§ 17-2-305 — Compensation, benefits, quarters, personnel and expenses

(a) (1) Senior justices and judges shall receive a salary calculated on the amount of time the senior justice or judge actually worked. The rate of payment shall be based upon the current compensation of the former office held by the senior justice or judge; provided, that where a senior justice or judge is receiving a retirement allowance under any retirement program administered by the Tennessee consolidated retirement system, the total combined annual amount of retirement allowance and annual salary received as a senior justice or judge cannot exceed the current annual compensation of the office from which the justice or judge retired. (2) The salary shall be payable in monthly installments by the commissioner of finance and administration out of the state treasury. (b) (1) Senior justices and judges shall be considered to be state employees and shall be entitled to participate in the state's insurance and benefit programs on the same basis as other active justices and judges, except as provided in subdivision (b)(2). (2) (A) Any senior justice or judge who has not attained the maximum creditable service under the retirement system to which the justice or judge belongs shall be entitled to receive credit in the retirement system for service as a senior justice or judge; provided, that the senior justice or judge: (i) Elects to receive the credit by notice to the board of trustees of the Tennessee consolidated retirement system; and (ii) Authorizes the deduction of the applicable contributions as set forth under title 8, chapter 37, part 2. (B) Such service shall be based on the actual work performed and shall be added to the creditable service of the senior justice or judge. On July 1 of each year, the senior justice's or judge's retirement benefits shall be adjusted according to the retirement system to which the senior justice or judge belongs, as appropriate. (3) Notwithstanding this subsection (b) to the contrary, any former judge who is a retired member of the Tennessee consolidated retirement system or of a superseded system as defined in § 8-34-101 and who is designated or redesignated as a senior justice or judge on or after July 1, 2018, shall reenroll as an active member of the retirement system, make such contributions as are required for the judge's position, and establish credit for the additional service. (c) Senior justices and judges shall be provided with suitable office space and equipment, secretarial and research assistance and a law library similar to that provided to active justices and judges. Local governments presently responsible for providing quarters, personnel or other support for state judges shall cooperate with and assist the administrative director of the courts in providing for the reasonable needs of the senior justices or judges assigned to work in their county. (d) A senior justice or judge assigned to a court located outside of the justice's or judge's county of residence shall receive the same reimbursement for travel expenses that is provided to active justices and judges. The expenses shall be paid upon the presentation of an itemized statement certified by the senior justice or judge to be correct.

Legislative History

Amended by 2018 Tenn. Acts, ch. 736,s 27, eff. 4/18/2018. Acts 1990, ch. 1025, § 5; 1993, ch. 66, § 33; 1995, ch. 491, § 1; 2002, ch. 639, §§ 4 - 7.