SB411 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

District attorneys and circuit clerks, elected court officials retirement plan established in Judicial Retirement System, preretirement death benefit applicable to, contingent on const. amend., Sec. 36-27B-1 am'd.

Summary

SB411 would create two new retirement plans—Judges' and Clerks' Plan and District Attorneys' Plan—within Alabama's Judicial Retirement Fund, with details on eligibility, benefits, and funding, contingent on a constitutional amendment.

What This Bill Does

It establishes a Judges' and Clerks' Plan for new judges and circuit clerks and a District Attorneys' Plan for district attorneys, both under the Judicial Retirement Fund. It sets employee and employer contribution rules, benefit formulas (annuity plus pension) and caps, provides disability and survivor options, and allows transfers from other retirement systems. It also extends preretirement death benefits to these plans, requires actuarial funding and cost estimates for changes, and makes the plans effective beginning November 8, 2016, subject to the constitutional amendment.

Who It Affects

• New judges, justices, and circuit clerks who are not in the existing Judicial Retirement Fund or related supernumerary funds as of November 7, 2016 or who are elected/appointed on/after November 8, 2016, who would join the Judges' and Clerks' Plan and contribute 8.5% of their salary.
• New district attorneys elected or appointed on/after November 8, 2016 who would join the District Attorneys' Plan and contribute 8.5% of their salary.
• Members transferring from the Employees' Retirement System or the Teachers' Retirement System to either new plan, plus their service credits and contributions being credited to the new plan.
• Beneficiaries and survivors of plan members, who may receive retirement allowances, survivor benefits, or designated beneficiary payments and may adjust beneficiary designations.
• Spouses and other beneficiaries for health insurance premium withholdings if elected.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Judges' and Clerks' Plan under the Judicial Retirement Fund for new judges/clerks (not in the Judicial Retirement Fund as of 11/7/2016 or first elected/appointed on/after 11/8/2016).
• Creates the District Attorneys' Plan under the Judicial Retirement Fund for district attorneys first elected/appointed on/after 11/8/2016.
• Requires 8.5% of salary contributed by members to each plan; employer contributions are set annually based on actuarial valuations and take effect the following October 1.
• Allows eligible members to transfer membership service and accumulated contributions from the Employees' Retirement System or the Teachers' Retirement System into the new plan(s).
• Defines benefit formulas: clerks receive a retirement allowance consisting of an annuity (actuarial equivalent of contributions) and a pension of 3% times average final compensation times years of service (capped at 80%); judges receive an annuity plus a pension totaling 4% times average final compensation times years of service (capped at 75%, with 75% guaranteed for 18+ years).
• Provides disability retirement with specified annuity/pension structures and periodic medical examinations; allows discontinuation if capacity for employment is shown, with protections for eligibility.
• Offers survivor benefit options (Options 1–4) and allows replacement or cancellation of beneficiaries with actuarial adjustments as needed.
• Extends preretirement death benefits to the new plans, with rules for payment to beneficiaries or estates.
• Allows health-insurance premium withholdings from retirement pay for plan members.
• Establishes plan administration under the Employees' Retirement System as part of the Judicial Retirement Fund and requires actuarial cost estimates for proposed legislation.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

District Attorneys