§ 1A.285 — Membership of justices of the peace and municipal judges; withdrawal from Public Employees’ Retirement System to become member of Judicial Retirement Plan; transfer of liability and service; re-establishment of service prohibited; restriction on benefits

1. A justice of the peace or municipal judge may participate in the Judicial Retirement Plan if:
(a) The board of county commissioners elects to allow the justices of the peace of the county or the city council elects to allow the municipal judges of the city to participate in the Judicial Retirement Plan; and
(b) The justice of the peace or the municipal judge elects to participate in the Judicial Retirement Plan and submits written notice to the Board of his or her intention to withdraw from the Public Employees’ Retirement System and become a member of the Judicial Retirement Plan. Such notice must be given to the Board within the time set forth in subsection 2 and, except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, must be given the first time that the justice of the peace or municipal judge is elected or appointed while the justice of the peace or municipal judge is a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System.
2. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, written notice given pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection 1 must be received by the Board:
(a) If the justice of the peace or municipal judge is elected, by March 31 of the year immediately following the year in which he or she was elected; or
(b) If the justice of the peace or municipal judge is appointed, within 90 days after his or her appointment.
3. A justice of the peace or municipal judge who is a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System on the date that the board of county commissioners or city council elects to allow justices of the peace or municipal judges to participate in the Judicial Retirement Plan has 90 days following such date to submit written notice to the Board of his or her intention to withdraw from the Public Employees’ Retirement System and become a member of the Judicial Retirement Plan.
4. Each justice of the peace or municipal judge who is allowed and who elects to participate in the Judicial Retirement Plan pursuant to this section must receive benefits for retirement, benefits for disability and survivor benefits under the Judicial Retirement Plan, if eligible to receive such benefits under the Judicial Retirement Plan.
5. If the board of county commissioners rescinds its election to allow the justices of the peace of the county or the city council rescinds its election to allow the municipal judges of the city to participate in the Judicial Retirement Plan, any justice of the peace or municipal judge who elected to participate in the Judicial Retirement Plan before the effective date of the rescission is entitled to continue to participate in the Judicial Retirement Plan.
6. If the Board receives proper notice pursuant to this section that a justice of the peace or municipal judge intends to withdraw from the Public Employees’ Retirement System and become a member of the Judicial Retirement Plan, it shall transfer from the Public Employees’ Retirement Fund to the Judicial Retirement Plan the accrued actuarial liability and credit for service earned by the justice or judge while a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System as determined by an actuary of the System. The service so transferred must be accredited under the Judicial Retirement Plan as if performed in the Public Employees’ Retirement System.
7. A justice of the peace or municipal judge who exercises the option granted by this section may not re-establish the service for which the liabilities were transferred.
8. No justice of the peace or municipal judge or survivor of a justice of the peace or municipal judge may receive benefits under both this chapter and chapter 286 of NRS.
9. A justice of the peace or municipal judge or survivor of a justice of the peace or municipal judge who is receiving a retirement allowance from the Public Employees’ Retirement System on July 1, 2005, is not eligible for transfer to the Judicial Retirement Plan.

Legislative History

(Added to NRS by 2005, 989 ; A 2009, 1577 )