24300
. (a) A member may, upon application for retirement, elect an
option pursuant to this part that would provide an actuarially
modified retirement allowance payable throughout the life of the
member and the member's option beneficiary or beneficiaries, as
follows:
(1) Option 2. The modified retirement allowance shall be paid to
the retired member. Upon the retired member's death, an allowance
equal to the modified amount that the retired member was receiving
shall be paid to the option beneficiary.
(2) Option 3. The modified retirement allowance shall be paid to
the retired member. Upon the retired member's death, an allowance
equal to one-half of the modified amount that the retired member was
receiving shall be paid to the option beneficiary.
(3) Option 4. The modified retirement allowance shall be paid to
the retired member as long as both the retired member and the option
beneficiary are living. Upon the death of either the retired member
or the option beneficiary, an allowance equal to two-thirds of the
modified amount that the retired member was receiving shall be paid
to the surviving retired member or the surviving option beneficiary.
(4) Option 5. The modified retirement allowance shall be paid to
the retired member as long as both the retired member and the option
beneficiary are living. Upon the death of either the retired member
or the option beneficiary, an allowance equal to one-half of the
modified amount that the retired member was receiving shall be paid
to the surviving retired member or surviving option beneficiary.
(5) Option 6. The modified retirement allowance shall be paid to
the retired member and upon the retired member's death, an allowance
equal to the modified amount that the retired member was receiving
shall be paid to the option beneficiary.
(6) Option 7. The modified retirement allowance shall be paid to
the retired member and upon the retired member's death, an allowance
equal to one-half of the modified amount the retired member was
receiving shall be paid to the option beneficiary.
(7) Option 8. (A) A member may designate multiple option
beneficiaries. The member who has designated more than one option
beneficiary shall elect an option that the member is authorized to
elect subject to subdivision (e) for each beneficiary designated that
would provide an actuarially modified retirement allowance payable
throughout the lives of the member and the member's option
beneficiaries upon the member's death.
(B) The modified retirement allowance shall be paid to the retired
member as long as the retired member and at least one of the option
beneficiaries are living. Upon the retired member's death, an
allowance shall be paid to each surviving option beneficiary in
accordance with the option elected respective to that beneficiary.
The member shall determine the percentage of the unmodified allowance
that will be modified by the election of Option 2, Option 3, Option
4, Option 5, Option 6, or Option 7 within this option, the aggregate
of which shall equal 100 percent of the member's unmodified
allowance. The election of this option is subject to approval by the
board.
(C) A member who is a party to an action for legal separation or
dissolution of marriage and who is required by court order to
designate a spouse or former spouse as an option beneficiary may
designate his or her spouse or former spouse as a sole option
beneficiary under subparagraphs (A) and (B). The member shall specify
the option elected for the spouse or former spouse and the
percentage of his or her unmodified allowance to be modified by the
option, consistent with the court order. The percentage of the member'
s unmodified allowance that is not modified by the option shall
remain an unmodified allowance payable to the member. The aggregate
of the percentages specified for the option beneficiary and the
member's remaining unmodified allowance, if any, shall equal 100
percent.
(b) For purposes of this section, the member shall designate an
option beneficiary on a properly executed retirement application.
Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, the option shall become
effective on the member's benefit effective date.
(c) A member may revoke or change an election of an option at any
time prior to the effective date of the member's retirement under
this part. A revocation or change of an option may not be made in
derogation of a spouse's or former spouse's community property rights
as specified in a court order.
(d) On or before July 1, 2004, the board shall evaluate the
existing options and annuities provided pursuant to this section,
Chapter 38 (commencing with Section 25000) of this part, and Part 14
(commencing with Section 26000) and adopt, as a plan amendment, any
appropriate changes to the options and annuities based on the needs
of members, participants, and their beneficiaries, including, but not
limited to, providing economic security for beneficiaries and
reducing complexity in the election of options and annuities by
members and participants. The changes to the options and annuities
may have no net actuarial impact on the retirement fund, and the
board may establish any eligibility criteria it deems necessary to
prevent an adverse actuarial impact to the fund. The board shall
designate the effective date of the plan amendment, which shall be at
least 18 months after the amendment is adopted by the board, and
notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the options and
annuities available to members and participants eligible to retire
pursuant to this part and Part 14 (commencing with Section 26000),
after the effective date of the plan amendment made pursuant to this
subdivision, shall reflect the changes adopted as a plan amendment
pursuant to this subdivision.
(e) Any member or participant who retired and elected an option or
a joint and survivor annuity, or who filed a preretirement election
of an option prior to the effective date of the plan amendment made
pursuant to subdivision (d), may elect to change to a different
option or joint and survivor annuity, as modified by the board as a
plan amendment pursuant to subdivision (d), if the member or
participant meets all the criteria established by the board to
prevent a change in an option or joint and survivor annuity from
having an adverse actuarial impact on the retirement fund, including,
but not limited to, the effective date of a new designation or
limitations on any changes if a member or participant, as the case
may be, or beneficiary, or both, is currently not living or afflicted
with a known terminal illness. The member or participant shall
designate the change during the six-month period that begins with the
effective date of the plan amendment, on a form prescribed by the
system. Any member changing an option election pursuant to this
subdivision is not subject to the allowance reduction prescribed in
Section 24309 or 24310 as a result of the election. If a member or
participant elects to change his or her option or joint and survivor
annuity under this subdivision, the member or participant shall
retain the same option beneficiary or beneficiaries as named in the
prior designation.
(f) The Legislature reserves the right to modify this section
prior to the effective date of the plan amendment made pursuant to
subdivision (d) to prevent any actuarial impact to the fund.
(g) Except as described in subdivision (e) of Section 24300.1, on
or after January 1, 2007, a member may not make a new election for an
option or joint and survivor annuity described in subdivision (a).
(h) Any member with a retirement effective on or after January 1,
2007, shall elect an option from the options described in Section
24300.1. Any member making a new option election under the provisions
of Section 24320, 24321, 24322, or 24323 shall elect an option from
the options described in Section 24300.1 if the effective date of the
new option election is on or after January 1, 2007.