22135
. (a) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 22134, "final
compensation" means the highest average annual compensation
earnable, as defined by Section 22115, by an active member who is a
classroom teacher not subject to the California Public Employees'
Pension Reform Act of 2013 and who retires, becomes disabled, or
dies, after June 30, 1990, during any period of 12 consecutive months
while an active member of the Defined Benefit Program.
(b) Section 22134, except subdivision (a) of that section, shall
apply to classroom teachers who retire after June 30, 1990, and any
statutory reference to Section 22134 or "final compensation" with
respect to a classroom teacher who retires, becomes disabled, or
dies, after June 30, 1990, shall be deemed to be a reference to this
section.
(c) As used in this section, "classroom teacher" means any of the
following:
(1) All teachers and substitute teachers in positions requiring
certification qualifications who spend, during the last 10 years of
their employment with the same employer which immediately precedes
their retirement, 60 percent or more of their contract time each year
providing direct instruction. For the purpose of determining
continuity of employment within the meaning of this subdivision, an
authorized leave of absence for sabbatical or illness or other
collectively bargained or employer-approved leaves shall not
constitute a break in service.
(2) Other certificated personnel who spend, during the last 10
years of their employment with the same employer that immediately
precedes their retirement, 60 percent or more of their contract time
each year providing direct services to pupils, including, but not
limited to, librarians, counselors, nurses, speech therapists,
resource specialists, audiologists, audiometrists, hygienists,
optometrists, psychologists, driver safety instructors, and personnel
on special assignment to perform school attendance and adjustment
services.
(d) As used in this section, "classroom teacher" does not include
any of the following:
(1) Certificated employees whose job descriptions require an
administrative credential.
(2) Certificated employees whose job descriptions include
responsibility for supervision of certificated staff.
(3) Certificated employees who serve as advisers, coordinators,
consultants, or developers or planners of curricula, instructional
materials, or programs, who spend, during the last 10 years of their
employment with the same employer that immediately precedes their
retirement, less than 60 percent of their contract time in direct
instruction.
(4) Certificated employees whose job descriptions require
provision of direct instruction or services, but who are functioning
in nonteaching assignments.
(5) Classified employees.
(e) This section shall apply only to teachers employed by an
employer that has, pursuant to Chapter 10.7 (commencing with Section
3540) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code, entered into,
extended, renewed, or amended a written agreement with an exclusive
representative, prior to January 1, 2014, that makes this section
applicable to all of its classroom teachers, as defined in
subdivision (c).
(f) The written agreement shall include a mechanism to pay for all
increases in allowances provided for by this section through
employer contributions or employee contributions or both, which shall
be collected and retained by the employer in a trust fund to be used
solely and exclusively to pay the system for all increases in
allowances provided by this section and related administrative costs;
and a mechanism for disposition of the employee's contributions if
employment is terminated before retirement, and for the establishment
of a trust fund board. The trust fund board shall administer the
trust fund and shall be composed of an equal number of members
representing classroom teachers chosen by the bargaining agent and
the employer. If the employer agrees to pay the total cost of
increases in allowances, the establishment of a trust fund and a
trust fund board shall be optional to the employer. The employer,
within 30 days of receiving an invoice from the system, shall
reimburse the retirement fund the amount determined by the Teachers'
Retirement Board to be the actuarial equivalent of the difference
between the allowance the member or beneficiary receives pursuant to
this section and the allowance the member or beneficiary would have
received if the member's final compensation had been computed under
Section 22134 and the proportionate share of the cost to the plan's
Defined Benefit Program, as determined by the Teachers' Retirement
Board, of administering this section. The payment shall include the
cost of all increases in allowances provided for by this section for
all years of service credited to the member as of the benefit
effective date. Interest shall be charged at the regular interest
rate for any payment not received within 30 days of receipt of the
invoice. Payments not received within 30 days after receipt of the
invoice may be collected pursuant to Section 23007.
(g) Upon the execution of the agreement, the employer shall notify
all certificated employees of the agreement and any certificated
employee of the employer, who is a member of the Public Employees'
Retirement System pursuant to Section 22508, that he or she may,
within 60 days following the date of notification, elect to terminate
his or her membership in the Public Employees' Retirement System and
become a member of this plan's Defined Benefit Program. However,
only service credited under the Defined Benefit Program subsequent to
the date of that election shall be subject to this section.
(h) An employer that agrees to become subject to this section,
shall, on a form and within the timeframes prescribed by the system,
certify the applicability of this section to a member pursuant to the
criteria set forth in this section when a retirement, disability, or
family allowance becomes payable.
(i) For a nonmember spouse, final compensation shall be determined
pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (c) of Section 22664. The
employer, within 30 days of receiving an invoice from the system,
shall reimburse the retirement fund pursuant to subdivision (f).
Interest shall be charged at the regular interest rate for payments
not received within the prescribed timeframe. Payments not received
within 30 days of invoicing may be collected pursuant to Section
23007.