Section 71626.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, with respect to benefits which those persons who are trial court employees on and after the implementation date of this chapter would receive upon retirement, the following provisions shall apply:

(a) As provided in Section 71612, the implementation of this chapter shall not be a cause for the modification of the level of retiree group insurance benefits accruing to a trial court employee or provided to a retired trial court employee. The level of retiree group insurance benefits accruing to a trial court employee or provided to a retired trial court employee as of the implementation date of this chapter shall remain in effect unless modified pursuant to subdivision (b) or (c). If the same retiree group insurance benefits are not otherwise permitted by law or the vendor, the same level of retiree group insurance benefits shall be provided subject to subdivision (b).

(b) (1) For employees who are represented by a recognized employee organization, (A) the level of retiree group insurance benefits accruing to a trial court employee or provided to a retired 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 retiree group insurance benefits may not be modified except pursuant to a subsequent memorandum of understanding or agreement; and (B) the level of retiree group insurance benefits accruing to a trial court employee or provided to a retired 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 retiree group insurance benefits may be revised by the trial court.

(c) A county shall have the authority to provide retiree group insurance benefits to retired trial court employees. If the county administers retiree group insurance benefits to trial court employees or retired trial court employees, or if the trial court contracts with the county to administer retiree group insurance benefits to trial court employees or retired trial court employees, a trial court employee or retired trial court employee shall be eligible to participate in county retiree group insurance benefits and plans subject to county retiree group insurance benefit regulations, policies, terms and conditions, and subject to both of the following:

(1) A trial court employee or retired trial court employee shall have the right to accrual of retiree group insurance benefits, or to receive the same level of retiree group insurance benefits as county employees in similar classifications as designated by the trial court subject 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 retiree group insurance benefits accruing to a trial court employee or provided to a retired trial court employee is subject to modification by the county, if the county changes the level of retiree group insurance benefits of county employees in classifications that have been designated as similar classifications pursuant to paragraph (1).

(d) For purposes of this section:

(1) "Retiree group insurance benefits" means group insurance benefits which trial court employees would receive upon retirement.

(2) "County," means the board of supervisors of the county where the trial court is located, or the applicable governing body for the retirement system of such county.

(e) The trial court shall reimburse the county for the cost of coverage of retired trial court employees in county retiree group insurance benefit plans. The county may charge the trial court for retiree group insurance benefits only the amount that the county is required to pay in excess of the retirement system funding or prefunding of the retiree group insurance benefits. The county and the trial court may agree to an alternative arrangement to fund retiree group insurance benefits.

(Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 1010, Sec. 14. Effective January 1, 2001.)