Article 2. Benefits And Contributions of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 6. >> Chapter 5. >> Article 2.

The board may prescribe the terms and conditions upon which the officers and employees of the district or their beneficiaries shall be entitled to benefits and the amounts thereof.

The retirement allowance may be predicated in part upon service rendered the district by a member prior to the establishment of the retirement system, which service is known as "prior service."

The board shall provide that both the district and the members shall contribute to the retirement system. Based on tables and assumptions adopted by the board, it shall fix the rates of contributions by officers and employees of the district who are members of the retirement system.

All members of the retirement system shall contribute in the manner and amount fixed by the board and such contributions may be collected by deducting the amounts thereof from the salary, wages, or compensation due such members.

Liabilities accruing under the retirement system because of benefits other than such as are the equivalent of contributions by the members, with accumulated interest, shall be met by contributions by the district. Prior service or other liabilities of the district may be met by annual appropriations instead of by one appropriation for the total of the liabilities; but until the present value of regular contributions for current service, together with assets then available, equals the present value of all allowances and benefits granted or to be granted under the system, the appropriation for any one year when added to any unused balance of any previous appropriations for such purpose shall not be less than the amount disbursed during that year on account of prior service or other liabilities of the district.

If any member withdraws from the retirement system prior to retirement the total amount contributed by him with such interest as may be credited thereto shall be returned to him; provided, however, that the board may prescribe the terms and conditions upon which a member, whose district service is terminated except by death or retirement, may elect to leave his contributions and interest thereon in the retirement fund, and the terms and conditions upon which a retirement allowance may be made to him after such termination based upon his contributions prior to such termination.

All money received by any person as an annuity, pension, retirement allowance, disability payment, or death benefit from the retirement system, and all contributions and interest thereon returned to any member of the retirement system, whether in the actual possession of such person or deposited, loaned, or invested by him, is unassignable, and is exempt from execution or any other process except to the extent permitted by Section 704.110 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 12337, the retirement board may comply with and give effect to a revocable written authorization signed by a retired member or beneficiary of a retired member entitled to a retirement allowance or benefit under this chapter, authorizing the district to deduct appropriate amounts from the retirement allowance or benefit payable to any such retired member or beneficiary of a retired member for the purpose of paying premiums of any group medical or hospital service plan, or both, approved by the district, for the benefit of such retired member or his dependents, for the payment of personal income taxes to the Government of the United States or of the State of California, or for the purchase of shares in, or the payment of money to, the utility district credit union.

Nothing in this division shall prevent a district from establishing a deferred compensation plan for some or all of its officers and employees pursuant to Article 1.1 (commencing with Section 53212) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code.