Section 71628 Of Article 2. Authority To Hire, Classification, And Compensation From California Government Code >> Title 8. >> Chapter 7. >> Article 2.
71628
. Notwithstanding any other provision of law:
(a) As provided in Section 71612, the implementation of this
chapter shall not be a cause for the modification of the level of
deferred compensation plan benefits provided to a trial court
employee.
If the same deferred compensation plan benefits are not permitted
by law or the plan vendor, the trial court shall provide other
deferred compensation plan benefits at the same level, subject to the
provisions of subdivision (b). The level of deferred compensation
plan benefits provided to a trial court employee as of the
implementation date of this chapter shall remain in effect unless
modified pursuant to subdivision (b).
(b) (1) For employees who are represented by a recognized employee
organization, (A) the level of deferred compensation plan benefits
accruing to a trial court employee pursuant to the terms of a
memorandum of understanding or agreement is subject to modification
only pursuant to the terms of that memorandum of understanding or
agreement, and upon expiration of that memorandum of understanding or
agreement, those deferred compensation plan benefits may not be
modified except pursuant to a subsequent memorandum of understanding
or agreement; and (B) the level of deferred compensation plan
benefits accruing to a trial court employee pursuant only to
personnel, policies, procedures, and plans may be modified by the
trial court, subject to meet and confer in good faith.
(2) For employees who are not represented by a recognized employee
organization, the level of deferred compensation plan benefits may
be modified by the trial court.
(c) If the county administers deferred compensation plan benefits
to trial court employees, or if the trial court contracts with the
county to administer deferred compensation plan benefits to trial
court employees, a trial court employee shall be eligible to
participate in deferred compensation plan benefits subject to
deferred compensation plan regulations, policies, terms and
conditions, and subject to both of the following:
(1) A trial court employee shall have the right to receive the
same level of deferred compensation plan benefits as county employees
in similar classifications, as designated by the trial court subject
to the obligation to meet and confer in good faith, without the
opportunity to meet and confer with the county as to those benefits.
(2) The level of deferred compensation plan benefits accruing to a
trial court employee is subject to modification by the county if the
county changes the level of deferred compensation plan benefits of
county employees in classifications that have been designated as
similar classifications pursuant to paragraph (1).
(d) If the implementation of this chapter causes a change in
deferred compensation plans and requires the transfer of trial court
employees' plan balances to the trial court's deferred compensation
plan, trial court employees shall not suffer a financial loss due to
transfer-related penalties, such as deferred sales charges, and any
financial loss due to transfer-related penalties shall be borne by
the trial court.
(e) Trial court employees shall continue to be eligible to receive
deferred compensation plan benefits from the county or the trial
court. For purposes of deferred compensation plans established under
Section 401(k) or 457 of the Internal Revenue Code, one of the
following shall apply:
(1) If permitted by federal law and deferred compensation plan
vendors, trial court employees shall continue to receive federal 401
(k) or 457 deferred compensation plan benefits through county plans
unless the trial court modifies its plan benefits pursuant to
personnel rules, subject to meet and confer in good faith.
(2) If not permitted by federal law or deferred compensation plan
vendors, the trial court shall provide deferred compensation plan
benefits at the same level subject to meet and confer in good faith,
in which case upon transition to the new deferred compensation plan,
(A) to provide the trial court time to investigate plan options,
negotiate plan contracts, and establish plans, there shall be a
transition period of at least six months, during which trial court
employees shall continue to receive deferred compensation plan
benefits from the county; and (B) a county may require that trial
court employees leave their plan balances in the county's deferred
compensation plan or may transfer trial court employees' plan
balances to the trial court's deferred compensation plan.
(f) To facilitate trial court employee participation in county
deferred compensation plans, the trial court and county may mutually
agree that the county shall administer the payroll for trial court
employees.
(g) The trial court shall reimburse the county for the cost of any
coverage of trial court employees in county deferred compensation
plans.
(h) A county is authorized to amend the documents of a deferred
compensation plan established under Section 401(k) or 457 of the
Internal Revenue Code as necessary to achieve the objectives of this
section.
(i) Nothing in this section precludes the possibility that a trial
court employee may have a future option of participating in other
deferred compensation plans that may be developed subject to the
obligation to meet and confer in good faith.