Section 22851 Of Chapter 14.5. Military Service From California Education Code >> Division 1. >> Title 1. >> Part 13. >> Chapter 14.5.
22851
. The right to pension benefits under this part of a member
who dies or who returns to employment with the same employer which
had employed the member immediately prior to the eligible period of
service in the uniformed services, and is subject to Chapter 43
(commencing with Section 4301) of Title 38 of the United States Code
shall be determined under this section.
(a) (1) A reemployed or deceased member shall be treated as not
having incurred a break in service by reason of that member's
eligible period or periods of service in the uniformed services.
(2) (A) Each eligible period of service served by a member in the
uniformed services shall, upon return to employment, with the same
employer which had employed the member immediately prior to the
eligible period of service in the uniformed services, or upon death,
be deemed to constitute service with the employer or employers toward
plan vesting and eligibility for membership in the Defined Benefit
Program.
(B) In cases of death during qualified military service, service
shall be calculated under Section 22853.5 and shall be used
exclusively for plan vesting and eligibility for membership purposes.
Service that is deemed to the member in this way shall not be used
for benefit calculations based on service credit balances.
(3) A member who returns to employment, with the same employer
which had employed the member immediately prior to the eligible
period of service in the uniformed services shall not be entitled to
any benefits under this part in respect of service in the uniformed
services to which the member would not otherwise have been entitled
had the member remained continuously employed and not undertaken such
service in the uniformed services.
(b) For purposes of calculating benefits, a member who returns to
employment with the same employer which had employed the member
immediately prior to the eligible period of service in the uniformed
services shall be entitled to service credit under this part for the
eligible period of service in the uniformed services upon his or her
payment of the member contributions required under Section 22901 that
otherwise would have been due for such period of service had the
member remained continuously employed and not undertaken such service
in the uniformed services. No such payment of member contributions
may exceed the amount the member would have been required to
contribute under this part had the member not served in the uniformed
services and had remained continuously employed by the employer
throughout the eligible period of service in the uniformed services.
If a member fails to remit the member contributions that would have
been required under Section 22901 in respect of the eligible period
of service in the uniformed services no service credit shall be
provided under this part for the period to which the omitted
contributions relate.
(c) Any payment of member contributions to the Defined Benefit
Program in this section shall be made by the member during the period
beginning with the date of return to employment and may continue for
three times the period of the member's eligible service in the
uniformed services, not to exceed five years. Any payment of member
contributions to the Defined Benefit Program in this section by a
member who returned to employment prior to January 1, 1997, and
qualifies for benefits in accordance with the federal Uniformed
Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (38 U.S.C. Secs. 4301
to 4335, incl.) shall be made by the member during the period
beginning with the date of notification of eligibility by the
employer to the system and may continue for three times the period of
the member's eligible service in the uniformed services, not to
exceed five years. Any subsequent request to purchase this service
shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 14 (commencing with
Section 22800). If all contributions due under this part are not paid
to the plan with respect to the Defined Benefit Program within the
specified repayment period and in accordance with subdivision (b) of
Section 22851 the contributions shall be returned to the member at
the end of the repayment period. Interest on member contributions
made for the eligible period of service in the uniformed services
shall not be credited under this part until after the contributions
due are paid and then only prospectively to the member's account in
accordance with Section 22216.