20-2620. District magistrate judges to become members of retirement system for judges; transfer of contributions; purchase of service credit. (a) Except as otherwise provided, each district magistrate judge holding such position on the effective date of this act may become a member of the retirement system for judges on the first day of the payroll period of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1994, only by filing with the board of trustees of the Kansas public employees retirement system on or before the first day of the payroll period of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1994, a written election to become a member of the system. Failure to file such written election shall be presumed to be an election not to become a member of the system. Such election, whether to become a member or not to become a member, shall be irrevocable. In addition, any such district magistrate judge who makes the election previously provided in this section, may elect to transfer such district magistrate judge's service credit from the Kansas public employees retirement system as provided in subsection (e) of K.S.A. 20-2601, and amendments thereto, and subsection (c). The date of membership for a district magistrate judge who became a member of the system as provided in this section and who purchased service as provided in subsection (c) shall be the day that such district magistrate judge became a district magistrate judge. Such district magistrate judge shall be subject to the provisions of subsection (a)(2) of K.S.A. 20-2610, and amendments thereto.

(b) Each person who becomes a district magistrate judge on or after the effective date of this act shall become a member of the retirement system for judges on the first day such person holds the position of district magistrate judge.

(c) The board of trustees of the Kansas public employees retirement system shall transfer to the credit of the district magistrate judge under the retirement system for judges such amounts as may be presently credited to a district magistrate judge's account for contribution under the Kansas public employees retirement system and an equivalent amount to the employer's account for contributions for such district magistrate judge whenever an application for conversion of service under the Kansas public employees retirement system is received from a district magistrate judge. Subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 74-49,123, and amendments thereto, any district magistrate judge may purchase such service by electing such purchase prior to retirement by means of a single lump-sum payment or equal annual payments for not to exceed five years. The lump-sum or annual payments shall be determined by the system's actuary by using the member's final average salary at the time of application, actuarial assumptions and tables currently in use by the system and the member's attained age.

History: L. 1993, ch. 227, § 53; L. 1998, ch. 64, § 20; L. 1998, ch. 201, § 6; July 1.