48-155.01. Judges; appointment of acting judge; compensation.

(1) The Governor may, by single order, appoint a qualified person meeting the eligibility requirements of section 48-153.01 to serve as acting judge of the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court. Such appointment shall be for a period of two years. In determining whether a person is qualified to serve as acting judge of the compensation court, the Governor shall consider the person's knowledge of the law, experience in the legal system, intellect, capacity for fairness, probity, temperament, and industry. The acting judge shall be subject to call by the presiding judge of the compensation court, who may assign the acting judge to temporary duty in order to (a) sit in the compensation court to relieve a congested docket of the court or to prevent the docket from becoming congested or (b) sit for a judge of the court who may be incapacitated or absent for any reason. An acting judge appointed and assigned pursuant to this section shall possess the same powers and be subject to the duties, restrictions, and liabilities as are prescribed by law respecting judges of the compensation court, except that an acting judge is not prohibited from practicing law as provided in section 7-111.

(2) The acting judge shall receive for each day of temporary duty an amount equal to one-twentieth of the monthly salary he or she would receive if he or she were a regularly appointed judge of the compensation court and shall be reimbursed for his or her expenses while on temporary duty at the same rate as provided in sections 81-1174 to 81-1177. Within fifteen days following completion of a temporary duty assignment, the acting judge shall submit to the presiding judge of the compensation court a request for payment or reimbursement for services rendered and expenses incurred during such temporary duty assignment. Upon receipt of such request, the presiding judge shall endorse on the request that the services were performed and expenses incurred pursuant to an assignment of the presiding judge of the compensation court and file such request with the proper authority for payment.

(3) The acting judge shall not pay into the Nebraska Retirement Fund for Judges nor be eligible for retirement benefits under the Judges Retirement Act.

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