{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-21.345","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 21.345","heading":"Definitions.","body":"(1) For the purposes of KRS 21.350 to 21.510, \"retirement\" means a voluntary\nresignation or a failure of reelection, but does not include a removal for cause.\n(2) The word \"service\" as used in KRS 21.370 to 21.480 means service transferred\nfrom the Kentucky Retirement Systems pursuant to KRS 21.370(2), service as a city\npolice judge purchased pursuant to KRS 21.370(3), and service as a Justice of the\nSupreme Court, as a Judge of the Court of Appeals created by Section 111 of the\nConstitution of Kentucky, as a r egular Circuit Judge, or as a regular Judge of the\nDistrict Court, including service in one (1) and then another of those capacities. It\nalso includes service as a special Circuit Judge under the conditions described in\nsubsection (3) of this section, as a  Judge or commissioner of the former Court of\nAppeals, or as director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, prior to January\n1, 1976, and service continuing beyond that date, in any capacity in or for the Court\nof Justice, by any person who held the office of commissioner of the former Court\nof Appeals, or director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, on December 31,\n1975. The word \"service\" embraces only service performed while a member of the\nretirement system established by KRS 21.350 to 21. 510, except that service in any\nof the positions mentioned, before the Judicial Retirement System was made\napplicable to that category of position, and service transferred from the Kentucky\nRetirement Systems pursuant to KRS 21.370(2), shall be included.\n(3) For the purposes of KRS 21.345 to 21.510, a \"year\" of service means a total of\ntwelve (12) months of service, which need not be in the same calendar year. Service\nfor any part of the calendar month in which the member's term of service begins or\nends shall be deemed to constitute a month of service.\n(4) The term \"accumulated employer credit\" as used in KRS 21.345 to 21.580 means\nthe employer pay credit deposited to the member's account and interest credited on\nsuch amounts as provided by KRS 21.402.\n(5) The term \"accumulated contributions\" as used in KRS 21.345 to 21.580, means:\n(a) For a member who began participating in the Judicial Retirement Plan prior to\nJanuary 1, 2014, the contributions made by the member to the Judicial\nRetirement Plan; and\n(b) For a member who begins participating in the Judicial Retirement Plan on or\nafter January 1, 2014, in the hybrid cash balance plan, the contributions made\nby the member to the Judicial Retirement Plan and interest credited on such\namounts as provided by KRS 21.402.\n(6) The term \"accumulated account balance\" as used in KRS 21.345 to 21.580 means:\n(a) For members who began participating in the Judicial Retirement Plan prior to\nJanuary 1, 2014, the member's accumulated contributions; or\n(b) For members who begin  participating in the Judicial Retirement Plan on or\nafter January 1, 2014, in the hybrid cash balance plan as provided by KRS\n21.402, the combined sum of the member's accumulated contributions and the\nmember's accumulated employer credit.\n(7) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any director of the Administrative\nOffice of the Courts appointed after January 1, 1976, nor shall they apply to any\ncommissioner of the Court of Appeals not appointed prior to January 1, 1976. The\nadministrative direc tor of the courts and commissioners of the Court of Appeals\nappointed prior to January 1, 1976, shall continue to be members of the system so\nlong as they continue to render service in any capacity in or for the Court of Justice.","path":["KRS Chapter 21"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=44940","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:48:41Z","sha256":"0968df850da27c34922d7636576b944269cd44339d29c23f19d8d0d06c96244f","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-21.320","next":"us-ky/krs-21.347"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}