A member retiring prior to 60 years of age, and who has attained 55 years of age, may elect to receive one-half of the service retirement allowance for normal retirement age for a limited time and then revert to the full retirement allowance for normal retirement age.
(a) The retirement allowance shall be based on service credit and final compensation as of the date of retirement for service and shall be calculated with the factor for normal retirement age.
(b) If the member elects a joint and survivor option under Section 24300 or 24300.1, the actuarial reduction shall be based on the member’s and beneficiary’s ages as of the effective date of the early retirement. If the member elected a preretirement option under Section 24307, the actuarial reduction shall be based on the member’s and beneficiary’s ages as determined by the provisions of that section.
(c) One-half of the retirement allowance as of 60 years of age shall be paid for a period of time equal to twice the elapsed time between the effective date of retirement and the date of the retired member’s 60th birthday.
(d) The full retirement allowance as calculated under subdivision (a) or (b) shall begin to accrue as of the first of the month following the reduction period as specified in subdivision (c). The full retirement allowance shall not begin to accrue prior to this time under any circumstances, including, but not limited to, divorce or death of the named beneficiary.
(e) The annual improvement factor provided for in Sections 22140 and 22141 shall be based upon the retirement allowance as calculated under subdivision (a) or (b). The improvement factor shall begin to accrue on September 1 following the retired member’s 60th birthday. These increases shall be accumulated and shall become payable when the full retirement allowance for normal retirement age first becomes payable.
(f) Any ad hoc benefit increase with an effective date prior to the retired member’s 60th birthday shall not affect an allowance payable under this section. Only those ad hoc improvements with effective dates on or after the retired member’s 60th birthday shall be accrued and accumulated and shall first become payable when the full retirement allowance for normal retirement age becomes payable.
(g) The cancellation of an option election in accordance with Section 24322 shall not cancel the election under this section. Upon cancellation of the joint and survivor option, one-half of the retired member’s retirement allowance as calculated under subdivision (a) shall become payable for the balance of the reduction period specified in subdivision (c).
(h) If a retired member who has elected a joint and survivor option dies during the period when the reduced allowance is payable, the beneficiary shall receive one-half of the allowance payable to the beneficiary until the date when the retired member would have received the full retirement allowance for normal retirement age. At that time, the beneficiary’s allowance shall be increased to the full amount payable to the beneficiary plus the appropriate annual improvement factor increases and ad hoc increases.
(i) This section shall not apply to a member who retires for service pursuant to Section 24201.5, 24209, 24209.3, 24210, 24211, or 24212.
(j) This section shall not apply to a member subject to the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 755, Sec. 34. (SB 1220) Effective January 1, 2015.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018