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SB-1203 Retirement systems: joint powers authorities: benefit formulas.(2015-2016)

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Senate Bill No. 1203
CHAPTER 729

An act to add Section 7522.05 to the Government Code, relating to retirement.

[ Approved by Governor  September 27, 2016. Filed with Secretary of State  September 27, 2016. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 1203, Hertzberg. Retirement systems: joint powers authorities: benefit formulas.
The California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) requires a public retirement system, as defined, to modify its plan or plans to comply with the act and, among other provisions, establishes new retirement formulas that may not be exceeded by a public employer offering a defined benefit pension plan for employees first hired on or after January 1, 2013. Existing law, the Joint Exercise of Powers Act, generally authorizes 2 or more public agencies, by agreement, to jointly exercise any common power, which may include hiring employees and establishing retirement systems.
This bill would authorize a joint powers authority to offer defined benefit plans or formulas that are not PEPRA plans or formulas provided that the plans or formulas were those the employees received prior to the creation of the authority, the employees are not new members under PEPRA, and they are employed by the authority within 180 days, as specified.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 7522.05 is added to the Government Code, to read:

7522.05.
 (a) A joint powers authority formed on or after January 1, 2013, and formed pursuant to the provisions of the Joint Exercise of Powers Act (Article 1 (commencing with Section 6500) of Chapter 5), where at least one member agency provided benefits on or before December 31, 2012, as described in subdivision (c) of Section 7522.02, may provide employees of that joint powers authority the defined benefit plan or formula that those employees received from their respective employers prior to the exercise of a common power where that employee was not a new member with that employer and subsequently is employed by the joint powers authority within 180 days of the member agency providing for the exercise of a common power.
(b) The formation of a joint powers authority on or after January 1, 2013, shall not act in a manner as to exempt a new employee or a new member, as defined by Section 7522.04, hired by that joint powers authority from the requirements of the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013. New members may only participate in a defined benefit plan or formula that conforms to the requirements of the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013.