(a) The Superior Court clerk, with the approval of the Court Administrator, may hire and remove staff for the Superior Court subject to the terms of any applicable collective bargaining agreement. The clerks and staff shall be State employees and shall be entitled to all fringe benefits and compensation accorded classified State employees who are similarly situated, subject to any applicable statutory limits, unless covered by a collective bargaining agreement that sets forth the terms and conditions of employment negotiated pursuant to the provisions of 3 V.S.A. chapter 28.

(b) A staff person for the Superior Court may also serve as the county clerk if the Court Administrator approves of such service with the concurrence of the assistant judges. If a Superior Court staff person serves as county clerk pursuant to this subsection, the Court Administrator and the assistant judges shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with respect to the duties, work schedule, and compensation of the person serving.

(c) With respect to counties where the assistant judges have elected to offer passport processing services, the Court Administrator and the assistant judges shall enter into a memorandum of understanding providing for the acceptance and processing of United States passport applications. The memorandum may provide for performance of passport acceptance and processing duties by the court clerk, county clerk, a Superior Court staff person serving as county clerk pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, or any other court or county employee. (Amended 1967, No. 194, § 12, eff. March 1, 1968; 1969, No. 125, § 11; 1973, No. 106, § 5, eff. May 25, 1973; 1979, No. 181 (Adj. Sess.), § 12; 1997, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 6; 2009, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 42; 2011, No. 1, § 9, eff. Feb. 2, 2011; 2011, No. 1, § 9, eff. Feb. 2, 2011.)