20636.1
. (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.