Section 29 Judicial Creditable Service

Said chapter 32 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 65J the following section:-
Section 65K. Notwithstanding sections 65A to 65J, inclusive, or any other general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, a judge or justice who is eligible for retirement benefits pursuant to said sections 65A to 65J, inclusive, shall be provided written notice by the retirement board upon entry into service that if they qualify as a veteran who served in the armed forces of the United States, they shall be entitled to credit for active service in the armed services of the United States for purposes of calculating the minimum number of years a judge or justice must serve before eligibility for receipt of a pension, which credited service shall be considered to have run continuously with judicial service for purposes of said sections 65A to 65J, inclusive; provided, however, that such active service shall not be credited until such member, prior to or within 1 year of vesting pursuant to this chapter, has paid into the annuity savings fund of such system, in 1 sum or in installments, upon such terms and conditions as the board may prescribe, makeup payments, for each year of creditable service sought, of an amount equal to 10 per cent of the regular annual compensation of the member when said member entered the retirement system; provided further, that such creditable service shall not be construed to include service for more than 4 years; and provided further, that such creditable service shall not be allowed for any period of active service for which said veteran has received credit in any retirement system governed by this chapter, including, but not limited to, non-judicial membership in the state employees' retirement system. This section shall apply to national guard and active reserve personnel, both former and present. Creditable service time, both enlisted and commissioned, may be applied toward retirement on a ratio of 5 years of national guard service or 5 years of active reserve service substitutable for each year of active service. National guard and active reserve personnel shall not be precluded from making said purchase if they qualify as a veteran after vesting or if they reach the maximum of 4 years of eligible service purchase after vesting and qualifying as a veteran; provided, however, that they enter into a purchase agreement within 5 years of the last occurring event.