Section 50950 Of Article 1. General Provisions From California Government Code >> Division 1. >> Title 5. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 4.5. >> Article 1.
50950
. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) The Volunteer Firefighters Length of Service Award System is
not a retirement system but an incentive program for volunteer
firefighters.
(b) The purpose of the award system can be achieved more
efficiently and at a lower cost than the current program by
transferring the award system and responsibility for administering
that system from the Board of Administration of the Public Employees'
Retirement System to the board of the California State Fire
Employees Welfare Benefit Corporation.
(c) On and after the date of the transfer or termination of the
award system, the Board of Administration of the Public Employees'
Retirement System shall have no responsibility to administer the
award system and shall take no action related to past, present, or
future obligations of administering the system. On and after the date
of the transfer or termination of the award system, the Board of
Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System shall have
no liability related to the administration of the award system.
(d) Because trust fund moneys in the award system are to be used
for the exclusive benefit of the participants in the award system,
the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement
System shall not pay or transfer any trust fund moneys related to any
claims, demands, actions, damages, judgments, costs, charges, and
expenses, including, but not limited to, court costs and attorney's
fees, regarding claims arising out of or incurred as a result of the
transfer of the award system. However, nothing in this chapter shall
prevent the Board of Administration of the Public Employees'
Retirement System from charging and receiving administrative fees in
connection with transferring the administration of the award system
from the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement
System to the board of the California State Fire Employees Welfare
Benefit Corporation.
(e) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Board of
Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System and the
board of the California State Fire Employees Welfare Benefit
Corporation work cooperatively with each other to transfer the
administration of the award system and establish systems and accounts
necessary to transfer participant information, assets, and
liabilities regarding the award system.
(f) The purpose of this chapter is to provide cities, counties,
cities and counties, or districts, that have fire departments with
volunteer firefighting members, the opportunity to offer these
members an award for life as an incentive. Nothing contained in this
chapter shall be deemed to supersede the provisions of existing state
law and the charters, ordinances, and rules of local public agencies
that establish and regulate the activities of these fire
departments. This chapter is intended, instead, to strengthen these
departments through the creation of an incentive for the volunteer to
respond to emergency calls and attend official department training
drills and meetings. It is the further intention of this chapter to
provide a means for local communities to bestow fitting reward and
recognition for long and faithful volunteer service.