Article 15 - Reciprocal Benefits

California Government Code — §§ 31830-31840.8

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Sections (31)

Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 966, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2001.

The provisions of this article are intended to encourage career public service by granting reciprocal retirement benefits to members who are entitled to retirement rights or benefits from two or more retirement systems established under this chapter or from a retirement system established under this chapter and the Public Employees’ Retirement System, the State Teachers’ Retirement System, or a retirement system of any other public agency of the state that has established reciprocity with the Public Employees’ Retirement System subject to the conditions of Section 31840.2, and to delineate the financial obligations of each system and related political entity so that no system or political entity shall be liable for more than its just financial obligation.

Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 966, Sec. 7. Effective January 1, 2001.

Any member, whether over or under the minimum age of service retirement, who leaves county service and within 90 days or six months if Section 31840.4 applies thereafter becomes a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System, a retirement system established under this chapter in another county, a member of the State Teachers’ Retirement System, or a member of a retirement system of any other public agency of the state that has established reciprocity with the Public Employees’ Retirement System subject to the conditions of Section 31840.2, regardless of the amount of county service, may elect deferred retirement pursuant to Article 9 of this chapter, except that he or she may not, after that election, rescind the election or withdraw any of his or her accumulated contributions while a member of such other system.

Amended by Stats. 1976, Ch. 629.

Any member who left county or district service on or before December 31, 1971, and became a member of a retirement system established under this chapter in another county or of the Public Employees’ Retirement System, who did not elect to, or was not eligible to, leave his contributions on deposit pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 31700) may now elect to leave his accumulated contributions on deposit pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 31700) by redepositing in the retirement fund of the county or district he left the amount of accumulated contributions and interest he withdrew from such retirement fund plus regular interest thereon from date of separation.

Any such member whose accumulated contributions are on deposit as provided in this section and any other member who left county or district service on or before December 31, 1971, who became a member of a retirement system established under this chapter in another county or of the Public Employees’ Retirement System and who elected to leave his accumulated contributions on deposit pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 31700) shall be eligible for the benefits provided in this article, and for purposes of such benefits shall be deemed to have entered membership in such other system within 90 days of his separation from county or employment. The deferred retirement allowance for such member shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of this chapter applicable to members retiring directly from county employment on the date of his retirement. Any member who qualifies for a reduced age at entry pursuant to this section shall be entitled to use such age only from and after the date he completes the redeposit as provided in this section or, if he elected to leave his accumulated contributions on deposit pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 31700), from and after the date he notifies the board in writing that he desires the benefits of this section. This section shall not apply to members who are retired or who are not in service of an employer making him a member of a retirement system established under this chapter or of the Public Employees’ Retirement System.

Unless this chapter expressly provides to the contrary the retirement allowance received by a member pursuant to this section shall be calculated based upon the laws pertaining to the retirement system of such district or county as of the date of retirement and not the laws pertaining to such system as of the date the member first left county or district service.

This section shall not be applicable to any member entering service after December 31, 1977.

Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 22, Sec. 93. Effective January 1, 2006.

Any member who left county or district service on or before December 31, 1974, and became a member of a retirement system established under this chapter in another county or of the Public Employees’ Retirement System, who did not elect to, or was not eligible to, leave his or her contributions on deposit pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 31700) may now elect to leave his or her accumulated contributions on deposit pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 31700) by redepositing in the retirement fund of the county or district he or she left the amount of accumulated contributions and interest he or she withdrew from the retirement fund plus regular interest thereon from date of separation.

Any such member whose accumulated contributions are on deposit as provided in this section and any other member who left county or district service on or before December 31, 1974, who became a member of a retirement system established under this chapter in another county or of the Public Employees’ Retirement System and who elected to leave his or her accumulated contributions on deposit pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 31700) shall be eligible for the benefits provided in this article, and for purposes of these benefits shall be deemed to have entered membership in the other system within 90 days, or six months if Section 31840.4 applies, of his or her separation from county or district employment. The deferred retirement allowance for the member shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of this chapter applicable to a member retiring directly from county employment on the date of his or her retirement. Any member who qualifies for a reduced age at entry pursuant to this section shall be entitled to use that age only from and after the date he or she completes the redeposit as provided in this section or, if he or she elected to leave his or her accumulated contributions on deposit pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 31700), from and after the date he or she notifies the board in writing that he or she desires the benefits of this section. This section shall not apply to members who are retired or who are not in service of an employer making him or her a member of a retirement system established under this chapter or of the Public Employees’ Retirement System.

Unless this chapter expressly provides to the contrary, the retirement allowance received by a member pursuant to this section shall be calculated based upon the laws pertaining to the retirement system of the district or county as of the date of retirement and not the laws pertaining to the system as of the date the member first left county or district service.

This section shall not be applicable to any member entering service after December 31, 1979.

This section shall apply only in a county of the first class, as established by Sections 28020 and 28022, but shall not be operative in a county until adopted by resolution of the board of supervisors.

Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 883, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2003.

(a)Notwithstanding Sections 31831.1 and 31831.2, any former member who left county or district service and became a member of a retirement system established under this chapter in another county or district, or a reciprocal retirement system, or a retirement system established under the Public Employees’ Retirement Law, and who did not elect to, or was not eligible to, leave his or her contributions on deposit pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 31700), may elect to redeposit those contributions if he or she is an active member of a county retirement system, the Public Employees’ Retirement System, or another reciprocal retirement system at the time of redeposit. A former member may exercise this right by redepositing in the retirement fund of the county or district he or she left, the amount of accumulated contributions and interest that he or she withdrew from that retirement fund plus regular interest thereon from the date of separation.
(b)A former member who redeposits under this section shall have the same rights as a member who elected to leave his or her accumulated contributions on deposit in the fund. The deferred retirement allowance of the member shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of this chapter applicable to a member retiring directly from county employment on the date of his or her retirement.
(c)A former member who redeposits under this section shall be entitled to a reduced age at entry, commencing with contributions payable the first day of the month following the date the association receives notice of the redeposit, only to the extent provided in Section 31833.
(d)This section does not apply to the following:
(1)A member or former member who is retired.
(2)A former member who is not in the service of an employer making him or her a member of a retirement system established under this chapter in another county or district, a retirement system established under the Public Employees’ Retirement Law, or another reciprocal retirement system.
(e)This section shall only apply to either of the following:
(1)A former member who is in the service of an employer as an officer or employee of a law enforcement agency or fire department whose principal duties consist of active law enforcement or firefighting and prevention service, but excluding one whose principal duties are those of a telephone operator, clerk, stenographer, machinist, mechanic, or otherwise, and whose functions do not clearly come within the scope of active law enforcement or firefighting and prevention service, even though the officer or employee is subject to occasional call, or is occasionally called upon, to perform duties within the scope of active law enforcement or firefighting and prevention service.
(2)A former member who is in the service of an employer and seeks to redeposit contributions for past employment as an officer or employee of a law enforcement agency or fire department in this system whose principal duties consisted of active law enforcement or firefighting and prevention service, but excluding one whose principal duties were those of a telephone operator, clerk, stenographer, machinist, mechanic, or otherwise, and whose functions did not clearly come within the scope of active law enforcement or firefighting and prevention service, even though the officer or employee was subject to occasional call, or was occasionally called upon, to perform duties within the scope of active law enforcement or firefighting and prevention service.
(f)For purposes of this section, a “former member” is a member who left county or district service and who did not elect to, or was not eligible to, leave his or her contributions on deposit pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 31700).
(g)Each retirement system shall establish criteria to determine the eligibility of a former member to redeposit contributions, and the amount of contributions that may be redeposited, pursuant to this section in those cases in which the system no longer maintains complete records with respect to the former member.

Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 966, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 2001.

The board shall, on request of the Board of Administration of the Public Employees’ Retirement System, the board of retirement of a retirement system established in another county under this chapter, the Board of Retirement of the State Teachers’ Retirement System, or the board of retirement of a retirement system of any other public agency of the state that has established reciprocity with the Public Employees’ Retirement System subject to the conditions of Section 31840.2, supply information and data necessary for the administration of such other system as it is affected by membership in and service credited under this system.

Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 966, Sec. 10. Effective January 1, 2001.

For the purpose of this article and Articles 6 and 6.8 of this chapter, age at time of entrance into the retirement system for a person who enters within 90 days, or six months if Section 31840.4 applies, of last rendering service as a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System, another retirement system established under this chapter, the State Teachers’ Retirement System, or a retirement system of any other public agency of the state that has established reciprocity with the Public Employees’ Retirement System subject to the conditions of Section 31840.2, and who retains his membership in such other system or systems, shall be his age at entry into the first such other system.

Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 966, Sec. 11. Effective January 1, 2001.

For the purpose of this article and Article 6 (commencing with Section 31620) and Article 6.8 (commencing with Section 31639) of this chapter, a member’s age at the time of entrance into the retirement system for a person who, after entering, redeposits the contributions he or she withdrew from the Public Employees’ Retirement System, and who otherwise meets all requirements for reciprocity under this article by reason of his or her membership in the Public Employees’ Retirement System, shall be his or her age at entry into the Public Employees’ Retirement System, commencing with the pay period immediately following receipt of confirmation from the Public Employees’ Retirement System that all withdrawn contributions have been redeposited.

Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 966, Sec. 12. Effective January 1, 2001.

Notwithstanding Section 31558 and regardless of age at entry into the system in counties subject to the provisions of Section 31676.1 and in counties electing pursuant to Section 31695.1, a person shall become a safety member on the first day of the calendar month following his entrance into service in a position the principal duties of which are defined in Sections 31470.2, 31470.4 or 31470.6, if such first day of the calendar month is within 90 days, or six months if Section 31840.4 applies of last rendering active police or fire suppression or lifeguard work as a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System or a retirement system established under this chapter in another county, the State Teachers’ Retirement System, or a retirement system of any other public agency of the state that has established reciprocity with the Public Employees’ Retirement System subject to the conditions of Section 31840.2, and the person retains his membership in such other system.

Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 247, Sec. 44. (AB 1380) Effective January 1, 2014.

The average compensation during any period of service as a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System, a member of the Judges’ Retirement System or Judges’ Retirement System II, a member of a retirement system established under this chapter in another county, a member of the State Teachers’ Retirement System, or a member of a retirement system of any other public agency of the state that has established reciprocity with the Public Employees’ Retirement System subject to the conditions of Section 31840.2, shall be considered compensation earnable or pensionable compensation pursuant to Section 7522.34, whichever is applicable, by a member for purposes of computing final compensation for that member provided:

(a)The period intervening between active memberships in the respective systems does not exceed 90 days, or 6 months if Section 31840.4 applies. That period shall not include any time during which the member was prohibited by law from becoming a member of the system of another county.

Notwithstanding anything in this chapter to the contrary, the 90-day or 6-month restriction referred to in this section or any other provision of this chapter affecting deferred retirement shall not be applicable to any members who left county or district service prior to October 1, 1949, and subsequently redeposited.

(b)He or she retires concurrently under both systems and is credited with the period of service under that other system at the time of retirement.

The provisions of this section shall be applicable to all members and beneficiaries of the

system.

Added by Stats. 1972, Ch. 195.

Section 31835 shall be retroactively applied so as to extend the benefits thereof to every active and retired member and beneficiary who left county or district service prior to October 1, 1949, and subsequently redeposited his contributions in the system in respect to all payments for time after the effective date of his retirement and prior to the effective date of this section as well as to payments for time after the effective date of this section.

Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 159, Sec. 118. Effective January 1, 2002. Section conditionally operative by its own provisions.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, Section 31835 shall also apply to any member who was a member of a retirement system established under this chapter and who subsequently becomes a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System, a retirement system established under this chapter in another county, the State Teachers’ Retirement System, or a retirement system of any other public agency of the state that has established reciprocity with the Public Employees’ Retirement System subject to the conditions of Section 31840.2, providing the period intervening between the periods for which active service was credited does not exceed 90 days, or six months if Section 31840.2 applies, and the member retires concurrently under both systems and is credited with the periods of service at the time of retirement.

This section shall only be operative in any county of the fourth class as described in Sections 28020 and 28025 if it is adopted by a majority vote of the board of supervisors.

Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 966, Sec. 15. Effective January 1, 2001.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 31835 and 31836, a member of a retirement system established under this chapter who is eligible to retire at age 50 pursuant to Section 31672, or who is required to retire because of age while a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System, a retirement system established under this chapter in another county, the State Teachers’ Retirement System, or a retirement system of any other public agency of the state that has established reciprocity with the Public Employees’ Retirement System subject to the conditions of Section 31840.2, but who cannot retire concurrently from the Public Employees’ Retirement System, a retirement system established under this chapter in another county, the State Teachers’ Retirement System, or a retirement system of any other public agency of the state that has established reciprocity with the Public Employees’ Retirement System subject to the conditions of Section 31840.2, shall be entitled to have his final compensation and service determined under Sections 31835 and 31836 as if he had retired concurrently under such other system.

Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 247, Sec. 45. (AB 1380) Effective January 1, 2014.

“Service,” solely for purposes of qualification for payment of benefits and retirement allowances, shall also include service as an employee of the state or a contracting agency under the Public Employees’ Retirement System or of another county having a retirement system established under this chapter, or as a member of the State Teachers’ Retirement System, or as a member of a retirement system of any other public agency of the state that has established reciprocity with the Public Employees’ Retirement System subject to the conditions of Section 31840.2, if the compensation for such service constitutes compensation earnable or pensionable compensation pursuant to Section 7522.34, whichever is applicable, by a member under Section 31835 of this part.

No credit shall be granted in this retirement system for service for which the member has received credit in another retirement system or for which he or she is presently receiving a retirement allowance from another retirement system.

Repealed (in Sec. 1) and added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 202, Sec. 2. Section operative January 1, 1988, by its own provisions.

“Service,” for the purpose of qualifying members for the discontinuance of contributions pursuant to Section 31625.2, shall also include service as an employee of the state, a contracting agency under the Public Employees’ Retirement System, another county having a retirement system established under this chapter, or any other public agency if the compensation for the service constitutes compensation earnable by a member under Section 31835.

This section shall become operative on January 1, 1988.

Added by Stats. 2008, Ch. 164, Sec. 12. Effective January 1, 2009.

(a)“Service,” for the purpose of qualifying members for the discontinuance of contributions pursuant to Section 31664, 31664.1, or 31664.2 shall also include service as an employee of the state, a contracting agency under the Public Employees’ Retirement System, another county having a retirement system established under this chapter, or any other public agency if the compensation for the service constitutes compensation earnable by a member under Section 31835.
(b)This section shall apply only in a county of the first class, as defined by Section 28020, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971.
(c)This section is declaratory of existing law.

Amended by Stats. 1968, Ch. 1046.

Any member who elects, pursuant to Section 31700 and 31832, to leave his accumulated contributions on deposit may be retired for disability, regardless of age or length of service, and receive a disability retirement allowance under this article based on the service credited to him at the time of retirement during any period thereafter in which he receives a disability retirement allowance under the Public Employees’ Retirement System or a retirement system established under this chapter in another county, subject to the following conditions:

(1)That such allowance shall not be paid if the period intervening between the last service credited under this system and his becoming a member in such other system exceeds 90 days.
(2)That if the member is retiring for non-service-connected disability, and, if a safety member has not attained age 55, or if a nonsafety member has not attained age 65, his retirement allowance shall be as calculated pursuant to Section 31838.
(3)That such allowance shall be an annuity which is the actuarial equivalent of the member’s accumulated contributions when retirement under the other system is for disability arising out of and in the course of employment subject to such other system.

Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 966, Sec. 17. Effective January 1, 2001.

Notwithstanding Sections 31837 and 31838, any member covered under Section 31751 who elects, pursuant to Sections 31700 and 31832, to leave accumulated contributions on deposit may be retired for disability and receive a disability retirement allowance under this section during any period hereafter in which the member receives a disability retirement allowance under the Public Employees’ Retirement System, a retirement system established under this chapter in another county, the State Teachers’ Retirement System or a retirement system of any other public agency of the state that has established reciprocity with the Public Employees’ Retirement System subject to the conditions of Section 31840.2, subject to all of the following conditions:

(a)That such allowance shall not be paid if the period intervening between the last service credited under this system and becoming a member in such other system exceeds six months.
(b)That, if the member is retiring for non-service-connected disability, the disability requirements shall be that of the other system and the member’s retirement allowance shall be based on the other system’s disability benefit formula. The disability benefit received in the county shall be calculated as if all the member’s service was in the other system but then prorated using the ratio of service in this county to the total service in both systems.
(c)That, if the member is retiring for disability arising out of and in the course of employment subject to such other system, the allowance to the member shall be an annuity which is the actuarial equivalent of the member’s accumulated contributions at the time of retirement.

Amended by Stats. 1968, Ch. 1046.

Every safety member under age 55 years and every other member under age 65 years who is retired for non-service-connected disability and who is retired simultaneously under a disability retirement allowance from the Public Employees’ Retirement System or a retirement system established under this chapter in another county shall receive a retirement allowance equal to the greater of the following amounts:

(1)The sum to which he would be entitled as service retirement; or
(2)A sum which shall consist of:
(a)An annuity which is the actuarial equivalent of his accumulated contributions at the time of his retirement, and
(b)If, in the opinion of the board, his disability is not due to intemperate use of alcoholic liquor or drugs, willful misconduct, or violation of law on his part, a disability retirement pension purchased by contributions of the county or district, all computed as provided in Sections 31727 or 31727.2.

Amended by Stats. 1984, Ch. 767, Sec. 1.

No provision of this chapter shall be construed to authorize any member, credited with service in more than one entity and who is eligible for a disability allowance, whether service connected or nonservice connected to receive an amount from one county that, when combined with any amount from other counties or the Public Employees’ Retirement System, results in a disability allowance greater than the amount the member would have received had all the member’s service been with only one entity.

In cases of service-connected disability allowances only, the limitation on disability allowances provided for in this section shall apply to service-connected disability allowances payable to those who, after being employed with another county or an entity within the Public Employees’ Retirement System, become employed by a second public entity on or after January 1, 1984.

Each entity shall calculate its respective obligations based upon the member’s service with that entity and each shall adjust its payment on a pro rata basis.

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