Sec. 16. (a) The governor may conduct, or cause to be conducted, a referendum for the judges who are covered by the provisions of the judges’ retirement fund to determine whether the judges covered by the retirement fund shall be excluded from or included in the agreement negotiated under the provisions of Section 218 of the federal Social Security Act (as defined in IC 5-10.1-1-9). The referendum must be conducted in full compliance with all the requirements of Section 218(d) of the federal Social Security Act. The governor shall designate the board as the agency to conduct and supervise the referendum, and the expense of conducting the referendum shall be paid from funds appropriated to the fund.
(b) If the majority of the judges who are eligible to vote in the referendum described in subsection (a) vote in the negative, the board may request that a subsequent referendum be conducted in the same manner and with the same effect described in subsection (a). However, a subsequent referendum may not be conducted within one (1) year after the date of the prior referendum.
(c) If a majority of the judges who are eligible to vote in the referendum described in subsection (a) vote in the affirmative, both the:
(1) judges covered by the retirement fund; and
(2) judges who waived their right to be covered by the provisions of the retirement fund;
shall be included in the agreement negotiated by the state with the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services in the same manner provided in IC 5-10.1-4 for the inclusion of services covered by the retirement systems specified in IC 5-10.1-4-1 in the agreement.
(d) Each judge whose services are covered by Social Security is required to pay during the period of the judge’s service the employee contributions required by the agreement. The contributions shall begin on the effective date of the judge’s coverage and are subject to the terms and conditions of IC 5-10.1.
(e) The auditor of state shall pay the employer contributions required under the agreement wholly from funds appropriated to the fund, and the contributions begin on the effective date of the modification that adds the judges of the fund to the federal-state agreement. The employer contributions shall be paid in the manner provided in the agreement.
(f) The modification of the federal-state agreement to effectuate the participation of the judges in the agreement must be effective for services performed on a date fixed and determined by the board.
[Pre-2004 Recodification Citation: 33-13-8-15.]As added by P.L.98-2004, SEC.17.