Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, in a county of the first class as defined in Section 28022 as of January 1, 2001:

(a) As of the implementation date provided in Section 71658, a trial court employee who was a member of a county civil service system shall remain in that system for the sole purposes of evidentiary due process hearings before the county civil service commission as an alternative to the due process hearings provided for in Sections 71653, 71654, and 71655, unless the employee elects, pursuant to subdivision (c), to be subject to the trial court employment protection system provided in this article.

(b) One year after the implementation date provided in Section 71658, a trial court employee who was a member of a county civil service system shall be deemed to have elected, pursuant to subdivision (c), to be subject to the trial court employment protection system provided in this article unless the employee has, during that year, submitted to the trial court a signed writing expressly electing the county civil service commission solely for the purposes of evidentiary due process hearings in lieu of the hearings provided for in Sections 71653, 71654, and 71656. However, no election may be made after receiving notice of intended discipline until after the disciplinary action has been finally resolved and the employee has exhausted all remedies related to that action. The one-year period in which to elect the county civil service commission shall be tolled during the period of time when a trial court employee is disabled from making an election because of pending disciplinary action or proceedings.

(c) A trial court employee who is subject to the county civil service system may elect at any time to be subject to the trial court employment protection system provided in this article, except that no election may be made after receiving notice of intended discipline until after the disciplinary action has been finally resolved and the employee has exhausted all remedies related to that action. An election to be subject to the trial court employment protection system may not be revoked.

(d) A trial court employee who elects to remain in the county civil service system and who later is promoted or transferred into a position that is comparable to a position that is classified as exempt from the county civil service system shall be subject to the trial court employment protection system for all purposes.

(e) Trial court employees in a county of the first class eligible for making an election pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) shall be deemed county employees for purposes of remaining eligible for evidentiary due process hearings before the county civil service commission.

(f) A trial court shall adopt procedures, subject to meet and confer in good faith, that establish a process for election pursuant to this section.

(Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 1010, Sec. 14. Effective January 1, 2001.)