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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>74635</law_id><section_number>51.1-304</section_number><catch_line>Contributions by Commonwealth</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>51.1-1401</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="51.1">Pensions, Benefits, and Retirement</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="3">Judicial Retirement System</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The Commonwealth shall contribute an amount equal to the sum of the normal contribution, any accrued liability contribution, and any supplementary contribution. The amount shall be determined and paid as provided in Chapter 1 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Virginia Retirement System established" href="/51.1-124.1/">51.1-124.1</a> et seq.). Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, member contributions and employer contributions for <span class="dictionary">judges</span> appointed or elected to an original term commencing on or after January 1, 2014, and prior to July 1, 2026, shall be determined and paid (i) under the provisions of the hybrid retirement program described in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Hybrid retirement program" href="/51.1-169/">51.1-169</a> for <span class="dictionary">service</span> rendered as a <span class="dictionary">judge</span> prior to July 1, 2026, and (ii) as provided in Article 7 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Member contributions" href="/51.1-144/">51.1-144</a> et seq.) of Chapter 1 for <span class="dictionary">service</span> rendered as a <span class="dictionary">judge</span> on or after July 1, 2026. However, during any period that a <span class="dictionary">judge</span> is absent for a period of greater than three months from his duties, the employer shall not make any contributions otherwise required pursuant to subdivision B 2 of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Hybrid retirement program" href="/51.1-169/">51.1-169</a>, unless that absence is due to a medical condition, disability, active duty military leave, or family emergency and the existence of the medical condition, disability, active duty military leave, or family emergency is documented in a written communication signed under <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> of <span class="dictionary">perjury</span> by the <span class="dictionary">judge</span> or other authorized representative and submitted promptly to the Virginia <span class="dictionary">Retirement System</span> and the Executive Secretary of the Supreme <span class="dictionary">Court</span> of Virginia.</p></section></text><history>1972, c. 151, &#xA7; 51-165.1; 1982, c. 467; 1990, c. 832; 2014, c. 356; 2023, c. 346; 2025, c. 508.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
