Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 19. PUBLIC RETIREMENT SYSTEMS

CHAPTER 1. SOCIAL SECURITY

Part 1. General Provisions

Definitions

19-1-102. Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(1) "Administrator" means the employee of the department who is designated as the state social security administrator and is delegated the authority to carry out the requirements of this chapter.

(2) "Commissioner of social security" means the commissioner of the United States social security administration or an individual to whom the commissioner of social security has delegated any function under the Social Security Act with respect to coverage under that act of employees of states and their political subdivisions, except:

(a) with respect to an action taken prior to April 11, 1953, the term means the federal security administrator or an individual to whom the administrator delegated any function; and

(b) with respect to an action taken on or after April 11, 1953, through March 30, 1995, the term means the secretary of the United States department of health and human services or an individual to whom the secretary delegated any function.

(3) "Department" means the department of administration provided for in 2-15-1001.

(4) "Employee" means an elective or appointive officer or employee of the state or a political subdivision of the state.

(5) "Employee tax" means the tax imposed by section 3101 of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. 3101, as amended.

(6) (a) "Employment" means any service performed for the employer by an employee of the state or any political subdivision of the state, except:

(i) service that in the absence of an agreement entered into under this chapter would constitute employment as defined in the Social Security Act; or

(ii) service that under the Social Security Act may not be included in an agreement between the state and the commissioner of social security entered into under this chapter.

(b) Service performed by civilian employees of national guard units is specifically included within the term "employment".

(c) Service that under the Social Security Act may be included in an agreement only upon certification by the governor in accordance with section 218(d)(3) of that act is included in the term "employment" if and when the governor issues, with respect to the service, a certificate to the commissioner of social security pursuant to 19-1-304.

(7) "Federal Insurance Contributions Act" means subchapters A and B of chapter 21 of the Internal Revenue Code.

(8) "Political subdivision" means an instrumentality of the state, of one or more of its political subdivisions, or of the state and one or more of its political subdivisions, including leagues or associations, but only if the instrumentality is a legally constituted entity that is legally separate and distinct from the state or subdivision and only if its employees are not by virtue of their relation to the entity employees of the state or subdivision. The term includes special districts or authorities created by the legislature or local governments, including but not limited to school districts and housing authorities.

(9) "Social Security Act" means the act of congress approved August 14, 1935, chapter 531, 49 Stat. 620, officially cited as the "Social Security Act", including regulations and requirements issued pursuant to the act, as the act has been and may be amended.

(10) "Wages" means all remuneration for employment, including the cash value of all remuneration paid in any medium other than cash, except that the term does not include that part of remuneration that, even if it were for employment within the meaning of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, would not constitute wages within the meaning of that act.

History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 44, L. 1953; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 270, L. 1955; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 64, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 132, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 59-1102; amd. Sec. 32, Ch. 10, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 58, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 47, Ch. 114, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 138, L. 2015; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 250, L. 2015.