Article 6.8. Safety Members’ Contributions of California Government Code >> Division 4. >> Title 3. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 6.8.

This article shall apply in a county subject to the provisions of Sections 31676.1 and 31695.1.

The normal rates of contribution of safety members shall be based on age at the nearest birthday at the time of entrance into the retirement system. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, separate rates of contribution for male and female safety members shall not be maintained or established, nor shall different allowances or benefits be established for male and female members.

The normal rates of contributions shall be such as will provide an average annuity at age 50 equal to one one-hundredth of the final compensation of safety members, according to the tables adopted by the board of supervisors, for each year of service rendered after entering the system. The provisions of this section shall supersede the provisions of Section 31639. 2.

Instead of the normal rates of contribution required by Section 31639.25 the board may, upon actuarial advice, establish a single rate of contributions applicable to all persons becoming members after this section is made operative in that county by the board. However, this rate shall be such as to provide the average annuity described in Section 31639.25.

Until revised pursuant to Sections 31453 and 31454, the rate of contribution of each safety member is that percentage of his or her earnable compensation shown in the following tables according to age at the time of entry into the retirement system:

Age Percentage 18 ......................... 9.27 19 ......................... 9.29 20 ......................... 9.32 21 ......................... 9.34 22 ......................... 9.43 23.......................... 9.53 24 ......................... 9.63 25 ......................... 9.73 26 ......................... 9.83 27 ......................... 9.94 28 ......................... 10.04 29 ......................... 10.15 30 ......................... 10.25 31 ......................... 10.36 32 ......................... 10.48 33 ......................... 10.59 34 ......................... 10.71 35 ......................... 10.82 36 ......................... 10.94 37 ......................... 11.06 38 ......................... 11.17 39 ......................... 11.30 40 ......................... 11.42 41 ......................... 11.55 42 ......................... 11.66 43 ......................... 11.79 44 ......................... 11.92 45 ......................... 12.04 46 ......................... 12.17 47 ......................... 12.30 48 ......................... 12.43 49 and over ................ 12.56

The normal rate of contribution shall be such as will provide an average annuity at age 50 equal to one two-hundredth of the final compensation of safety members according to the table adopted by the board of supervisors for each year's service rendered after entering the system. This section shall become operative in any county on the first day of the calendar month after the board of supervisors adopts a resolution making it operative in the county.

(a) If a member not previously within the field of membership as a safety member is brought within such field of safety membership by amendment to this chapter, he or she may receive credit as a safety member for all or any part of the time during which his or her duties would have made him or her eligible to become a safety member if the amendment had then been in effect by filing with the board at the time he or she elects to become a safety member his or her election to pay into the retirement fund an amount equal to the difference between the contributions actually made during the time for which he or she claims credit and the contributions he or she would have made during that time, including all additional contributions, if any, required by Article 7.5 of this chapter, had he or she been a safety member, together with regular interest on the amount required to be deposited.
  (b) If a member not previously within the field of membership as a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff is brought into that field of membership by a consolidation of the Los Angeles County Office of Public Safety with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, that member may receive additional credit as a safety member for all or any part of the time that member served as an officer with the Los Angeles County Office of Public Safety if that member makes an election to fund an amount equal to the difference between the member and employer contributions actually made as a general member and the member and employer contributions made for the time in which he or she claims credit, together with regular interest on the amount required to be deposited. The member may elect to fund the contributions by either a lump sum payment or by installment payments. No other restrictions shall be placed on a member's election to receive additional credit as authorized by this subdivision.

A safety member not previously within the field of membership as a safety member may receive not more than five years of credit as a safety member for all or any part of the time during which he or she was a general member by paying into the retirement fund by lump sum or by installment payments an amount equal to the difference between the member and employer contributions actually made as a general member and the member and employer contributions that would have been made had he or she been a safety member during the time for which he or she claims credit together with regular interest on the amount required to be deposited. A member who elects to receive credit for only a part of his or her county service shall elect that county service latest in time and may not receive credit for any portion of that county service prior in time to any county service for which he does not elect to receive credit. This section is applicable only to active members with five or more years of service as a safety member. This section applies only to a county of the first class, as defined by Section 28020, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971, and Section 28022, as amended by Chapter 43 of the Statutes of 1961.

Notwithstanding Section 31639.7, a safety member described in subdivision (b) of Section 31470.2 may receive credit as a safety member for all or any part of the time during which he or she was not within the field of membership as a safety member to the extent and subject to the terms and conditions provided in a memorandum of understanding between the employer and the designated employee representative. This section shall apply only to a county of the eighth class, as defined in Sections 28020 and 28029, both as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971, if the board of supervisors in that county has elected to make subdivision (b) of Section 31470.2 applicable in the county.

The additional contributions of such members shall be paid by regular monthly salary deductions in the amount specified by the member, but in no case less than six dollars ($6) per month. The total amount due shall be paid prior to the effective date of his death or retirement, except that his spouse, or his minor children if no spouse survives him, may elect to pay any balance due within 90 days after the death of a member. If the total amount due is not paid the member, his spouse or his minor children shall receive credit for service as a safety member for only the time for which such additional contributions are made. Any member who has elected to make such additional payments in installments by salary deductions may complete payment thereof by a single lump-sum payment at any time prior to the effective date of his retirement.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions in this chapter, in any county which has adopted Section 31676.1, 31676.11, 31676.12, 31676.13, 31676.14, or 31676.15 the board of supervisors may agree to pay any portion of the safety members' normal contributions to the system. All contributions paid by the county shall remain county contributions, and no right therein shall accrue to any employee prior to the employee's election to take a regular, deferred, or disability retirement.
  (b) Any contributions paid by the board of supervisors on behalf of the safety members shall be as determined upon actuarial advice, and approved by the board of retirement.
  (c) This section shall not apply to members who are subject to Section 7522.30.

In any county of the ninth class, as defined by Sections 28020, and 28030, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971, the board of supervisors may meet and confer pursuant to the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act with a recognized employee organization which represents county employees who are not safety members because the board of supervisors has not made Section 31469.4 applicable in the county, and endeavor to reach agreement on any conditions to be required of employees or an employee organization seeking to have Section 31469.4 made applicable, including, but not limited to, whether the employees shall be required to pay all or part of the employer's normal and cost-of-living contributions, in excess of those it would have paid if the employees had remained general members, including any increased employer normal and cost-of-living contribution rates attributable to employees who have become safety members electing to purchase credit as a safety member, pursuant to Section 31639.7, for time served in an eligible position prior to becoming a safety member. Any contributions paid by the employees on behalf of the employer to cover the increased cost of safety retirement shall be as determined upon actuarial advice and approved by the board of retirement. The provisions of this section shall not be applicable in any county until the board of supervisors by resolution makes the provisions applicable.

(a) This section shall only apply to the retirement system of Contra Costa County and only if the board of supervisors of that county adopts, by majority vote, a resolution making this section applicable in the county. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board of supervisors may make this section applicable in the county on a date specified in the resolution, which date may be different than the date of the resolution.
  (b) (1) When the board of supervisors meets and confers pursuant to the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 3500) of Division 4 of Title 1) with any recognized employee organization that represents county employees who are safety members, the parties may agree, pursuant to a memorandum of understanding, to any of the following:
  (A) Whether the employees shall be required to pay all or part of the employer's contributions required to fund the benefits of Section 31664.1, the amount or percentage of that contribution, the method that the contribution is made, and the commencement date, which may predate the effective date of the memorandum of understanding.
  (B) Subject to an agreement reached pursuant to Section 31484.9, whether the employees shall be required to pay all or part of the employer's contributions required to fund the benefits of Section 31664.2, the amount or percentage of that contribution, the method that the contribution is made, and the commencement date, which may predate the effective date of the memorandum of understanding.
  (C) Changing any of those conditions described in subparagraph (A) or (B), including, but not limited to, increasing or reducing, for any years, the portion and the amount of the employer's contributions that employees are required to pay.
  (2) The terms of any agreements reached with a recognized employee organization pursuant to this subdivision may be made applicable by the board of supervisors to unrepresented county employees who are safety members.
  (c) (1) After the board of supervisors has adopted the resolution described in subdivision (a), the governing body of a district within the county may make this section applicable to its employees who are safety members pursuant to a memorandum of understanding under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act with any recognized employee organization that represents district employees who are safety members on any of the matters described in subdivision (b).
  (2) The terms of any agreements reached with a recognized employee organization pursuant to this subdivision may be made applicable by the governing body of the district to unrepresented district employees who are safety members.
  (d) Any contributions paid by a member pursuant to this section shall be deemed to be part of the member's accumulated contributions.