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.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 270, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2002.)