(a) All state and local public retirement systems shall, not less than triennially, secure the services of an actuary. For the purposes of this section, “actuary” means an actuary who satisfies the qualification standards for actuaries issuing statements of actuarial opinion in the United States with regard to pensions or other postemployment benefits and who has demonstrated experience in public retirement systems. The actuary shall perform a valuation of the system utilizing actuarial assumptions and techniques established by the agency that are, in the aggregate, reasonably related to the experience and the actuary’s best estimate of anticipated experience under the system. Any differences between the actuarial assumptions and techniques used by the actuary that differ significantly from those established by the agency shall be disclosed in the actuary’s report and the effect of the differences on the actuary’s statement of costs and obligations shall be shown.
(b) All state and local public retirement systems shall secure the services of a qualified person to perform an attest audit of the system’s financial statements. A qualified person means any of the following:
(1) A person who is licensed to practice as a certified public accountant in this state by the California Board of Accountancy.
(2) A person who is registered and entitled to practice as a public accountant in this state by the California Board of Accountancy.
(3) A county auditor in any county subject to the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 31450) of Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 3).
(4) A county auditor in any county having a pension trust and retirement plan established pursuant to Section 53216.
(c) All state and local public retirement systems shall submit audited financial statements to the Controller at the earliest practicable opportunity within six months of the close of each fiscal year. However, the Controller may delay the filing date for reports due in the first year until the time as report forms have been developed that, in his or her judgment, will satisfy the requirements of this section. The financial statements shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the form and manner prescribed by the Controller. The penalty prescribed in Section 53895 shall be invoked for failure to comply with this section. Upon a satisfactory showing of good cause, the Controller may waive the penalty for late filing provided by this subdivision.
(d) The Controller shall compile and publish a report annually on the financial condition of all state and local public retirement systems containing, but not limited to, the data required in Section 7502. The report shall be published within 12 months of the receipt of the information, and in no case later than 18 months after the end of the fiscal year upon which the information in the report is based.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 415, Sec. 3. (AB 2375) Effective January 1, 2017.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018