California 2011-2012 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate 1 D cosponsors

SB 27 — Public employees' retirement.

Last action — Hearing postponed by committee.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed Assembly
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2011-2012 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

(1) The State Teachers' Retirement Law (STRL) establishes the Defined Benefit Program of the State Teachers' Retirement System, which provides a defined benefit to members of the system based on final compensation, credited service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. STRL also establishes the Defined Benefit Supplement Program, which provides supplemental retirement, disability, and other benefits, payable either in a lump-sum payment, an annuity, or both to members of the State Teachers' Retirement Plan. STRL defines creditable compensation for these purposes as remuneration that is payable in cash to all persons in the same class of employees, as specified, for performing creditable service. This bill would revise the definition of creditable compensation for these purposes and would identify certain payments, reimbursements, and compensation that are creditable compensation to be applied to the Defined Benefit Supplement Program. The bill would prohibit one employee from being considered a class. The bill would revise the definition of compensation with respect to the Defined Benefit Supplement Program to include remuneration earnable within a 5-year period, which includes the last year in which the member's final compensation is determined, when it is in excess of 125% of that member's compensation earnable in the year prior to that 5-year period, as specified. The bill would prohibit a member who retires on or after January 1, 2013, who elects to receive his or her retirement benefit under the Defined Benefit Supplement Program as a lump-sum payment from receiving that sum until 180 days have elapsed following the effective date of the member's retirement. (2) Existing law permits a retired member of STRS to perform specified activities as an employee of an employer in the system, as an employee of a 3rd party, or as an independent contractor within the California public school system, but prohibits the member from making contributions to the retirement fund or accruing service credit based on compensation earned from that service. Existing law conditions this authorization on a variety of factors including limitations on the rate of pay of the member and the total amount of compensation. Existing law prohibits compensation, in this regard, for a member who is below normal retirement age for the first 6 months after retirement for service. This bill would apply the prohibition described above to employees retiring on or after January 1, 2013, for the first 180 days after retirement for service. The bill, beginning January 1, 2013, and until June 30, 2014, would exclude from that postretirement compensation limitation up to $2,500 of compensation earned by a member who retired for service and returned to work during the first 180 days after retirement as a substitute employee, as specified, if other conditions are met. (3) Existing law establishes the Cash Balance Benefit Program, administered by the Teachers' Retirement Board, as a separate benefit program within the State Teachers' Retirement Plan in order to provide a retirement plan for persons employed to perform creditable service for less than 50% of full-time service. Existing law provides that the normal form of benefit under the program is a lump-sum payment, after which further benefits are not payable. This bill would permit the board to assess penalties for late and improper adjustments on contributions in connection with the Cash Balance Benefit Program. The bill would prohibit a member who retires on or after January 1, 2013, from receiving the lump-sum payment under the program until 180 days have elapsed following the effective date of the member's termination of employment. (4) The Public Employees' Retirement Law (PERL) establishes the Public Employees' Retirement System, which is administered by its board of administration, and which provides a defined benefit to its members based on age at retirement, service credit, and final compensation. PERL defines compensation earnable and other related terms for purposes of calculating a member's retirement allowance. PERL requires employers and contracting agencies participating in the system to provide notice to the board of the change of status of a member. This bill would require a participating employer and contracting agencies to immediately notify the board of a change that may affect a member's payrate for purposes of compensation earnable and would authorize the board to assess a reasonable fee upon an employer that fails to do so. The bill would authorize the board to assess a reasonable amount to cover the cost of audit, adjustment, or correction, if it determines that an employer knowingly failed to comply with requirements regarding the reporting of compensation. The bill would specify that payrate means, among other things, the member's monthly base pay, would connect payrate to publicly available pay schedules, and would establish requirements for computation of the payrate of a member for a leave without pay. The bill would prescribe a process for determining if specific compensation items are special compensation. The bill would prohibit a person who retires on or after January 1, 2013, from being employed in any capacity by the state, the University of California, a school employer, or a contracting agency until that person has been separated from service for a period of at least 180 days, subject to existing exceptions, unless the employee is subject to a collectively bargained early retirement plan with the California State University in effect prior to January 1, 2013. The bill also would make additional related changes and would make a statement of legislative findings. This bill would provide that its provisions would become operative on July 1, 2012, except as specified.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Hearing postponed by committee.

  2. Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  3. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  5. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (July 6).

  6. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P.E., R. & S.S.

  7. Referred to Com. on P.E., R. & S.S.

  8. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  9. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1222.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  10. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  11. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 1111.) (May 26).

  12. Set for hearing May 26.

  13. Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  14. Set for hearing April 11.

  15. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 416.) (March 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  16. Set for hearing March 21.

  17. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P.E. & R.

  18. Referred to Com. on P.E. & R.

  19. From printer. May be acted upon on or after January 6.

  20. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

  • Alquist · Cosponsor
  • Calderon · Cosponsor
  • De León · Cosponsor
  • Negrete McLeod · Cosponsor
  • Correa · Cosponsor
  • Simitian · Primary
  • Susan Rubio · Cosponsor

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 6 co-sponsors · 115 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

  • Simitian

Co-sponsors (6)

  • Alquist
  • Calderon
  • De León
  • Negrete McLeod
  • Correa
  • Rubio, Susan Democratic

Not signed on (115)

115 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 115 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

3rd Reading

Passed 39 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 36001
Republican 1000
Democratic 2000
Total 39001
% of votes cast 98%0%0%3%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Yee — Yea
Wyland — Yea
Fuller — Yea
Runner — Yea
Lowenthal — Yea
Cannella — Yea
De León — Yea
Negrete McLeod — Yea
Correa — Yea
DeSaulnier — Yea
Hancock — Yea
Harman — Yea
Huff — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Liu — Yea
Pavley — Yea
Price — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Vargas — Yea
Walters — Yea
Wright — Yea
Rubio — Yea
Alquist — Yea
Corbett — Yea
Dutton — Yea
Leno — Yea
Anderson — Yea
Blakeslee — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Kehoe — Yea
Simitian — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Emmerson — Not Voting
Evans — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Yea
La Malfa — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Strickland, Tony Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass.

Passed 8 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 8001
Total 8001
% of votes cast 89%0%0%11%
How each member voted (9)
Member Party Vote
Runner — Yea
Kehoe — Yea
Pavley — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Walters — Yea
Alquist — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Price — Yea
Emmerson — Not Voting

Official roll call →

Placed on Appropriations Suspense file.

Passed 8 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 8001
Total 8001
% of votes cast 89%0%0%11%
How each member voted (9)
Member Party Vote
Runner — Yea
Lieu — Not Voting
Pavley — Yea
Price — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Walters — Yea
Alquist — Yea
Kehoe — Yea
Emmerson — Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 27 do?
(1) The State Teachers' Retirement Law (STRL) establishes the Defined Benefit Program of the State Teachers' Retirement System, which provides a defined benefit to members of the system based on final compensation, credited service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. STRL also establishes the Defined Benefit Supplement Program, which provides supplemental retirement, disability, and other benefits, payable either in a lump-sum payment, an annuity, or both to members of the State Teachers' Retirement Plan. STRL defines creditable compensation for these purposes as remuneration that is payable in cash to all persons in the same class of employees, as specified, for performing creditable service. This bill would revise the definition of creditable compensation for these purposes and would identify certain payments, reimbursements, and compensation that are creditable compensation to be applied to the Defined Benefit Supplement Program. The bill would prohibit one employee from being considered a class. The bill would revise the definition of compensation with respect to the Defined Benefit Supplement Program to include remuneration earnable within a 5-year period, which includes the last year in which the member's final compensation is determined, when it is in excess of 125% of that member's compensation earnable in the year prior to that 5-year period, as specified. The bill would prohibit a member who retires on or after January 1, 2013, who elects to receive his or her retirement benefit under the Defined Benefit Supplement Program as a lump-sum payment from receiving that sum until 180 days have elapsed following the effective date of the member's retirement. (2) Existing law permits a retired member of STRS to perform specified activities as an employee of an employer in the system, as an employee of a 3rd party, or as an independent contractor within the California public school system, but prohibits the member from making contributions to the retirement fund or accruing service credit based on compensation earned from that service. Existing law conditions this authorization on a variety of factors including limitations on the rate of pay of the member and the total amount of compensation. Existing law prohibits compensation, in this regard, for a member who is below normal retirement age for the first 6 months after retirement for service. This bill would apply the prohibition described above to employees retiring on or after January 1, 2013, for the first 180 days after retirement for service. The bill, beginning January 1, 2013, and until June 30, 2014, would exclude from that postretirement compensation limitation up to $2,500 of compensation earned by a member who retired for service and returned to work during the first 180 days after retirement as a substitute employee, as specified, if other conditions are met. (3) Existing law establishes the Cash Balance Benefit Program, administered by the Teachers' Retirement Board, as a separate benefit program within the State Teachers' Retirement Plan in order to provide a retirement plan for persons employed to perform creditable service for less than 50% of full-time service. Existing law provides that the normal form of benefit under the program is a lump-sum payment, after which further benefits are not payable. This bill would permit the board to assess penalties for late and improper adjustments on contributions in connection with the Cash Balance Benefit Program. The bill would prohibit a member who retires on or after January 1, 2013, from receiving the lump-sum payment under the program until 180 days have elapsed following the effective date of the member's termination of employment. (4) The Public Employees' Retirement Law (PERL) establishes the Public Employees' Retirement System, which is administered by its board of administration, and which provides a defined benefit to its members based on age at retirement, service credit, and final compensation. PERL defines compensation earnable and other related terms for purposes of calculating a member's retirement allowance. PERL requires employers and contracting agencies participating in the system to provide notice to the board of the change of status of a member. This bill would require a participating employer and contracting agencies to immediately notify the board of a change that may affect a member's payrate for purposes of compensation earnable and would authorize the board to assess a reasonable fee upon an employer that fails to do so. The bill would authorize the board to assess a reasonable amount to cover the cost of audit, adjustment, or correction, if it determines that an employer knowingly failed to comply with requirements regarding the reporting of compensation. The bill would specify that payrate means, among other things, the member's monthly base pay, would connect payrate to publicly available pay schedules, and would establish requirements for computation of the payrate of a member for a leave without pay. The bill would prescribe a process for determining if specific compensation items are special compensation. The bill would prohibit a person who retires on or after January 1, 2013, from being employed in any capacity by the state, the University of California, a school employer, or a contracting agency until that person has been separated from service for a period of at least 180 days, subject to existing exceptions, unless the employee is subject to a collectively bargained early retirement plan with the California State University in effect prior to January 1, 2013. The bill also would make additional related changes and would make a statement of legislative findings. This bill would provide that its provisions would become operative on July 1, 2012, except as specified.
Who sponsors SB 27?
SB 27 is sponsored by Alquist, Calderon, De León, Negrete McLeod, Correa, Simitian, and Rubio, Susan (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 27?
This bill died with 2011-2012 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Senate” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 27?
Track SB 27 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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