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Chapter 7. Compensation of California Government Code >> Division 5. >> Title 2. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 7.

(a) As used in this part, "compensation" means the remuneration paid out of funds controlled by the employer in payment for the member's services performed during normal working hours or for time during which the member is excused from work because of any of the following:
  (1) Holidays.
  (2) Sick leave.
  (3) Industrial disability leave, during which, benefits are payable pursuant to Sections 4800 and 4850 of the Labor Code, Article 4 (commencing with Section 19869) of Chapter 2.5 of Part 2.6, or Section 44043 or 87042 of the Education Code.
  (4) Vacation.
  (5) Compensatory time off.
  (6) Leave of absence.
  (b) When compensation is reported to the board, the employer shall identify the pay period in which the compensation was earned regardless of when reported or paid. Compensation shall be reported in accordance with Section 20636 and shall not exceed compensation earnable, as defined in Section 20636.
A contracting agency may report an amount for each member that is equal to a uniformly applied percentage of salary in lieu of computing and reporting the actual compensation attributable to each individual member if the contracting agency has agreed in a memorandum of understanding reached pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 3500) of Division 4 of Title 1 that the aggregate amount to be reported by the contracting agency for all members within a membership classification bears a reasonable relation to the aggregate amount that would otherwise be required to be reported pursuant to Section 20636.
For state employees in classifications designated by the Director of Human Resources who are also excluded from, or otherwise not subject to, collective bargaining, and for employees in bargaining units for which a memorandum of understanding has been agreed to by the state employer and the recognized employee organization to become subject to this section, compensation for uniforms shall not constitute "compensation" for the purposes of the computation of retirement contributions by employees and the state or for the purposes of the calculation of retirement benefits.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, compensation includes salary withheld by the employer in accordance with Section 45165 or 88164 of the Education Code, which provide for continuation of salary payments during a period in which the member renders no service. The withheld salary shall be reported as earned.
For a university member appointed under a health sciences compensation plan of the university, "compensation" shall not include past or future supplemental payments made pursuant to any health sciences compensation plan.
When the compensation of a member is a factor in any computation to be made under this part, there shall be excluded from those computations any compensation based on overtime put in by a member whose service retirement allowance is a fixed percentage of final compensation for each year of credited service. For the purposes of this part, overtime is the aggregate service performed by an employee as a member for all employers and in all categories of employment in excess of the hours of work considered normal for employees on a full-time basis, and for which monetary compensation is paid. If a member concurrently renders service in two or more positions, one or more of which is full time, service in the part-time position shall constitute overtime. If two or more positions are permanent and full time, the position with the highest payrate or base pay shall be reported to this system. This provision shall apply only to service rendered on or after July 1, 1994.
Notwithstanding Section 20635, and Section 45102 of the Education Code, when the compensation of a school member is a factor in any computation to be made under this part, there shall be excluded from those computations any compensation based on overtime put in by a member whose service retirement allowance is a fixed percentage of final compensation for each year of credited service. For the purposes of this part, overtime for school members is the aggregate service performed by an employee as a member for all school employers and in all categories of employment in excess of 40 hours of work per week, and for which monetary compensation is paid. If a school member concurrently renders service in two or more positions, one or more of which is full time, service in the part-time position shall constitute overtime. If two or more positions are permanent and full time, the position with the highest payrate or base pay shall be reported to this system.
(a) "Compensation earnable" by a member means the payrate and special compensation of the member, as defined by subdivisions (b), (c), and (g), and as limited by Section 21752.5.
  (b) (1) "Payrate" means the normal monthly rate of pay or base pay of the member paid in cash to similarly situated members of the same group or class of employment for services rendered on a full-time basis during normal working hours, pursuant to publicly available pay schedules. "Payrate," for a member who is not in a group or class, means the monthly rate of pay or base pay of the member, paid in cash and pursuant to publicly available pay schedules, for services rendered on a full-time basis during normal working hours, subject to the limitations of paragraph (2) of subdivision (e).
  (2) "Payrate" shall include an amount deducted from a member's salary for any of the following:
  (A) Participation in a deferred compensation plan.
  (B) Payment for participation in a retirement plan that meets the requirements of Section 401(k) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
  (C) Payment into a money purchase pension plan and trust that meets the requirements of Section 401(a) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
  (D) Participation in a flexible benefits program.
  (3) The computation for a leave without pay of a member shall be based on the compensation earnable by him or her at the beginning of the absence.
  (4) The computation for time prior to entering state service shall be based on the compensation earnable by him or her in the position first held by him or her in state service.
  (c) (1) Special compensation of a member includes a payment received for special skills, knowledge, abilities, work assignment, workdays or hours, or other work conditions.
  (2) Special compensation shall be limited to that which is received by a member pursuant to a labor policy or agreement or as otherwise required by state or federal law, to similarly situated members of a group or class of employment that is in addition to payrate. If an individual is not part of a group or class, special compensation shall be limited to that which the board determines is received by similarly situated members in the closest related group or class that is in addition to payrate, subject to the limitations of paragraph (2) of subdivision (e).
  (3) Special compensation shall be for services rendered during normal working hours and, when reported to the board, the employer shall identify the pay period in which the special compensation was earned.
  (4) Special compensation may include the full monetary value of normal contributions paid to the board by the employer, on behalf of the member and pursuant to Section 20691, if the employer's labor policy or agreement specifically provides for the inclusion of the normal contribution payment in compensation earnable.
  (5) The monetary value of a service or noncash advantage furnished by the employer to the member, except as expressly and specifically provided in this part, is not special compensation unless regulations promulgated by the board specifically determine that value to be "special compensation."
  (6) The board shall promulgate regulations that delineate more specifically and exclusively what constitutes "special compensation" as used in this section. A uniform allowance, the monetary value of employer-provided uniforms, holiday pay, and premium pay for hours worked within the normally scheduled or regular working hours that are in excess of the statutory maximum workweek or work period applicable to the employee under Section 201 and following of Title 29 of the United States Code shall be included as special compensation and appropriately defined in those regulations.
  (7) Special compensation does not include any of the following:
  (A) Final settlement pay.
  (B) Payments made for additional services rendered outside of normal working hours, whether paid in lump sum or otherwise.
  (C) Other payments the board has not affirmatively determined to be special compensation.
  (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, payrate and special compensation schedules, ordinances, or similar documents shall be public records available for public scrutiny.
  (e) (1) As used in this part, "group or class of employment" means a number of employees considered together because they share similarities in job duties, work location, collective bargaining unit, or other logical work-related grouping. One employee may not be considered a group or class.
  (2) Increases in compensation earnable granted to an employee who is not in a group or class shall be limited during the final compensation period applicable to the employees, as well as the two years immediately preceding the final compensation period, to the average increase in compensation earnable during the same period reported by the employer for all employees who are in the same membership classification, except as may otherwise be determined pursuant to regulations adopted by the board that establish reasonable standards for granting exceptions.
  (f) As used in this part, "final settlement pay" means pay or cash conversions of employee benefits that are in excess of compensation earnable, that are granted or awarded to a member in connection with, or in anticipation of, a separation from employment. The board shall promulgate regulations that delineate more specifically what constitutes final settlement pay.
  (g) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), "compensation earnable" for state members means the average monthly compensation, as determined by the board, upon the basis of the average time put in by members in the same group or class of employment and at the same rate of pay, and is composed of the payrate and special compensation of the member. The computation for an absence of a member shall be based on the compensation earnable by him or her at the beginning of the absence and for time prior to entering state service shall be based on the compensation earnable by him or her in the position first held by him or her in that state service.
  (2) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), "payrate" for state members means the average monthly remuneration paid in cash out of funds paid by the employer to similarly situated members of the same group or class of employment, in payment for the member's services or for time during which the member is excused from work because of holidays, sick leave, vacation, compensating time off, or leave of absence. "Payrate" for state members shall include:
  (A) An amount deducted from a member's salary for any of the following:
  (i) Participation in a deferred compensation plan established pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 19993) of Part 2.6.
  (ii) Payment for participation in a retirement plan that meets the requirements of Section 401(k) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
  (iii) Payment into a money purchase pension plan and trust that meets the requirements of Section 401(a) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
  (iv) Participation in a flexible benefits program.
  (B) A payment in cash by the member's employer to one other than an employee for the purpose of purchasing an annuity contract for a member under an annuity plan that meets the requirements of Section 403(b) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
  (C) Employer "pick up" of member contributions that meets the requirements of Section 414(h)(2) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
  (D) Disability or workers' compensation payments to safety members in accordance with Section 4800 of the Labor Code.
  (E) Temporary industrial disability payments pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 19869) of Chapter 2.5 of Part 2.6.
  (F) Other payments the board may determine to be within "payrate."
  (3) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), "special compensation" for state members shall mean all of the following:
  (A) The monetary value, as determined by the board, of living quarters, board, lodging, fuel, laundry, and other advantages of any nature furnished to a member by his or her employer in payment for the member's services.
  (B) Compensation for performing normally required duties, such as holiday pay, bonuses (for duties performed on regular work shift), educational incentive pay, maintenance and noncash payments, out-of-class pay, marksmanship pay, hazard pay, motorcycle pay, paramedic pay, emergency medical technician pay, Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certificate pay, and split shift differential.
  (C) Compensation for uniforms, except as provided in Section 20632.
  (D) Other payments the board may determine to be within "special compensation."
  (4) "Payrate" and "special compensation" for state members do not include any of the following:
  (A) The provision by the state employer of a medical or hospital service or care plan or insurance plan for its employees (other than the purchase of annuity contracts as described below in this subdivision), a contribution by the employer to meet the premium or charge for that plan, or a payment into a private fund to provide health and welfare benefits for employees.
  (B) A payment by the state employer of the employee portion of taxes imposed by the Federal Insurance Contribution Act.
  (C) Amounts not available for payment of salaries and that are applied by the employer for the purchase of annuity contracts including those that meet the requirements of Section 403(b) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
  (D) Benefits paid pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 19878) of Chapter 2.5 of Part 2.6.
  (E) Employer payments that are to be credited as employee contributions for benefits provided by this system, or employer payments that are to be credited to employee accounts in deferred compensation plans. The amounts deducted from a member's wages for participation in a deferred compensation plan may not be considered to be "employer payments."
  (F) Payments for unused vacation, annual leave, personal leave, sick leave, or compensating time off, whether paid in lump sum or otherwise.
  (G) Final settlement pay.
  (H) Payments for overtime, including pay in lieu of vacation or holiday.
  (I) Compensation for additional services outside regular duties, such as standby pay, callback pay, court duty, allowance for automobiles, and bonuses for duties performed after the member's regular work shift.
  (J) Amounts not available for payment of salaries and that are applied by the employer for any of the following:
  (i) The purchase of a retirement plan that meets the requirements of Section 401(k) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
  (ii) Payment into a money purchase pension plan and trust that meets the requirements of Section 401(a) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
  (K) Payments made by the employer to or on behalf of its employees who have elected to be covered by a flexible benefits program, where those payments reflect amounts that exceed the employee's salary.
  (L) Other payments the board may determine are not "payrate" or "special compensation."
  (5) If the provisions of this subdivision, including the board's determinations pursuant to subparagraph (F) of paragraph (2) and subparagraph (D) of paragraph (3), are in conflict with the provisions of a memorandum of understanding reached pursuant to Section 3517.5 or 3560, the memorandum of understanding shall be controlling without further legislative action, except that if the provisions of a memorandum of understanding require the expenditure of funds, those provisions may not become effective unless approved by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act. No memorandum of understanding reached pursuant to Section 3517.5 or 3560 may exclude from the definition of either "payrate" or "special compensation" a member's base salary payments or payments for time during which the member is excused from work because of holidays, sick leave, vacation, compensating time off, or leave of absence. If items of compensation earnable are included by memorandum of understanding as "payrate" or "special compensation" for retirement purposes for represented and higher education employees pursuant to this paragraph, the Department of Human Resources or the Trustees of the California State University shall obtain approval from the board for that inclusion.
  (6) (A) Subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) prescribes that compensation earnable includes compensation for performing normally required duties, such as holiday pay, bonuses (for duties performed on regular work shift), educational incentive pay, maintenance and noncash payments, out-of-class pay, marksmanship pay, hazard pay, motorcycle pay, paramedic pay, emergency medical technician pay, POST certificate pay, and split shift differential; and includes compensation for uniforms, except as provided in Section 20632; and subparagraph (I) of paragraph (4) excludes from compensation earnable compensation for additional services outside regular duties, such as standby pay, callback pay, court duty, allowance for automobile, and bonuses for duties performed after regular work shift.
  (B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the Department of Human Resources shall determine which payments and allowances that are paid by the state employer shall be considered compensation for retirement purposes for an employee who either is excluded from the definition of state employee in Section 3513, or is a nonelected officer or employee of the executive branch of government who is not a member of the civil service.
  (C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the Trustees of the California State University shall determine which payments and allowances that are paid by the trustees shall be considered compensation for retirement purposes for a managerial employee, as defined in Section 3562, or supervisory employee as defined in Section 3580.3.
  (h) This section shall not apply to a new member, as defined in Section 7522.04.
(a) Notwithstanding Section 20636, and Section 45102 of the Education Code, "compensation earnable" by a school member means the payrate and special compensation of the member, as defined by subdivisions (b) and (c), and as limited by Section 21752.5.
  (b) (1) "Payrate" means the normal monthly rate of pay or base pay of the member paid in cash to similarly situated members of the same group or class of employment for services rendered on a full-time basis during normal working hours. For purposes of this part, for classified members, full-time employment is 40 hours per week, and payments for services rendered, not to exceed 40 hours per week, shall be reported as compensation earnable for all months of the year in which work is performed. "Payrate," for a member who is not in a group or class, means the monthly rate of pay or base pay of the member, paid in cash and pursuant to publicly available pay schedules, for services rendered on a full-time basis during normal working hours, subject to the limitations of paragraph (2) of subdivision (e).
  (A) "Payrate" shall include an amount deducted from a member's salary for any of the following:
  (i) Participation in a deferred compensation plan.
  (ii) Payment for participation in a retirement plan that meets the requirements of Section 401(k) or 403(b) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
  (iii) Payment into a money purchase pension plan and trust that meets the requirements of Section 401(a) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
  (iv) Participation in a flexible benefits program.
  (B) For the purposes of this section, "classified members" shall mean members who retain membership under this system while employed with a school employer in positions not subject to coverage under the Defined Benefit Program under the State Teachers' Retirement System.
  (C) For the purposes of this section, and Sections 20962 and 20966, "certificated members" shall mean members who retain membership under this system while employed in positions subject to coverage under the Defined Benefit Program under the State Teachers' Retirement System.
  (2) The computation for any leave without pay of a member shall be based on the compensation earnable by him or her at the beginning of the absence.
  (3) The computation for time prior to entering state service shall be based on the compensation earnable by him or her in the position first held by him or her in state service.
  (c) (1) Special compensation of a school member includes any payment received for special skills, knowledge, abilities, work assignment, workdays or hours, or other work conditions.
  (2) Special compensation shall be limited to that which is received by a member pursuant to a labor policy or agreement or as otherwise required by state or federal law, to similarly situated members of a group or class of employment that is in addition to payrate. If an individual is not part of a group or class, special compensation shall be limited to that which the board determines is received by similarly situated members in the closest related group or class that is in addition to payrate, subject to the limitations of paragraph (2) of subdivision (e).
  (3) Special compensation shall be for services rendered during normal working hours and, when reported to the board, the employer shall identify the pay period in which the special compensation was earned.
  (4) Special compensation may include the full monetary value of normal contributions paid to the board by the employer, on behalf of the member and pursuant to Section 20691, provided that the employer' s labor policy or agreement specifically provides for the inclusion of the normal contribution payment in compensation earnable.
  (5) The monetary value of any service or noncash advantage furnished by the employer to the member, except as expressly and specifically provided in this part, shall not be special compensation unless regulations promulgated by the board specifically determine that value to be "special compensation."
  (6) The board shall promulgate regulations that delineate more specifically and exclusively what constitutes "special compensation" as used in this section. A uniform allowance, the monetary value of employer-provided uniforms, holiday pay, and premium pay for hours worked within the normally scheduled or regular working hours that are in excess of the statutory maximum workweek or work period applicable to the employee under Section 201 and following of Title 29 of the United States Code shall be included as special compensation and appropriately defined in those regulations.
  (7) Special compensation does not include any of the following:
  (A) Final settlement pay.
  (B) Payments made for additional services rendered outside of normal working hours, whether paid in lump sum or otherwise.
  (C) Any other payments the board has not affirmatively determined to be special compensation.
  (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, payrate and special compensation schedules, ordinances, or similar documents shall be public records available for public scrutiny.
  (e) (1) As used in this part, "group or class of employment" means a number of employees considered together because they share similarities in job duties, work location, collective bargaining unit, or other logical work-related grouping. Under no circumstances shall one employee be considered a group or class.
  (2) Increases in compensation earnable granted to any employee who is not in a group or class shall be limited during the final compensation period applicable to the employees, as well as the two years immediately preceding the final compensation period, to the average increase in compensation earnable during the same period reported by the employer for all employees who are in the same membership classification, except as may otherwise be determined pursuant to regulations adopted by the board that establish reasonable standards for granting exceptions.
  (f) As used in this part, "final settlement pay" means any pay or cash conversions of employee benefits that are in excess of compensation earnable, that are granted or awarded to a member in connection with or in anticipation of a separation from employment. The board shall promulgate regulations that delineate more specifically what constitutes final settlement pay.
  (g) This section shall not apply to a new member, as defined in Section 7522.04.
"Compensation earnable," with respect to a state member receiving supplemental payments pursuant to Section 21160 at the time of retirement or death, means the highest average monthly compensation paid to the employee in the classification in which the member was employed at time of becoming eligible for benefits pursuant to Section 21160, or the average compensation earnable by the member at time of retirement or death, whichever is higher.
The average monthly salary during any period of service as a member of a county retirement system shall be considered compensation earnable by a member of this system for purposes of computing final compensation for the member provided:
  (a) (1) Entry into employment in which he or she became a member in one system occurred on or after October 1, 1957, and within 90 days of discontinuance of employment as a member of the other system.
  (2) This subdivision shall not deny the benefit of this section to any person retiring after October 1, 1963, who entered membership prior to October 1, 1957, if he or she entered the employment in which he or she became a member within 90 days of termination of employment in which he or she was a member of the other system, and he or she became a member within seven months of entry into employment, or, if an employee of a district as defined in Section 31468, became a member at the time the district was included in a county retirement system .
  (b) He or she retires concurrently under both systems and is credited with the period of service under the county system at the time of retirement.
The compensation earnable during any period of service as a member of the Judges' Retirement System, the Judges' Retirement System II, the Legislators' Retirement System, or the Defined Benefit Program of the State Teachers' Retirement Plan shall be considered compensation earnable as a member of this system for purposes of computing final compensation for the member, if he or she retires concurrently under both systems. A member shall be deemed to have retired concurrently under this system and under the Defined Benefit Program of the State Teachers' Retirement Plan, if the member is enrolled as a disabled member under the Defined Benefit Program of the State Teachers' Retirement Plan and for retirement under this system on the same effective date.