21572
. (a) In lieu of benefits provided in Section 21571, if the
death benefit provided by Section 21532 is payable on account of a
state member's death that occurs under circumstances other than those
described in subparagraph (F) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of
Section 21530, or if an allowance under Section 21546 is payable,
the payment pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be made in the
following order of priority:
(1) The surviving wife or surviving husband of the member who has
the care of unmarried children, including stepchildren, of the member
who are under 22 years of age or are incapacitated because of a
disability that began before and has continued without interruption
after attainment of that age.
(2) The guardian of surviving unmarried children, including
stepchildren, of the member who are under 22 years of age or are so
incapacitated.
(3) The surviving wife or surviving husband of the member who does
not qualify under paragraph (1).
(4) Each surviving parent of the member.
(b) Regardless of the benefit provided by Section 21532 and of the
beneficiary designated by the member under that section, or
regardless of the allowance provided under Section 21546, the
following applicable 1959 survivor allowance, under the conditions
stated and from contributions of the state, shall be paid:
(1) A surviving spouse who was either continuously married to the
member for at least one year prior to death, or was married to the
member prior to the occurrence of the injury or onset of the illness
that resulted in death, and has the care of unmarried children,
including stepchildren, of the deceased member who are under 22 years
of age or are so incapacitated, shall be paid four hundred fifty
dollars ($450) per month if there is one child or five hundred
thirty-eight dollars ($538) per month if there are two or more
children. If there also are children who are not in the care of the
surviving spouse, the portion of the allowance payable under this
paragraph, assuming that these children were in the care of the
surviving spouse, that is in excess of two hundred twenty-five
dollars ($225) per month, shall be divided equally among all those
children and payments made to the spouse and other children, as the
case may be.
(2) If there is no surviving spouse, or if the surviving spouse
dies, and if there are unmarried children, including stepchildren, of
the deceased member who are under 22 years of age or are so
incapacitated, or if there are children not in the care of the
spouse, the children shall be paid an allowance as follows:
(A) If there is only one child, the child shall be paid two
hundred twenty-five dollars ($225) per month.
(B) If there are two children, the children shall be paid four
hundred fifty dollars ($450) per month divided equally between them.
(C) If there are three or more children, the children shall be
paid five hundred thirty-eight dollars ($538) per month divided
equally among them.
(3) A surviving spouse who has attained or attains the age of 62
years and, with respect to that surviving spouse, who was either
continuously married to the member for at least one year prior to
death, or was married to the member prior to the occurrence of the
injury or onset of the illness that resulted in death, shall be paid
two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225) per month. No allowance shall
be paid under this paragraph while the surviving spouse is receiving
an allowance under paragraph (1) or while an allowance is being paid
under subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2). The allowance paid under
this paragraph shall be eighty-eight dollars ($88) per month while an
allowance is being paid under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2).
(4) If there is no surviving spouse or surviving child who
qualifies for a 1959 survivor allowance, or if the surviving spouse
dies and there is no surviving child, or if the surviving spouse dies
and the children die or marry or, if not incapacitated, reach 22
years of age, each of the member's dependent parents who has attained
or attains the age of 62 years, and who received at least one-half
of his or her support from the member at the time of the member's
death, shall be paid two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225) per
month.
(c) "Stepchildren," for purposes of this section, shall include
only stepchildren of the member living with him or her in a regular
parent-child relationship at the time of his or her death.
(d) This section shall apply to beneficiaries receiving 1959
survivor allowances on July 1, 1975, as well as to beneficiaries with
respect to the death of a state member occurring on or after July 1,
1975.
(e) This section shall apply, with respect to benefits payable on
and after July 1, 1981, to all members employed by a school employer,
and school safety members employed with a school district or
community college district as defined in subdivision (i) of Section
20057, except that it shall not apply, without contract amendment,
with respect to safety members who became members after July 1, 1981.
All assets and liabilities of all school employers, and their
employees, on account of benefits provided under this article shall
be pooled into a single account, and a single employer rate shall be
established to provide benefits under this section on account of all
miscellaneous members employed by a school employer and all safety
members who are members on July 1, 1981.
(f) This section does not apply to any member in the employ of an
employer not subject to this section on January 1, 1994.
(g) On and after January 1, 2000, all state members covered by
this section shall be covered by the benefit provided under Section
21574.7.
(h) On and after the date determined by the board, all assets and
liabilities of all contracting agencies subject to this section, and
their employees, on account of benefits provided under this article
shall be pooled into a single account, and a single employer rate
shall be established to provide benefits under this section on
account of members employed by a contracting agency that is subject
to this section.
(i) The rate of contribution of an employer subject to this
section shall be figured using the term insurance valuation method.
If a contracting agency that is subject to this section is projected
to have a surplus in its 1959 survivor benefit account as of the date
the assets and liabilities are first pooled, the surplus shall be
applied to reduce its rate of contribution. If a contracting agency
that is subject to this section is projected to have a deficit in its
1959 survivor benefit account as of the date the assets and
liabilities are first pooled, its rate of contribution shall be
increased until the projected deficit is paid.