§ 8-618 — Retirement - Definition of terms

As used in §§ 8-618 - 8-622 the following definitions shall apply: 1. "Attorney general" shall mean the attorney general and reporter, any assistant thereof by whatever name known, district attorneys general and their assistants by whatever name called, and any officer or full-time employee of the general assembly or any committee thereof established by statute, who is duly licensed to practice law in Tennessee, whose duty it is to provide facilities for drafting bills or to assist individual legislators in drafting bills or who renders legal advice and services to the members of the general assembly or committees thereof and shall also include the secretary to the attorney general retirement system, who shall be named by the state treasurer. 2. "Service" as herein used shall mean service in any of the above named capacities and also should such official have served as judge of a court of record, the compensation of which shall have been paid entirely from the state treasury, such service shall be included in that for which such person shall be given credit toward his retirement. In case any person eligible for retirement hereunder shall have served in the armed forces of the United States during the existence of a state of war or a period of national emergency, upon leave of absence from his position, such period of time as was spent in such military service shall be construed as a part of his service hereunder. The term "service" shall mean and include the period of time such person served as a member of the general assembly, and he shall receive credit toward his retirement hereunder for such period of time served as a member of the general assembly. Such person shall pay to the state treasurer in a lump sum a total contribution equal to six per cent (6%) of the compensation he received as a member of the general assembly, including interest at the rate of three per cent (3%) per annum. The contribution and interest shall be paid on or before June 30, 1969. The term "service" shall also mean and include the period of time any such person now has to his credit in the regular state employees' retirement system. Such person shall receive credit toward his retirement hereunder for such service, provided his accumulated contributions paid into such other retirement system shall be transferred to this system. 3. "System," "retirement system," "attorney general retirement system" means the Attorneys General Retirement System of Tennessee, constituted by §§ 8-618 - 8-622. 4. "Benefit base" means a sum equal to the annual salary the retired attorney general would have received had he continued in the position from which he retired. Provided further that if as much as five (5) years of the service of such retired attorney general was in the capacity of district attorney general, and his combined services as assistant and district attorney general together total as much as twenty (20) years, his benefit base shall be calculated as if he had retired from the position of district attorney general, regardless of whether his last service was as assistant district attorney or as district attorney general. In the case of retired member whose salary was not fixed by statute, the benefit base will be adjusted in direct proportion to any salary change made by statute for the office held by his employer, computed percentage wise on the effective date of such change.

Legislative History

Acts 1953, ch. 81, § 1 (Williams, § 9969.2); 1963, ch. 183, § 1; 1968 (Adj. S.), ch. 510, § 1; 1969, ch. 93, § 1; 1969, ch. 154, § 1; 1969, ch. 209, § 1; 1970 (Adj. S.), ch. 395, §§ 1, 2, 3; 1971, ch. 317, § 1; 1971, ch. 320, § 1; 1972 (Adj. S.), ch. 642, § 1.