental plans. Alternatively, in its full and complete discretion, the board may require the participating public employer employing the individual to pay the individual the amounts as wages, with the board crediting the participating public employer with a corresponding amount to offset against its future contributions to the plan. If the employer has no future liability for employer contributions to the retirement system, the board shall refund said amount directly to the employer: Provided, That the wages paid to the individual shall not be considered compensation for any purposes of this article. Earnings or interest shall not be returned, offset, or credited under any of the means used by the board for returning employee overpayments.
(e) Overpayments from the retirement system: If any error results in any member, retirant, beneficiary, entity or other individual receiving from the system more than he would have been entitled to receive had the error not occurred the board, upon learning of the error, shall correct the error in a timely manner. If correction of the error occurs after annuity payments to a retirant or beneficiary have commenced, the board shall prospectively adjust the payment of the benefit to the correct amount. In addition, the member, retirant, beneficiary, entity or other person who received the overpayment from the retirement system shall repay the amount of any overpayment to the retirement system in any manner permitted by the board. Interest shall not accumulate on any corrective payment made to the retirement system pursuant to this subsection.
(g) Eligibility errors: If the board finds that an individual, employer, or both individual and employer, participating in the system is not eligible to participate, the board shall notify the individual and his or her employer of the determination, and terminate participation in the system. Any erroneous payments to the system shall be returned to the employer and individual in accordance with the methods described in subsections (c) and (d) of this section and any erroneous payments from the system to such individual shall be returned to the system in accordance with the methods described in subsection (e) of this section. Any erroneous service credited to the individual shall be removed. If the board determines that an individual or employer, or both, has not been participating in the system, but was eligible to and required to be participating in the system, the board shall as soon as practicable notify the individual and his or her employer of the determination, and the individual and his or her employer shall prospectively commence participation in the retirement system as soon as practicable. Service credit for service prior to the date on which the individual prospectively commences participation in the system shall be granted only if the board receives the required employer and employee contributions for such service, in accordance with subsection (b) of this section, including interest.