2018 Nebraska Revised Statutes
Chapter 24 - COURTS
24-703 Judges; contributions; payment; funding of system; late fees.

24-703. Judges; contributions; payment; funding of system; late fees.

(1) Each original member shall contribute monthly four percent of his or her monthly compensation to the fund until the maximum benefit as limited in subsection (1) of section 24-710 has been earned. It shall be the duty of the Director of Administrative Services in accordance with subsection (10) of this section to make a deduction of four percent on the monthly payroll of each original member who is a judge of the Supreme Court, a judge of the Court of Appeals, a judge of the district court, a judge of a separate juvenile court, a judge of the county court, a clerk magistrate of the county court who was an associate county judge and a member of the fund at the time of his or her appointment as a clerk magistrate, or a judge of the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court showing the amount to be deducted and its credit to the fund. The Director of Administrative Services and the State Treasurer shall credit the four percent as shown on the payroll and the amounts received from the various counties to the fund and remit the same to the director in charge of the judges retirement system who shall keep an accurate record of the contributions of each judge.

(2)(a) In addition to the contribution required under subdivision (c) of this subsection, beginning on July 1, 2004, each future member who became a member prior to July 1, 2015, and who has not elected to make contributions and receive benefits as provided in section 24-703.03 shall contribute monthly six percent of his or her monthly compensation to the fund until the maximum benefit as limited in subsection (2) of section 24-710 has been earned. After the maximum benefit as limited in subsection (2) of section 24-710 has been earned, such future member shall make no further contributions to the fund, except that (i) any time the maximum benefit is changed, a future member who has previously earned the maximum benefit as it existed prior to the change shall contribute monthly six percent of his or her monthly compensation to the fund until the maximum benefit as changed and as limited in subsection (2) of section 24-710 has been earned and (ii) such future member shall continue to make the contribution required under subdivision (c) of this subsection.

(b) In addition to the contribution required under subdivision (c) of this subsection, beginning on July 1, 2004, a judge who became a member prior to July 1, 2015, and who first serves as a judge on or after July 1, 2004, or a future member who became a member prior to July 1, 2015, and who elects to make contributions and receive benefits as provided in section 24-703.03 shall contribute monthly eight percent of his or her monthly compensation to the fund until the maximum benefit as limited by subsection (2) of section 24-710 has been earned. In addition to the contribution required under subdivision (c) of this subsection, after the maximum benefit as limited in subsection (2) of section 24-710 has been earned, such judge or future member shall contribute monthly four percent of his or her monthly compensation to the fund for the remainder of his or her active service.

(c) Beginning on July 1, 2009, a member or judge described in subdivisions (a) and (b) of this subsection shall contribute monthly an additional one percent of his or her monthly compensation to the fund.

(d) Beginning on July 1, 2015, a judge who first serves as a judge on or after such date shall contribute monthly ten percent of his or her monthly compensation to the fund.

(e) It shall be the duty of the Director of Administrative Services to make a deduction on the monthly payroll of each such future member who is a judge of the Supreme Court, a judge of the Court of Appeals, a judge of the district court, a judge of a separate juvenile court, a judge of the county court, a clerk magistrate of the county court who was an associate county judge and a member of the fund at the time of his or her appointment as a clerk magistrate, or a judge of the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court showing the amount to be deducted and its credit to the fund. This shall be done each month. The Director of Administrative Services and the State Treasurer shall credit the amount as shown on the payroll and the amounts received from the various counties to the fund and remit the same to the director in charge of the judges retirement system who shall keep an accurate record of the contributions of each judge.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a Nebraska Retirement Fund for Judges fee of six dollars shall be taxed as costs in each (a) civil cause of action, criminal cause of action, traffic misdemeanor or infraction, and city or village ordinance violation filed in the district courts, the county courts, and the separate juvenile courts, (b) filing in the district court of an order, award, or judgment of the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court or any judge thereof pursuant to section 48-188, (c) appeal or other proceeding filed in the Court of Appeals, and (d) original action, appeal, or other proceeding filed in the Supreme Court. In county courts a sum shall be charged which is equal to ten percent of each fee provided by sections 33-125, 33-126.02, 33-126.03, and 33-126.06, rounded to the nearest even dollar. No judges retirement fee shall be charged for filing a report pursuant to sections 33-126.02 and 33-126.06. When collected by the clerk of the district or county court, such fees shall be paid and information submitted to the director in charge of the judges retirement system on forms prescribed by the board by the clerk within ten days after the close of each calendar quarter. The board may charge a late administrative processing fee not to exceed twenty-five dollars if the information is not timely received or the money is delinquent. In addition, the board may charge a late fee of thirty-eight thousandths of one percent of the amount required to be submitted pursuant to this section for each day such amount has not been received. Such director shall promptly thereafter remit the same to the State Treasurer for credit to the fund. No Nebraska Retirement Fund for Judges fee which is uncollectible for any reason shall be waived by a county judge as provided in section 29-2709.

(4) All expenditures from the fund shall be authorized by voucher in the manner prescribed in section 24-713. The fund shall be used for the payment of all annuities and other benefits and for the expenses of administration.

(5) The fund shall consist of the total fund as of December 25, 1969, the contributions of members as provided in this section, all supplementary court fees as provided in subsection (3) of this section, and any required contributions of the state.

(6) Not later than January 1 of each year, the State Treasurer shall transfer to the fund the amount certified by the board as being necessary to pay the cost of any benefits accrued during the fiscal year ending the previous June 30 in excess of member contributions for that fiscal year and court fees as provided in subsection (3) of this section and fees pursuant to sections 25-2804, 33-103, 33-103.01, 33-106, 33-106.02, 33-123, 33-125, 33-126.02, 33-126.03, and 33-126.06 and directed to be remitted to the fund, if any, for that fiscal year plus any required contributions of the state as provided in subsection (9) of this section.

(7) Benefits under the retirement system to members or to their beneficiaries shall be paid from the fund.

(8) Any member who is making contributions to the fund on December 25, 1969, may, on or before June 30, 1970, elect to become a future member by delivering written notice of such election to the board.

(9) Not later than January 1 of each year, the State Treasurer shall transfer to the fund an amount, determined on the basis of an actuarial valuation as of the previous June 30 and certified by the board, to fully fund the unfunded accrued liabilities of the retirement system as of June 30, 1988, by level payments up to January 1, 2000. Such valuation shall be on the basis of actuarial assumptions recommended by the actuary, approved by the board, and kept on file with the board. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013, and each fiscal year thereafter, the actuary for the board shall perform an actuarial valuation of the system using the entry age actuarial cost method. Under this method, the actuarially required funding rate is equal to the normal cost rate, plus the contribution rate necessary to amortize the unfunded actuarial accrued liability on a level percentage of salary basis. The normal cost under this method shall be determined for each individual member on a level percentage of salary basis. The normal cost amount is then summed for all members. Beginning July 1, 2006, any existing unfunded liabilities shall be reinitialized and amortized over a thirty-year period, and during each subsequent actuarial valuation, changes in the funded actuarial accrued liability due to changes in benefits, actuarial assumptions, the asset valuation method, or actuarial gains or losses shall be measured and amortized over a thirty-year period beginning on the valuation date of such change. If the unfunded actuarial accrued liability under the entry age actuarial cost method is zero or less than zero on an actuarial valuation date, then all prior unfunded actuarial accrued liabilities shall be considered fully funded and the unfunded actuarial accrued liability shall be reinitialized and amortized over a thirty-year period as of the actuarial valuation date. If the actuarially required contribution rate exceeds the rate of all contributions required pursuant to the Judges Retirement Act, there shall be a supplemental appropriation sufficient to pay for the differences between the actuarially required contribution rate and the rate of all contributions required pursuant to the Judges Retirement Act.

(10) The state or county shall pick up the member contributions required by this section for all compensation paid on or after January 1, 1985, and the contributions so picked up shall be treated as employer contributions pursuant to section 414(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code in determining federal tax treatment under the code and shall not be included as gross income of the member until such time as they are distributed or made available. The contributions, although designated as member contributions, shall be paid by the state or county in lieu of member contributions. The state or county shall pay these member contributions from the same source of funds which is used in paying earnings to the member. The state or county shall pick up these contributions by a compensation deduction through a reduction in the compensation of the member. Member contributions picked up shall be treated for all purposes of the Judges Retirement Act in the same manner and to the extent as member contributions made prior to the date picked up.

Source

• Laws 1955, c. 83, § 3, p. 246;
• Laws 1957, c. 79, § 2, p. 321;
• Laws 1959, c. 95, § 2, p. 411;
• Laws 1959, c. 189, § 14, p. 689;
• Laws 1963, c. 137, § 1, p. 513;
• Laws 1965, c. 115, § 2, p. 442;
• Laws 1965, c. 116, § 2, p. 446;
• Laws 1967, c. 140, § 1, p. 428;
• Laws 1969, c. 178, § 2, p. 957;
• Laws 1971, LB 987, § 5;
• Laws 1972, LB 1032, § 121;
• Laws 1972, LB 1471, § 1;
• Laws 1973, LB 226, § 11;
• Laws 1974, LB 228, § 1;
• Laws 1977, LB 344, § 2;
• Laws 1977, LB 467, § 1;
• Laws 1981, LB 459, § 3;
• Laws 1984, LB 13, § 33;
• Laws 1984, LB 218, § 2;
• Laws 1986, LB 92, § 2;
• Laws 1986, LB 529, § 18;
• Laws 1989, LB 233, § 1;
• Laws 1989, LB 506, § 3;
• Laws 1991, LB 549, § 16;
• Laws 1991, LB 732, § 37;
• Laws 1992, LB 672, § 31;
• Laws 1992, LB 682, § 2;
• Laws 1994, LB 833, § 14;
• Laws 1995, LB 574, § 34;
• Laws 2001, LB 408, § 9;
• Laws 2002, LB 407, § 13;
• Laws 2003, LB 320, § 1;
• Laws 2003, LB 760, § 4;
• Laws 2004, LB 1097, § 11;
• Laws 2005, LB 348, § 2;
• Laws 2005, LB 364, § 7;
• Laws 2006, LB 1019, § 5;
• Laws 2009, LB414, § 2;
• Laws 2013, LB263, § 11;
• Laws 2013, LB306, § 2;
• Laws 2013, LB553, § 1;
• Laws 2015, LB468, § 3.

Annotations

• Statutory provisions requiring counties to pay cost of maintaining a county court, prosecuting criminal law violations, and conducting state and national elections do not contravene the constitutional provision which prohibits property tax by state. State ex rel. Meyer v. County of Banner, 196 Neb. 565, 244 N.W.2d 179 (1976).

• The independent act considered herein is not unconstitutional for failure to mention in the incidental provision for payment or exemption from payment of costs, nor for failure to refer to and repeal certain other statutes. State ex rel. Douglas v. Gradwohl, 194 Neb. 745, 235 N.W.2d 854 (1975).