§ 8-8.2-7. Retirement contribution. [Effective July 1, 2020.] (a) Judges of the administrative adjudication court engaged after December 31, 1989, who are reassigned by this chapter to the traffic tribunal shall have deducted from their total salary beginning December 31, 1989, and ending June 30, 2012, an amount equal to a rate percent of compensation as specified in § 36-10-1 relating to member contributions to the state retirement system. Effective July 1, 2012, all active judges whether engaged before or after December 31, 1989, shall have deducted from compensation as defined in 36-8-1(8) an amount equal to twelve percent (12%) of compensation. The receipts collected under this provision shall be deposited in a restricted revenue account entitled "administrative adjudication retirement benefits" on the date contributions are withheld but no later than three (3) business days following the pay period ending in which contributions were withheld. Proceeds deposited in this account shall be used to pay judges' retirement costs. The retirement board shall establish rules and regulations to govern the provisions of this section.

(b) The state is required to deduct and withhold member contributions and to transmit same to the retirement system and is hereby made liable for the contribution. In addition, any amount of employee contributions actually deducted and withheld shall be deemed to be a special fund in trust for the benefit of the member and shall be transmitted to the retirement system as set forth herein.

(c) A judge of the administrative adjudication court reassigned by this chapter to the traffic tribunal who withdraws from service or ceases to be a member for any reason other than death or retirement, shall be paid on demand a refund consisting of the accumulated contributions standing to his or her credit in his or her individual account in the administrative adjudication retirement benefits account. Any member receiving a refund shall thereby forfeit and relinquish all accrued right as a member of the system together with credits for total service previously granted to the member; provided, however, that if any member who has received a refund shall subsequently reenter the service and again become a member of the system, he or she shall have the privilege of restoring all moneys previously received or disbursed to his or her credit as a refund of contributions plus regular interest for the period from the date of refund to the date of restoration. Upon the repayment of the refund as herein provided, such member shall again receive credit for the amount of total service which he or she had previously forfeited by the acceptance of the refund.

(d) Whenever any judge of the administrative adjudication court dies from any cause before retirement and has no surviving spouse or domestic partner or minor child(ren), a payment shall be made of the accumulated contributions standing to his or her credit in his or her individual account in the administrative adjudication court judges' retirement account. The payment of the accumulated contributions of the judge shall be made to such person as the judge shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the retirement board, or if the judge has no filed nomination, or if the person so nominated has died, then to the estate of the deceased judge.

History of Section. (P.L. 1999, ch. 218, art. 4, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 167, § 4; P.L. 2007, ch. 274, § 4; P.L. 2011, ch. 408, § 18; P.L. 2011, ch. 409, § 18; P.L. 2019, ch. 205, § 3; P.L. 2019, ch. 271, § 3.)