(a) “Pensionable compensation” of a new member of any public retirement system means the normal monthly rate of pay or base pay of the member paid in cash to similarly situated members of the same group or class of employment for services rendered on a full-time basis during normal working hours, pursuant to publicly available pay schedules, subject to the limitations of subdivision (c).
(b) Compensation that has been deferred shall be deemed pensionable compensation when earned rather than when paid.
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, “pensionable compensation” of a new member does not include the following:
(1) Any compensation determined by the board to have been paid to increase a member’s retirement benefit under that system.
(2) Compensation that had previously been provided in kind to the member by the employer or paid directly by the employer to a third party other than the retirement system for the benefit of the member and which was converted to and received by the member in the form of a cash payment.
(3) Any one-time or ad hoc payments made to a member.
(4) Severance or any other payment that is granted or awarded to a member in connection with or in anticipation of a separation from employment, but is received by the member while employed.
(5) Payments for unused vacation, annual leave, personal leave, sick leave, or compensatory time off, however denominated, whether paid in a lump sum or otherwise, regardless of when reported or paid.
(6) Payments for additional services rendered outside of normal working hours, whether paid in a lump sum or otherwise.
(7) Any employer-provided allowance, reimbursement, or payment, including, but not limited to, one made for housing, vehicle, or uniforms.
(8) Compensation for overtime work, other than as defined in Section 207(k) of Title 29 of the United States Code.
(9) Employer contributions to deferred compensation or defined contribution plans.
(10) Any bonus paid in addition to the compensation described in subdivision (a).
(11) Any other form of compensation a public retirement board determines is inconsistent with the requirements of subdivision (a).
(12) Any other form of compensation a public retirement board determines should not be pensionable compensation.
(13) (A) Any form of compensation identified that has been agreed to be nonpensionable pursuant to a memorandum of understanding for state employees bound by the memorandum of understanding. The state employer subject to the memorandum of understanding shall inform the retirement system of the excluded compensation and provide a copy of the memorandum of understanding.
(B) The state employer may determine if excluded compensation identified in subparagraph (A) shall apply to nonrepresented state employees who are aligned with state employees subject to the memorandum of understanding described in subparagraph (A). The state employer shall inform the retirement system of the exclusion of this compensation and provide a copy of the public pay schedule detailing the exclusion.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 528, Sec. 8. (SB 13) Effective October 4, 2013.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018