Updated March 2007
The Judicial Benefit Multiplier (JBM) Program was created to provide judicial members of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS)* an increased retirement benefit multiplier. Judicial members who initially join PERS on January 1, 2007 or later will make contributions to PERS under the rules of the JBM Program. PERS members in judicial service on December 31, 2006 and January 1, 2007, were given the option of joining the JBM Program.
* The JBM Program is also available to judges who are members of the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) Plan 1 serving in the Supreme, Appeals or Superior Courts.
The benefit multiplier is the percentage used, along with your number of service credit years and your average final compensation (AFC), to determine your retirement benefit. The JBM Program increases the multiplier for Plans 1 and 2 to 3.5%, and for Plan 3 to 1.6%. The benefit multiplier for non-JBM service is typically 2% for Plan 1 and 2, and 1% for Plan 3. Plan 1 members may have a different benefit multiplier under certain circumstances.
You are required to participate in the JBM Program if you established PERS membership in a judicial position on or after January 1, 2007 in one of the following courts:
You must join PERS first. Once membership is established, you will be required to participate in the JBM Program and you will begin accruing service credit at the higher benefit multiplier. You will not have the choice to increase your benefit multiplier for any judicial service you may have earned prior to joining PERS.
Joining PERS is optional if you are in an elected judicial position. However, if you are in an appointed judicial position, you are required to be in PERS if your position is eligible for PERS membership. The determination of your position’s eligibility is made by your employer.
If you are in the JBM Program, you:
If you are a past member of PERS, you will continue in your previous plan. If you were never a member of PERS before January 1, 2007, you will be required to be a member of Plan 2.
As a JBM participant, if you were a Plan 2 member, you may still have the option to transfer to Plan 3 during the annual January transfer window, if:
To transfer from Plan 2 to Plan 3, you will need to complete a Member Information Form and submit it to your employer. For more information on transferring to Plan 3, visit the Plan Choice Web site or contact DRS.
The higher benefit multiplier applies only to the judicial service credit you earn after you begin participating in the JBM Program. Justices and judges who are required to participate in the JBM Program may not increase the multiplier for periods of service prior to joining the JBM Program.
Yes. If you are Plan 1 or Plan 2, your benefit will be capped at 75% of your AFC. If you are in Plan 3, your defined benefit will be capped at 37.5% of your AFC.
The retirement benefit formula is:
Benefit Multiplier x Years of Service Credit x AFC = Retirement Benefit
The benefit multiplier used in your calculation:
The AFC used in your calculation:
JBM Benefit Cap:
You have 20 years of service credit when you retire and your AFC is $10,000. You earned 10 years before entering the JBM program, and then you earned 10 years in the JBM Program. Your benefit would be:
(For non-JBM service) 2.0% x 10 years (20%) x $10,000 = $2,000
(For JBM service) 3.5% x 10 years (35%) x $10,000 = $3,500
Total benefit = $5,500
You have 20 years of service credit when you retire and your AFC is $10,000. You earned 10 years before entering the JBM program, and then you earned 10 years in the JBM Program. Your benefit would be:
(For non-JBM service) 1.0% x 10 years (10%) x $10,000 = $1,000
(For JBM service) 1.6% x 10 years (16%) x $10,000 = $1,600
Total defined benefit = $2,600*
You have 30 years of service credit when you retire and your AFC is $10,000. You earned 15 years before entering the JBM program, and then you earned 15 years in the JBM Program. Your benefit would be:
(For non-JBM service) 2.0% x 15 years (30%) x $10,000 = $3,000
(For JBM service) 3.5% x 15 years (52.5%) x $10,000 = $5,250
Uncapped benefit = $8,250
Total capped benefit = $7,500
*In addition to the defined benefit, Plan 3 members also have a defined contribution component to their retirement benefit. More information is available on this Website, and in the PERS Plan 2/3 Choice Booklet or the PERS Plan 3 Member Handbook.
JBM Members are required to contribute a percentage of their compensation as reported by their employer to DRS, as shown in the table below.
| Supreme Court Justices Court of Appeals Judges Superior Court Judges |
District Court Judges Municipal Court Judges |
2007 Member Contribution Rate* |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| PERS Plan 1 | 9.76% (Plan 1 rate + 3.76%) |
12.26% (Plan 1 rate + 6.26%) |
6% |
| PERS Plan 2 | 6.25% (250% x Plan 2 rate - 2.5%) |
8.75% (250% x Plan 2 rate) |
3.50% |
| PERS Plan 3 | At least 7.5% | At least 7.5% | Minimum 5% |
If you are an active member when you become a judge, and do not change employers, your contribution rate will increase to 7.5%. If you are an inactive member, or if you change employers when you become a judge, you will have a choice of contribution rates ranging from 7.5% to 15%. For more information about Plan 3 contribution rates, see the PERS Plan 3 Member Handbook.
Yes. Whether you choose to join the JBM Program or not, you may purchase up to five years of additional service credit at the time you apply for retirement. The additional service credit you purchase is not considered actual membership service credit and can only be purchased when you have already qualified for retirement. The purchase of service credit will provide you an additional amount that will be added to your monthly retirement benefit. For more information see the Purchasing Additional Service Credit brochure.
The way you earn service credit is based on whether you are in an elected or appointed position.
You will earn one month of service credit for each month you earn compensation in your elected position, even if you are appointed to your elected position. You can not earn more than one month of service credit for any month even if you are employed by another PERS-covered employer.
For each month that you earn more than 90 times the state minimum wage, you receive service credit as follows:
| 90 or more hours = 1 service credit month |
| At least 70 but fewer than 90 hours = .5 service credit month |
| Less than 70 hours = .25 service credit month |
You will receive service credit as follows:
| At least 70 hours = one service credit month |
| Less than 70 hours = .25 service credit month |
You will receive service credit as follows:
| 90 or more hours = 1 service credit month |
| At least 70 but fewer than 90 hours = .5 service credit month |
| Less than 70 hours = .25 service credit month |
For more information about how service credit is earned for your position,
see the Elected Officials publications or contact DRS.
Note: This brochure is not a complete description of the law. If there are any conflicts between what is written here and what is contained in the law, the applicable law will govern. The Judicial Benefit Multiplier is described in the Revised Code of Washington and the Washington Administrative Code.