(a) The retirement allowance for a member all of whose credited service was rendered as a Member of the Senate or Assembly, except as provided in subdivision (d), is an annual amount equal to 5 percent of the compensation payable, at the time payments of the allowance fall due, to incumbent Members of the Senate or Assembly, multiplied by the number of years of service with which the member is credited at the time of his or her retirement, not to exceed 15 years. In no event shall any retirement allowance payable under this chapter to a member exceed the compensation payable to Members of the Legislature at the time the payment of the allowance is made, except that the retirement allowance of a member who is credited with more than 15 years shall be increased by an amount equal to 3 percent of the compensation payable, at the time payment of the allowance falls due, to incumbent Members of the Senate or Assembly for each year or fraction of a year in excess of 15 years.
(b) The retirement allowance for a member all of whose credited service was rendered as the Insurance Commissioner or as an elective officer of the state whose office is provided for by the Constitution other than a judge or a Member of the Senate or Assembly is the sum of (1) an annual amount equal to 5 percent of the highest compensation received by the officer while serving in that office, multiplied by the number of years of service with which the member is credited at the time of his or her retirement, not to exceed 8 years, plus, if the member is credited with 24 or more years of service, (2) 12/3 percent of the compensation to which the 5-percent rate is applicable under subparagraph (1) for his or her first 8 years of credited service, multiplied by the number of years of service in excess of 8 years with which the member is credited at the time of his or her retirement, not to exceed 12 years of credited service in excess of the 8 years of service referred to in subparagraph (1).
(c) The retirement allowance for a member part of whose credited service was rendered as a Member of the Senate or Assembly and part of whose credited service was rendered as the Insurance Commissioner or as an elective officer of the state whose office is provided for by the Constitution, other than a judge or a Member of the Senate or Assembly, is the sum of (1) an annual amount equal to 5 percent of all the compensation, at the time payment of the allowance falls due, to the officer holding the highest salaried office that the member held at any time during his or her service prior to retirement, multiplied by the number of years of service with which the member is credited at the time of his or her retirement, not to exceed 8 years, plus, if the member is credited with 24 or more years of service, (2) 12/3 percent of the compensation to which the 5-percent rate is applicable under subparagraph (1) for his or her first 8 years of credited service, multiplied by the number of years of service rendered as the Insurance Commissioner or as an elective officer of the state whose office is provided for by the Constitution, other than a judge or a Member of the Senate or Assembly, with which the member is credited at the time of his or her retirement, not to exceed 12 years of that credited service in excess of the 8 years referred to in subparagraph (1). If, however, the member would be entitled to receive a greater allowance under subdivision (a), (b), or (d) if all of his or her credited service had been rendered as a Member of the Senate or Assembly or as the Insurance Commissioner or as an elective officer of the state whose office is provided for by the Constitution other than a judge or a Member of the Senate or Assembly, then all of his or her credited service shall be deemed to have been rendered as a Member of the Senate or Assembly or as an elective officer, and he or she shall receive a retirement allowance computed under subdivision (a), (b), or (d), whichever is greater.
(d) The retirement allowance for a member, all of whose service was rendered as a Member of the Senate or Assembly, who is the surviving spouse of a deceased Member of the Senate or Assembly and who becomes the immediate successor in office of a deceased Member of the Senate or Assembly is an annual amount equal to 5 percent of the compensation payable, at the time the payments of the allowance fall due, to incumbent Members of the Senate or Assembly, multiplied by the number of years of service with which the member is credited at the time of retirement plus the number of years of service as a Member of the Senate or Assembly rendered by the member’s deceased spouse plus any period in the term, for which the deceased member was elected, following his or her death, not to exceed 15 years. In no event shall any retirement allowance payable under this chapter to a member exceed the compensation payable to Members of the Legislature at the time the payment of the allowance is made, except that the retirement allowance of a member, whose total service creditable under this subdivision is in excess of 15 years, shall be increased by an amount equal to 3 percent of the compensation payable, at the time payment of the allowance falls due, to incumbent Members of the Senate or Assembly for each year or fraction of a year in excess of 15 years. This same computation of total service creditable shall be used as a basis in determining eligibility for retirement, under Sections 9359 and 9359.16, of a member described in this subdivision. A member to whom this subdivision applies shall redeposit an amount equal to the contributions that were required to be contributed by his or her deceased spouse while he or she was a member of the system for his or her service, computed on the basis of the salary and rate of contribution in effect at the time service was rendered, or would have been rendered, in the Legislators’ Retirement Fund on account of the service of his or her deceased spouse in order to use that service for the purposes of this section and Sections 9359 and 9359.16.
The amendments to this section enacted at the 1969 Regular Session shall apply with respect to a member who retired or retires, or died or dies while eligible to retire on or after May 1, 1969, and any allowance payable with respect to that member who retired or died prior to the effective date of that amendment, shall be adjusted effective from the date of retirement or death to the amount it would have been had the amendment been in effect on that date.
Sections 9359.11 and 9359.12 shall control over any conflicting provisions of this section.
The amendments to this section during the 1973–74 Second Extraordinary Session shall not be applicable to members who are retired on the effective date of the amendments.
(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 130, Sec. 114. Effective January 1, 2008.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018