ORS 238.535
Service retirement allowance


(1)

Prior to attaining 60 years of age, all judge members shall elect in writing to retire under either paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection. The election shall be irrevocable after the judge member attains 60 years of age. Any judge member who fails to make the election provided for in this subsection prior to attaining 60 years of age shall be retired under the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection.

(a)

Upon retiring from service as a judge at the age of 65 years or thereafter, a judge member who has made contributions to the Public Employees Retirement Fund during each of five calendar years shall receive as a service retirement allowance, payable monthly, a life pension (nonrefund) provided by the contributions of the judge member and the state in an annual amount equal to 2.8125 percent of final average annual salary multiplied by the number of years of service as a judge not exceeding 16 years of service as a judge and 1.67 percent of final average salary multiplied by the number of years of service as a judge exceeding 16 years of service as a judge, but the annual amount shall not exceed 65 percent of final average salary.

(b)

Upon retiring from service as a judge at the age of 60 years or thereafter, a judge member who has made contributions to the Public Employees Retirement Fund during each of five calendar years shall receive as a service retirement allowance, payable monthly, a life pension (nonrefund) provided by the contributions of the judge member and the state in an annual amount equal to 3.75 percent of final average salary multiplied by the number of years of service as a judge not exceeding 16 years of service as a judge and two percent of final average salary multiplied by the number of years of service as a judge exceeding 16 years of service as a judge, but the annual amount shall not exceed 75 percent of final average salary.

(c)

Any judge member electing to retire under paragraph (b) of this subsection shall serve as a pro tem judge, without compensation, for 35 days per year for a period of five years. A judge who serves more than 35 days per year may carry over the additional days to fulfill the pro tem service obligation in future years. The five-year period shall commence on the judge member’s date of retirement or the date on which the judge member commences pro tem service under ORS 238.545 (Withdrawal of member account) (4), whichever is earlier. Judge members may be reimbursed for expenses incurred in providing pro tem services under this paragraph. Upon certification from the Chief Justice that any judge member who retired under paragraph (b) of this subsection has failed to perform the pro tem services required under this paragraph, and has not been relieved of the obligations to perform those services in the manner provided by this paragraph, the Public Employees Retirement Board shall recalculate the service retirement allowance of the noncomplying judge member as though the judge member elected to retire under paragraph (a) of this subsection, and the noncomplying judge member shall receive only that recalculated amount thereafter. A judge may be relieved of the pro tem service obligation imposed by this paragraph if the judge fails for good cause to complete the obligation. A retired judge member who is relieved of the obligation to serve as a pro tem judge shall continue to receive the retirement allowance provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection.

(d)

For the purpose of paragraph (c) of this subsection:

(A)

“Good cause” includes, but is not limited to:
(i)
Physical or mental incapacitation of a judge that prevents the judge from discharging the duties of judicial office;
(ii)
Failure of the appointing authority to assign a judge to the requisite amount of pro tem service, whether because of insufficient need for pro tem judges, a determination by the appointing authority that the skills of a judge do not match the needs of the courts, clerical mistake, or otherwise; or
(iii)
Death of a judge.

(B)

“Good cause” does not include:
(i)
A judge’s refusal, without good cause, to accept pro tem assignments sufficient to meet the required amount; or
(ii)
A judge’s affirmative voluntary act that makes the judge unqualified to serve as a judge of this state including, but not limited to, failure to maintain active membership in the Oregon State Bar, acceptance of a position in another branch of state government, or acceptance of a position in the Government of the United States or of another state or nation.

(e)

The Chief Justice may make rules for the implementation of this subsection.

(2)

As used in subsection (1) of this section, “final average salary” means whichever of the following is greater:

(a)

The average salary per calendar year paid to a judge member in three of the calendar years of service as a judge before the judge member retires, in which three years the judge member was paid the highest salary.

(b)

One-third of the total salary paid to a judge member in the last 36 calendar months of service as a judge before the judge member retires.

(3)

As used in subsection (1) of this section, “number of years of service” means the number of full years plus any remaining fraction of a year. In determining a remaining fraction, a full month shall be considered as one-twelfth of a year and a major fraction of a month shall be considered as a full month.

(4)

For a judge who elects to become a judge member as provided in ORS 237.215 (3) (1989 Edition), the service retirement allowance under subsection (1) of this section on retirement at the age of 70 years and either 12 years of service or two full six-year terms as a judge shall be at least the equivalent of the retirement pay the judge would have received had the judge retired under ORS 1.314 to 1.390 (1989 Edition).

(5)

A judge member who has made contributions to the Public Employees Retirement Fund during each of five calendar years and who attains the age of 60 years shall be retired upon written application by the judge member to the board on a reduced service retirement allowance that shall be the actuarial equivalent of the service retirement allowance provided for in subsection (1)(a) of this section.

(6)

For the purposes of this section, a judge who elects to become a judge member as provided in ORS 237.215 (3) (1989 Edition) shall be considered to have made contributions to the Public Employees Retirement Fund during one calendar year for each calendar year during which the judge made contributions to the Judges’ Retirement Fund.

(7)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

Notwithstanding subsection (1)(a) of this section, the maximum percentage used in calculating the annual amount of the life pension (nonrefund) for a judge who is a judge member on September 27, 1987, or who elected to become a judge member in the manner provided by ORS 237.215 (3)(b) or (4)(b) (1989 Edition), shall be the percentage specified by paragraph (b) of this subsection if either:

(A)

On September 27, 1987, the judge had more than 28 years of service that were creditable either under the system; or

(B)

On September 27, 1987, the judge had more than 28 years of service that were creditable under the Judges’ Retirement Fund established pursuant to ORS 1.314 to 1.390 (1989 Edition) and the judge became a member of the system under the provisions of ORS 237.215 (3)(b) (1989 Edition).

(b)

The maximum percentage used in calculating the annual amount of the life pension (nonrefund) of a judge member who meets the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection shall not exceed 45 percent plus 1.67 percent multiplied by the number of years of service as a judge that exceed 16 years and that were served on or before September 27, 1987.

(c)

In computing the annual amount of the life pension of a judge who meets the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection, the board shall use the percentage specified by paragraph (b) of this subsection and the final average salary of the judge computed on the date of retirement, not the final average salary of the judge computed as of September 27, 1987. In making the computation under this subsection, the board shall use the definition of “final average salary” provided by ORS 238.535 (Service retirement allowance) as amended by section 2, chapter 625, Oregon Laws 1987. [Formerly 237.220; 1997 c.801 §19; 1999 c.317 §21; 2005 c.22 §179]

Source: Section 238.535 — Service retirement allowance, https://www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/bills_laws/ors/ors238.­html.

238.005
Definitions
238.008
Computation of salary
238.015
Membership generally
238.025
Effect of service interruptions on membership
238.035
Membership of part but not all employees of a public employer
238.045
Membership of certain circuit court judges
238.055
Membership of judges previously receiving retirement pay from Judges’ Retirement Fund
238.062
Membership of deputy district attorneys
238.068
Membership of legislators
238.072
Membership of certain legislative employees
238.074
Membership of community college employees
238.078
Reemployment of retired members
238.082
Limits on hours worked by retired members
238.088
Appointment or election of retired member to public office
238.092
Option of legislators to receive certain benefits
238.095
Termination of membership
238.105
Restoration of credit forfeited by reason of termination of membership
238.115
Alternate method of restoring credit forfeited by reason of termination of membership
238.125
Credit for probationary period of employment
238.135
Credit for probationary periods in seasonal positions
238.145
Credit for service as police officer or firefighter with nonparticipating employer
238.148
Credit for service as public safety officer in another state
238.156
Contributions, benefits and retirement credit for periods of service in uniformed services or Armed Forces
238.157
Alternative provision for retirement credit for periods of service in uniformed services
238.160
Retirement credit for service while on loan to federal government
238.162
Retirement credit for service as teacher in public schools of another state
238.165
Credit for certain periods of employment by Legislative Assembly
238.175
Retirement credit for periods of disability
238.200
Employee contributions generally
238.205
Payment of employee contribution by employer
238.210
Payment of certain circuit court judge employee contributions by employer
238.215
Contributions by certain higher education employees
238.220
Employee rollover contributions
238.222
Trustee-to-trustee transfers to fund restoration of forfeited service or purchase of retirement credit
238.225
Employer contributions
238.227
Pooling of employers for purpose of computing employer contributions
238.229
Effect of lump sum payment to side account on contributions of pooled employer
238.232
Choice of amortization period for certain lump sum payments to side accounts
238.235
Unfunded liability or surplus after employee transfer or employer merger, consolidation or split
238.250
Regular accounts
238.255
Credits to regular accounts when earnings less than assumed interest rate
238.260
Variable Annuity Account
238.265
Withdrawal of member account
238.270
Transfer of member account to other public employee retirement system
238.280
Eligibility for retirement
238.285
Verification of retirement data
238.300
Service retirement allowance
238.305
Optional service retirement allowance calculations
238.310
Minimum service retirement allowance
238.315
Lump sum payment in lieu of small allowance
238.320
Disability retirement allowance
238.325
Optional disability retirement allowance calculations
238.330
Minimum disability retirement allowance
238.335
Medical examination for disability retirement allowance
238.340
Return to work
238.345
Optional service-connected disability retirement allowance for police officers and firefighters
238.350
Use of unused leave to increase retirement allowance
238.355
Computation of unused sick leave for community college employees
238.360
Cost-of-living adjustments
238.361
Consumer price index for calculation of cost of living adjustments
238.362
Increased benefits payable in compensation for certain damages attributable to taxation of benefits
238.364
Calculation of increased benefit payable under ORS 238.362
238.366
Retirement allowance increase based on years of service
238.368
Retirement allowance increases for members who retired before January 1, 1991
238.372
Increased benefits not payable to nonresidents
238.374
Applicant’s statement
238.376
Nonresidency after benefits commenced
238.378
Information from Department of Revenue
238.382
Statements constitute declaration under penalty of perjury
238.384
Rules
238.390
Death benefit
238.395
Additional death benefit
238.400
Payment upon death of retired member who dies before making election of retirement benefits
238.405
Death benefit payable to survivors of certain police officers or firefighters
238.407
Distribution of death benefit as rollover distribution
238.410
Board may contract for insurance for retirees
238.415
Payment toward cost of pre-Medicare insurance
238.420
Payment toward cost of Medicare supplemental insurance
238.425
Benefits payable to vested inactive member
238.430
Limitation on benefits payable to persons establishing membership on or after January 1, 1996
238.435
Provisions applicable to persons establishing membership on or after January 1, 1996
238.440
Optional purchase of benefit units by police and firefighters
238.442
Prior service credit
238.445
Benefits exempt from execution, bankruptcy and certain taxes
238.447
Execution or assignment of benefits to collect restitution or compensatory fine for felony
238.450
Computation of retirement allowance or benefit
238.455
Estimated benefit payments
238.458
Unclaimed benefits
238.460
Waiver of retirement allowance
238.462
Spousal consent required for certain optional forms of retirement allowance
238.465
Benefits payable to others under certain judgments
238.470
Interest on payments from fund
238.475
Effect of transfer of employee to another participating employer
238.480
Effect of change to calendar year on contributions and credit of members
238.485
Fund established
238.488
Payment of benefits
238.490
Administrative expenses
238.492
Rules for administration of fund
238.500
Definitions for ORS 238.500 to 238.585
238.505
Judges as PERS members
238.515
Contributions
238.525
Compulsory retirement age
238.535
Service retirement allowance
238.538
Health benefit plans for certain retired judge members
238.545
Withdrawal of member account
238.555
Disability retirement allowance
238.565
Judge’s beneficiaries
238.575
Cost-of-living adjustments
238.580
Application of PERS laws to judges
238.585
Use of creditable service by person who serves as both member and judge member
238.600
System established
238.601
Legislative findings and intent
238.605
Actuarial report on system
238.606
Independent review of actuarial report on system
238.607
Actuarial equivalency factor tables
238.608
Separate actuarial equivalency factor tables for certain police officers and firefighters
238.610
Administrative expenses of system
238.615
Revolving fund for payment of administrative expenses
238.618
Exclusion of employer or employee from system to maintain tax qualification
238.622
Report on changes to actuarial methods and assumptions
238.630
Board generally
238.635
Board consideration of system goals and objectives
238.640
Qualifications of board members
238.645
Director and staff
238.646
Authority of Director of Public Employees Retirement System to require fingerprints
238.650
Rules of board
238.655
Procedure for board hearings
238.657
Board counsel
238.660
Fund generally
238.661
Moneys in fund appropriated to board
238.665
Contributions and interest not included in board’s budget
238.670
Reserve accounts in fund
238.671
Proposal to legislative review agency for crediting of interest or income
238.672
Crediting of earnings to employer upon death or retirement of member
238.675
Transfer of unclaimed death benefit or account balance to other account or reserve
238.680
Integration of other retirement systems
238.685
Method of payment of unfunded obligation under integration contract
238.690
Integration of retirement plan of mass transit district
238.692
Definitions for ORS 238.692 to 238.698
238.694
Certain public bodies authorized to issue bonds to finance pension liabilities
238.695
Intergovernmental agreements for collective issuance, administration or payment of bonds
238.696
Debt service trust fund
238.697
Requirements for issuance of bonds
238.698
Funds diversion agreement
238.700
Enforcement of requirements of ORS chapters 238 and 238A
238.705
State departments to remit contributions and furnish reports
238.710
Mandamus against defaulting employer
238.715
Recovery of overpayments
238.720
Rollover contributions
238.730
Unfunded Actuarial Liability Resolution Program
238.750
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