Section 71629.

Except as provided in Sections 71624, 71625, 71626, 71626.5, 71627, and 71628, and 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 trial court employment benefits. If the same trial court employment benefits are not permitted by law or the plan vendor, the trial court shall provide other trial court employment benefits at the same level subject to the provisions of subdivision (b). The level of trial court employment 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) For employees who are represented by a recognized employee organization, the level of trial court employment benefits provided to a trial court employee may not be modified until after the expiration of an existing memorandum of understanding or agreement or a period of 24 months, whichever is longer, unless the trial court and recognized employee organization mutually agree to a modification. For employees who are not represented by a recognized employee organization, the level of trial court employment benefits may be revised by the trial court.

(c) The trial court shall reimburse the county for the cost of coverage of trial court employees in trial court employment benefit plans. If the county administers trial court employment benefits to trial court employees, or if the trial court contracts with the county to administer trial court employment benefits to trial court employees, a trial court employee shall be eligible to participate in trial court employment benefits subject to trial court employment benefit 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 trial court employment 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 trial court employment benefits accruing to a trial court employee is subject to modification by the county if the county changes the level of the same employment benefits accruing to county employees in classifications that have been designated as similar classification pursuant to paragraph (1).

(d) As of the implementation date of this chapter:

(1) If the trial court administers trial court employment benefits to trial court employees separately from the county, the trial court shall continue to administer these benefits as provided under existing personnel policies, procedures, plans, or trial court employee memoranda of understanding or agreements.

(2) If the county administers trial court employment benefits to trial court employees or if the trial court contracts with the county to administer trial court employment benefits to trial court employees, the county may continue to administer trial court employment benefits to trial court employees pursuant to subdivision (e) or the trial court may administer trial court employment benefits to trial court employees pursuant to the following transition process:

(A) While an existing memorandum of understanding or agreement remains in effect or for a transition period of 24 months, whichever is longer, the county shall administer trial court employment benefits for represented trial court employees as provided in the applicable memorandum of understanding or agreement, unless the county is notified by the trial court pursuant to subparagraph (D) that the trial court no longer needs the county to administer specified benefits, or the trial court and the county mutually agree that the county will no longer administer specified benefits.

(B) For a transition period of up to 24 months after the implementation date of this chapter, the county shall administer trial court employment benefits for unrepresented trial court employees, unless notified by the trial court pursuant to subparagraph (D) that the trial court no longer needs the county to administer specified benefits, or the trial court and the county mutually agree that the county will no longer administer specified benefits. During the transition period, if the county intends to change unrepresented trial court employees' trial court employment benefits, the county shall provide the trial court with at least 60 days' notice, or a mutually agreed to amount of notice, before any change in benefits is implemented so the trial court can decide whether to accept the county's change or consider alternatives and arrange to provide benefits on its own.

(C) If, during the transition period, the trial court decides to offer particular trial court employment benefits that are different from what the county is administering, the trial court shall be responsible for administering those particular benefits.

(D) If the trial court decides that it no longer needs the county to administer specified trial court employment benefits to trial court employees, the trial court shall provide the county with at least 60 days' notice, or a mutually agreed to amount of notice.

(e) To facilitate trial court employee participation in county trial court employment benefit plans, the trial court and county may mutually agree that the county shall administer the payroll for trial court employees.

(f) A county shall have authority to provide trial court employment benefits to trial court employees if those benefits are requested by the trial court and subject to county concurrence to providing those benefits. A county's agreement to provide those benefits shall not be construed to create a meet and confer obligation between the county and any recognized employee organization.

(g) Nothing in this section shall prevent the trial court from arranging for trial court employees other trial court employment benefits plans subject to the obligation to meet and confer in good faith.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 812, Sec. 17. Effective January 1, 2002.)