(a) This section shall apply to any person who is receiving a pension benefit from a public retirement system and shall supersede any other provision in conflict with this section.
(b) A retired person shall not serve, be employed by, or be employed through a contract directly by, a public employer in the same public retirement system from which the retiree receives the benefit without reinstatement from retirement, except as permitted by this section.
(c) A person who retires from a public employer may serve without reinstatement from retirement or loss or interruption of benefits provided by the retirement system upon appointment by the appointing power of a public employer either during an emergency to prevent stoppage of public business or because the retired person has skills needed to perform work of limited duration.
(d) Appointments of the person authorized under this section shall not exceed a total for all employers in that public retirement system of 960 hours or other equivalent limit, in a calendar or fiscal year, depending on the administrator of the system. The rate of pay for the employment shall not be less than the minimum, nor exceed the maximum, paid by the employer to other employees performing comparable duties, divided by 173.333 to equal an hourly rate. A retired person whose employment without reinstatement is authorized by this section shall acquire no service credit or retirement rights under this section with respect to the employment unless he or she reinstates from retirement.
(e) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), any retired person shall not be eligible to serve or be employed by a public employer if, during the 12-month period prior to an appointment described in this section, the retired person received any unemployment insurance compensation arising out of prior employment subject to this section with a public employer. A retiree shall certify in writing to the employer upon accepting an offer of employment that he or she is in compliance with this requirement.
(2) A retired person who accepts an appointment after receiving unemployment insurance compensation as described in this subdivision shall terminate that employment on the last day of the current pay period and shall not be eligible for reappointment subject to this section for a period of 12 months following the last day of employment.
(f) A retired person shall not be eligible to be employed pursuant to this section for a period of 180 days following the date of retirement unless he or she meets one of the following conditions:
(1) The employer certifies the nature of the employment and that the appointment is necessary to fill a critically needed position before 180 days have passed and the appointment has been approved by the governing body of the employer in a public meeting. The appointment may not be placed on a consent calendar.
(2) (A) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, for state employees, the state employer certifies the nature of the employment and that the appointment is necessary to fill a critically needed state employment position before 180 days have passed and the appointment has been approved by the Department of Human Resources. The department may establish a process to delegate appointing authority to individual state agencies, but shall audit the process to determine if abuses of the system occur. If necessary, the department may assume an agency’s appointing authority for retired workers and may charge the department an appropriate amount for administering that authority.
(B) For legislative employees, the Senate Committee on Rules or the Assembly Rules Committee certifies the nature of the employment and that the appointment is necessary to fill a critically needed position before 180 days have passed and approves the appointment in a public meeting. The appointment may not be placed on a consent calendar.
(C) For employees of the California State University, the Trustees of the California State University certifies the nature of the employment and that the appointment is necessary to fill a critically needed position before 180 days have passed and approves the appointment in a public meeting. The appointment may not be placed on a consent calendar.
(3) The retiree is eligible to participate in the Faculty Early Retirement Program pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement with the California State University that existed prior to January 1, 2013, or has been included in subsequent agreements.
(4) The retiree is a public safety officer or firefighter hired to perform a function or functions regularly performed by a public safety officer or firefighter.
(g) A retired person who accepted a retirement incentive upon retirement shall not be eligible to be employed pursuant to this section for a period of 180 days following the date of retirement and subdivision (f) shall not apply.
(h) This section shall not apply to a person who is retired from the State Teachers’ Retirement System, and who is subject to Section 24214, 24214.5, or 26812 of the Education Code.
(i) This section shall not apply to (1) a subordinate judicial officer whose position, upon retirement, is converted to a judgeship pursuant to Section 69615, and he or she returns to work in the converted position, and the employer is a trial court, or (2) a retiree of the Judges’ Retirement System or the Judges’ Retirement System II who is assigned to serve in a court pursuant to Section 68543.5.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 238, Sec. 1. (AB 2476) Effective January 1, 2015.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018