Article 6. Optional Settlements of California Government Code >> Division 5. >> Title 2. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 13. >> Article 6.

This system shall provide to any member who requests materials relating to retirement, a written explanation of the effects, if any, of each possible decision relating to the selection of optional settlements, beneficiaries, and survivor benefits upon health benefits that are provided pursuant to Part 5 (commencing with Section 22750).

In lieu of the retirement allowance for his or her life alone, a member or retired member may elect, or revoke or change a previous election prior to the approval of the previous election, to have the actuarial equivalent of his or her retirement allowance as of the date of retirement applied to a lesser retirement allowance, in accordance with one of the optional settlements specified in this article. The election or revocation or change thereof, with respect to a member subject to Section 21624 at retirement, shall apply to all of the retirement allowance, if, at the effective date of retirement, the member has no spouse, children or dependent parents who would qualify for an allowance under Section 21624 after the death of the member; or, if at retirement there are persons who would so qualify, then the election, or revocation, or change thereof, with respect to any optional settlement other than optional settlement one, shall apply only to the portion of the allowance that exceeds the amount of the allowance payable to the survivor. An actuarial equivalent under this article may be adjusted by the board for the intervals and upon the effective dates determined by the board.

The lesser retirement allowance under an optional settlement elected at retirement for law enforcement members whose retirement is effective prior to October 1, 1965, and who are entitled to receive benefits under the federal system, shall be actuarially equivalent to that part of the retirement allowance that is subject to option pursuant to Section 21451 that would have been payable at retirement had no optional settlement been elected after taking into consideration the reduction in the allowance provided for in former Section 21252.10, as amended by Chapter 1657 of the Statutes of 1971. Upon the election of an optional settlement by a member who has not attained the federal retirement age the board shall estimate the federal benefit upon the basis of information then available to it. If the death of the member should occur before he or she has attained the federal retirement age payments under the optional settlement elected shall be as estimated. If the member attains the federal retirement age, the board shall then recalculate the lesser retirement allowance payable under the optional settlement upon the basis of the age of the member and the beneficiary on the effective date of retirement, actuarial tables then in use and the federal benefit.

An election, revocation, or change of election shall be made within 30 calendar days after the making of the first payment on account of any retirement allowance or, in the event of a change of retirement status after retirement, within 30 calendar days after the making of the first payment on account of any retirement allowance following the change in retirement status. "Change in retirement status" includes, but is not limited to, change from service to disability retirement, from disability retirement to service retirement, from nonindustrial disability retirement to industrial disability retirement, or from industrial to nonindustrial disability retirement. For purposes of this section, payment shall be deemed to have been made on the date a warrant is mailed, or the date funds are electronically transferred to a bank, savings and loan association, or credit union account for deposit in the member's account. This section shall not be construed to authorize a member to change his or her retirement status after the election, revocation, or change of election provided in this section.

Notwithstanding Section 21453, an election of optional settlement 2 or 3, or optional settlement 4 involving life contingency in which a spouse is designated as the beneficiary, may be modified as provided in this section in the event of a dissolution or annulment of the marriage or a legal separation in which the division of the community property awards the total interest in the retirement system to the retired member. The modification shall provide that payment shall be continued during the retired person's lifetime in accordance with the optional settlement then in effect but that no monthly allowance shall be paid following the retired person's death, and in lieu thereof there shall be paid in a lump sum to the member's estate or a beneficiary designated by him or her the amount, if any, by which the member's accumulated contributions at retirement exceed the total payments made to the retired person to the date of his or her death.

Optional settlement 1 consists of the right to have a retirement allowance paid him or her until his or her death and if he or she dies before he or she receives in annuity payments the amount of his or her accumulated contributions at retirement, to have the balance at death paid to his or her beneficiary or estate.

Optional settlement 2 consists of the right to have a retirement allowance paid a member until his or her death and thereafter to his or her beneficiary for life. If the beneficiary predeceases the member and the member elected this section to be effective on or after January 1, 1990, the member' s allowance shall be adjusted effective the first of the month following the death of the beneficiary, to reflect the benefit that would have been paid had the member not selected an optional settlement. If a nonspouse beneficiary waives entitlement to this allowance and the member elected this section to be effective on or after January 1, 1993, the member's allowance shall be adjusted effective the first of the month following the receipt of the waiver of the allowance entitlement from the nonspouse beneficiary to reflect the benefit that would have been paid had the member not selected an optional settlement. If the marriage of a member is dissolved or annulled or there is a legal separation between the member and the beneficiary spouse and the judgment dividing the community property awards the total interest in this system to the member, and the member elects this section to be effective on or after January 1, 1994, the member's allowance shall be adjusted effective the first of the month following the filing of the judgment with the board to reflect the benefit that would have been paid had the member not selected an optional settlement. If the beneficiary spouse predeceases the member on or after January 1, 1990, and the member elected this section to be effective prior to January 1, 1990, the member's allowance shall be adjusted effective the first of the month following the death of the beneficiary spouse to reflect a new allowance as calculated below. If the nonspouse beneficiary waives entitlement to this allowance on or after January 1, 1993, and the member elected this section to be effective prior to January 1, 1993, the member's allowance shall be adjusted, effective the first of the month following receipt by the board of the waiver of entitlement from the nonspouse beneficiary, to reflect a new allowance as calculated below. If the marriage of a member is dissolved or annulled or there is a legal separation between the member and the beneficiary spouse and the judgment dividing the community property awards the total interest in the retirement system to the member, and the member elected this section to be effective prior to January 1, 1994, the member's allowance shall be adjusted, effective the first of the month following the filing of the judgment with the board to reflect a new allowance as calculated below. The qualifying event shall be the date on which the judgment is filed with the board. A percentage factor shall be applied to the difference between the member's unmodified allowance and optional settlement 2 allowance, both of which shall include applicable cost-of-living increases. The product of this equation shall then be added to the member's optional settlement 2 allowance and the total amount shall become the member' s base allowance. The percentage factor applicable to each member shall be determined by the time between the member's retirement effective date and the date of death of the beneficiary spouse or by the time between the member's retirement effective date and the date of the receipt of either the waiver of the allowance entitlement or the judgment of dissolution, annulment, or legal separation according to the following table:

Period between the member's retirement effective date and the date of the qualifying event Percentage Less than 12 months 95% 12 months through 23 months 85% 24 months through 35 months 75% 36 months through 47 months 65% 48 months through 59 months 55% 60 months through 71 45% months 72 months through 83 months 35% 84 months through 95 months 25% 96 months through 107 15% months 108 months through 119 5% months 120 months or more 0%

Nothing in this section shall result in additional cost to the employer.

Optional settlement 3 consists of the right to have a retirement allowance paid a member until his or her death, and thereafter to have one-half of his or her retirement allowance paid to his or her beneficiary for life. If the beneficiary predeceases the member and the member elected this section to be effective on or after January 1, 1990, the member' s allowance shall be adjusted effective the first of the month following the death of the beneficiary, to reflect the benefit that would have been paid had the member not selected an optional settlement. If the marriage of a member is dissolved or annulled or there is a legal separation between the member and the beneficiary spouse and the judgment dividing the community property awards the total interest in this system to the member, and the member elects this section to be effective on or after January 1, 1994, the member's allowance shall be adjusted effective the first of the month following the filing of the judgment with the board to reflect the benefit that would have been paid had the member not selected an optional settlement. If a nonspouse beneficiary waives entitlement to this allowance and the member elected this section to be effective on or after January 1, 1993, the member's allowance shall be adjusted, effective the first of the month following the receipt of the waiver of the allowance entitlement from the nonspouse beneficiary, to reflect the benefit that would have been paid had the member not selected an optional settlement. If the beneficiary spouse predeceases the member on or after January 1, 1990, and the member elected this section to be effective prior to January 1, 1990, the member's allowance shall be adjusted effective the first of the month following the death of the beneficiary spouse to reflect a new allowance as calculated below. If the marriage of a member is dissolved or annulled or there is a legal separation between the member and the beneficiary spouse and the judgment dividing the community property awards the total interest in the retirement system to the member, and the member elected this section to be effective prior to January 1, 1994, the member's allowance shall be adjusted, effective the first of the month following the filing of the judgment with the board to reflect a new allowance as calculated below. The qualifying event shall be the date on which the judgment is filed with the board. If the nonspouse beneficiary waives entitlement to this allowance on or after January 1, 1993, and the member elected this section to be effective prior to January 1, 1993, the member's allowance shall be adjusted, effective the first of the month following receipt by the board of the waiver of entitlement from the nonspouse beneficiary, to reflect a new allowance as calculated below. A percentage factor shall be applied to the difference between the member's unmodified allowance and optional settlement 3 allowance, both of which shall include applicable cost-of-living increases. The product of this equation shall then be added to the member's optional settlement 3 allowance and the total amount shall become the member' s base allowance. The percentage factor applicable to each member shall be determined by the time between the member's retirement effective date and the date of death of the beneficiary spouse or by the time between the member's retirement effective date and the date of the receipt of either the waiver of the allowance entitlement or the judgment of dissolution, annulment, or legal separation according to the following table:

Period between the member's retirement effective date and the date of the qualifying event Percentage Less than 12 months 95% 12 months through 23 months 85% 24 months through 35 months 75% 36 months through 47 months 65% 48 months through 59 months 55% 60 months through 71 45% months 72 months through 83 months 35% 84 months through 95 months 25% 96 months through 107 15% months 108 months through 119 5% months 120 months or more 0%

Nothing in this section shall result in additional cost to the employer.

Optional settlement 4 consists of such other benefits as are the actuarial equivalent of a member's retirement allowance, that he or she may select subject to the approval of the board. However, the actuarial equivalent of benefits under this optional settlement payable to the member's beneficiary shall not exceed the actuarial equivalent of the benefits which would be payable to that beneficiary if the member had elected optional settlement 2 and Section 21459. The board shall include in each member benefit booklet a specific illustration of the benefits available under optional settlement 4.

A member who elects to receive optional settlement 2 or 3 may concurrently and irrevocably elect to waive the provision for an increase to his or her allowance due to the death of his or her beneficiary and shall, instead, have his or her allowance based upon the waiver of this benefit.

A member who elects to receive the unmodified allowance or optional settlement 1, or optional settlement 2, 3, or 4 with or without making the election specified in Section 21459, and who names his or her spouse as the option beneficiary, and whose spouse is also an eligible survivor for the benefits provided by Section 21624, 21626, 21627, 21628, 21629, or 21630, and where the total benefit to the surviving spouse is at least 50 percent of the member's unmodified allowance, may concurrently and irrevocably elect to have his or her allowance paid as a "qualified joint and survivor annuity." Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, upon the election, the survivor allowance shall be paid only to the member's spouse and shall continue to be paid upon the remarriage of the spouse. Any cost due to this election shall be paid by the member through an actuarial reduction to his or her allowance. For purposes of this section, a member's retirement allowance shall be determined without regard to any limitation required pursuant to Section 415 of Title 26 of the United States Code but the amount payable to the spouse shall be subject to those limits as if it were the retirement allowance of the member.

(a) A member retiring for service may elect to have the actuarial equivalent of his or her unmodified service retirement allowance paid in two parts as follows:
  (1) A temporary annuity in an amount specified by the member but which shall not result in a reduction to his or her unmodified allowance by more than 50 percent.
  (2) A life income consisting of his or her service retirement annuity plus the pension provided by the actuarial value of his or her current and prior service pensions remaining after providing the temporary annuity in paragraph (1).
  (b) The temporary annuity under subdivision (a) shall not be subject to further optional settlement under this article and shall be payable monthly as an addition to the member's monthly life income beginning on his or her effective date of retirement and continuing until the member reaches age 59 1/2 or any whole age between ages 60 and 68, as designated by the member at the time of his or her retirement. If his or her death occurs prior to that age, the commuted value of any remaining installments shall be paid to his or her designated beneficiary in a lump sum.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 21461, a member retiring for service who became a member of the system on or after January 1, 2002, and who is covered under the federal system but is not yet receiving a retirement or disability benefit under that system, may elect to have the actuarial equivalent of his or her unmodified service retirement allowance paid in two parts as follows:
  (1) A temporary annuity that shall not exceed the primary social security benefit that is anticipated the member shall be entitled to receive at social security retirement age, which age shall be designated by the member.
  (2) A life income consisting of the member's service retirement annuity plus the pension provided by the actuarial value of the member's current and prior service pensions remaining after providing the temporary annuity in paragraph (1).
  (b) The temporary annuity under paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) shall not be subject to further optional settlement under this article and shall be payable monthly as an addition to the member's monthly life income beginning on the member's effective date of retirement and continuing until the retired member attains the age designated by the member under subdivision (a). If the member dies prior to the designated age, the commuted value of any installments payable for the period remaining until the member would have attained that age shall be paid to the member's designated beneficiary in a lump sum.

(a) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, a member who elected to receive optional settlement 2, 3, or 4, involving a life contingency of the beneficiary, may, if the beneficiary predeceases the member or if the member marries and the former spouse was not named as beneficiary, or, if a former spouse was named, in the event of a dissolution or annulment of the marriage or a legal separation in which the judgment dividing the community property awards the total interest in the retirement system to the retired member, elect to have the actuarial equivalent reflecting any selection against the fund resulting from the election as of the date of election of the allowance payable for the remainder of the member's lifetime under the optional settlement previously chosen applied to a lesser allowance during the member's remaining lifetime under one of the optional settlements specified in this article and name a different beneficiary.
  (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), for an election pursuant to this section that occurs on or after January 1, 2014, a member may name the same beneficiary as previously designated, provided that the resulting benefit to the member and the named beneficiary otherwise meets the requirements of this section.
  (b) The election shall be made within 12 months following the death of the beneficiary who predeceased the member or within 12 months of the date of entry of the judgment dividing the community property of the parties, or within 12 months following marriage if the spouse is named as beneficiary. The election shall become effective on the date specified on the election, provided that this date is not earlier than the day following receipt of the election in this system pursuant to this section.
  (c) A member who has a qualifying event prior to January 1, 1988, and who fails to elect by January 1, 1989, or a member who has a qualifying event on or after January 1, 1988, and who fails to elect within 12 months, shall retain the right to make an election under this section. However, this election shall become effective no earlier than 12 months after the date it is filed with the board, provided that neither the member nor the designated beneficiary die prior to the effective date of the election.
  (d) This section shall not be construed to mean that designation of a new beneficiary causes the selection of an optional settlement. An optional settlement shall be selected by a member in a writing filed by the member with the board.

A member who elected to receive optional settlement 2 or 3 and whose beneficiary predeceases him or her, shall be entitled to receive the increased allowance pursuant to Section 21456 or Section 21457, as applicable, unless the member elected to waive the provision for an increase to his or her allowance pursuant to Section 21459.

Notwithstanding any provision of this part, a retired member who chose no optional settlement or optional settlement 1 at retirement may elect to have the actuarial equivalent, as of the date of the election, of the allowance payable for the remainder of his or her lifetime applied to a lesser allowance during his or her remaining lifetime under one of the optional settlements specified in this article and name his or her spouse as beneficiary. The election provided by this section is irrevocable and shall be made within 12 months following a member's marriage if the spouse is named as beneficiary. The election shall become effective on the date specified on the election, provided that this date is not earlier than the day following receipt of the election in this system pursuant to this section. A member who married prior to or after January 1, 1988, who fails to elect within 12 months, shall retain the right to make an election under this section. However, the election shall become effective no earlier than 12 months after the date it is filed with the board, provided that neither the member nor the designated beneficiary die prior to the effective date of the election. This section shall not be construed to mean that designation of a new beneficiary causes the selection of an optional settlement. An optional settlement shall be selected by a member in a writing filed by the member with the board.

(a) Optional settlement 5 consists of a partial distribution of the actuarial present value of the portion, as specified in this section, of the member's unmodified monthly allowance, as prescribed in Section 21362, 21362.2, 21363, 21363.1, 21363.4, or 21423, when a service retirement allowance is payable. The actuarial present value shall be based upon the investment return and postretirement mortality assumptions adopted by the board for that purpose. The member may elect to receive the actuarial present value of no less than 20 percent and no more than 50 percent of his or her unmodified allowance. The member may elect to receive the remaining portion of the unmodified allowance, not distributed as a lump-sum payment, under one of the settlements specified in this article for the remainder of his or her lifetime and thereafter to his or her designated beneficiary, unless this amount is solely limited to the survivor continuance portion. The portion of the unmodified allowance equivalent to the survivor continuance pursuant to Section 21624 may not be distributed as a lump-sum payment. The benefits provided under this section may not exceed the benefits that would have otherwise been provided under any other section in this article.
  (b) This section shall only apply to the following members who retire on or after January 1, 1999:
  (1) State peace officer/firefighter members in State Bargaining Unit 6.
  (2) State peace officer/firefighter members in State Bargaining Unit 8 and state patrol members in State Bargaining Unit 5, if a memorandum of understanding has been agreed upon by the state and the recognized employee organization to become subject to this section.
  (3) This section shall also apply to state peace officer/firefighter members and state patrol members in related supervisory and confidential positions, if the Department of Human Resources has approved their inclusion.