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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>62567</law_id><section_number>51.1-700</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>51.1-130</reference><reference>51.1-142.2</reference><reference>51.1-144</reference><reference>51.1-155</reference><reference>51.1-206</reference><reference>51.1-217</reference><reference>51.1-306</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="7">Federal Social Security for State and Local Employees</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;Agreement&#x201D; means the federal-state agreement between the <span class="dictionary">federal agency</span> and the Commonwealth entered into on February 16, 1952, as authorized by this chapter, for the purpose of extending coverage under the <span class="dictionary">Social Security Act</span> and any subsequent <span class="dictionary">modifications</span> thereto.
		&#x201C;Applicable federal <span class="dictionary">law</span>&#x201D; refers to provisions of federal <span class="dictionary">law</span>, including federal regulations and requirements issued pursuant thereto, that provide for extending the benefits of the <span class="dictionary">Social Security Act</span> and the <span class="dictionary">Federal Insurance Contributions Act</span> to employees of states and their <span class="dictionary">political subdivisions</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Board</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> of Trustees of the Virginia Retirement System.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Employee tax</span>&#x201D; means the tax imposed by &#xA7;&#xA0;3101 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Employer</span>&#x201D; means the Commonwealth or a <span class="dictionary">political subdivision</span> thereof, as defined in this chapter.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Employment</span>&#x201D; means <span class="dictionary">employment</span> as defined in the <span class="dictionary">Social Security Act</span> as modified under the terms of the agreement and pursuant to the authority granted the <span class="dictionary">state social security administrator</span> under &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Authority of state social security administrator" href="/51.1-707/">51.1-707</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Federal agency</span>&#x201D; means the federal officer, department, or agency charged on behalf of the federal government with the particular federal functions referred to in this chapter in connection with such term.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Federal Insurance Contributions Act</span>&#x201D; means subchapters A and B of Chapter 21 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Local employee</span>&#x201D; means any officer or employee of a <span class="dictionary">political subdivision</span> and includes &#x201C;special employees,&#x201D; which means a county or city treasurer, commissioner of revenue, attorney for the Commonwealth, <span class="dictionary">clerk of court</span>, sheriff, and a deputy or employee of any such officer.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Modification</span>&#x201D; means an amendment to the original agreement to modify coverage for coverage groups or to extend coverage to additional coverage groups consistent with the provisions of Section 218 of the <span class="dictionary">Social Security Act</span> and this chapter.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Plan of agreement</span>&#x201D; means an agreement between the <span class="dictionary">state social security administrator</span> and an <span class="dictionary">employer</span> for the purpose of extending the benefits of the <span class="dictionary">Social Security Act</span> to coverage groups within its employ.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Political subdivision</span>&#x201D; includes an instrumentality of the Commonwealth or one or more of its <span class="dictionary">political subdivisions</span>, or of the Commonwealth and one or more of its <span class="dictionary">political subdivisions</span>, but only if such instrumentality is a juristic entity which is legally separate and distinct from the Commonwealth or a <span class="dictionary">political subdivision</span> and only if its employees are not by virtue of their relation to such juristic entity employees of the Commonwealth or a <span class="dictionary">political subdivision</span>. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Political subdivision</span>&#x201D; includes Indian tribes.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Social Security Act</span>&#x201D; means the act of Congress approved August 14, 1935, Chapter 531, 49 <span class="dictionary">Statutes</span> 620, officially cited as the &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Social Security Act</span>,&#x201D; as such act has been and may be amended.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State employee</span>&#x201D; means any person who is employed in the service of the Commonwealth but shall not include any member of the General Assembly or <span class="dictionary">local employee</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State social security administrator</span>&#x201D; means the Director of the Virginia Retirement System.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Teacher</span>&#x201D; means any person who is regularly employed on a salaried basis as a professional or clerical employee of a county, city, or other local public school <span class="dictionary">board</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Wages</span>&#x201D; means all remuneration for <span class="dictionary">employment</span>, including the cash value of all remuneration paid in any medium other than cash, except that part of such remuneration which, even if it were paid for &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">employment</span>&#x201D; within the meaning of the <span class="dictionary">Federal Insurance Contributions Act</span>, would not constitute &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">wages</span>&#x201D; within the meaning of that act.</p></section></text><history>1952, cc. 2, 48, &#xA7; 51-111.2; 1956, c. 561; 1980, c. 136; 1990, c. 832; 2005, c. 902.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
