MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 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 BENEFITS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TERM TO WHICH ELECTED; 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 and any person who works full time for any school district, community/junior college, public library or university-based program authorized under Section 37-23-31 for deaf, aphasic and emotionally disturbed children or any regular nonstudent bus driver. 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 and School Employees Life and Health Insurance Plan created under this article.

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

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

(f) "Board" means the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board created under Section 25-15-303.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2000.