The bill amends several sections of Chapter 8-2 of the General Laws, which governs the Superior Court, to introduce new provisions regarding the roles and responsibilities of magistrates. It establishes the position of "administrator/magistrate" and clarifies that any superior court magistrate, upon retirement, may request to be assigned to perform services as a magistrate of the superior court at the direction of the chief justice, subject to their physical and mental competence. These retired magistrates will have the powers and authority of active magistrates during their assignments but will not be counted among the judicial officers of the Superior Court.

The bill also modifies the sections related to "general magistrate," "special magistrate," and "drug court magistrate," allowing retired magistrates to be reemployed by the Superior Court without any forfeiture or reduction of their retirement benefits. It specifies that retired magistrates assigned to perform services will receive, in addition to their retirement pension, the difference in pay and fringe benefits between their retirement pension and that of a sitting magistrate with comparable state service time. Furthermore, no additional contributions will be taken, and no additional service credits will be granted for this post-retirement work.

Overall, the bill aims to enhance the efficiency of the Superior Court by providing flexibility for retired magistrates to utilize their expertise while ensuring their retirement allowances remain intact.

Statutes affected:
6138: 36-10-36