MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Judiciary

By: Senator(s) Turner

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 25-15-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO ALLOW DISABLED JUDGES TO RETAIN THEIR STATE INSURANCE DURING THE REMAINDER OF THEIR TERM OF OFFICE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 25-15-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

25-15-3. For the purposes of this article, the words and phrases used herein shall have the following meanings:

(a) "Employee" means a person who works full time for the State of Mississippi and receives his compensation in a direct payment from a department, agency or institution of the state government. This shall include legislators, employees of the legislative branch and the judicial branch of the state and "employees" shall include full-time salaried judges and full-time district attorneys and their staff and full-time compulsory school attendance officers. For the purposes of this article, any "employee" making contributions to the State of Mississippi retirement plan shall be considered a full-time employee. A full-time salaried judge who resigns due to disability shall be considered an employee for the remainder of the term to which elected; "disability" is to be determined by the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance, whose finding is to be supported by substantial evidence and shall be automatically reviewed by the full Supreme Court.

(b) "Department" means the Department of Finance and Administration.

(c) "Plan" means the State Employees Life and Health Insurance Plan created under this article.

(d) "Fund" means the State Employees Insurance Fund set up under this article.

(e) "Retiree" means any person retired under the Mississippi retirement plan.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1999.