SB 765: Teachers: retired teachers: compensation limitation.

(1)Existing law, the Teachers Retirement Law, establishes the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) and creates the Defined Benefit Program of the State Teachers Retirement Plan, which provides a defined benefit to members of the program, based on final compensation, credited service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. Under existing law, STRS is governed by the Teachers Retirement Board (board).

Existing law permits members retired for service from STRS to perform retired member activities without reinstatement into the system if certain conditions are met. Existing law limits the postretirement compensation of a retired member of the program, in any school year, to an amount calculated by STRS each July 1 equal to ¹/₂ of the median final compensation of all members who retired for service during the fiscal year ending in the previous calendar year.

This bill would modify that calculation so the limitation of postretirement compensation, in any school year, is instead an amount calculated by STRS each July 1 equal to 70% of the median final compensation of all members who retired for service during the fiscal year ending in the previous calendar year.

Existing law establishes an additional postretirement compensation limit of $0 during the first 180 calendar days after the most recent retirement of a retired member for the performance of retired member activities. Under existing law, if a retired member has attained normal retirement age at the time compensation is earned, this postretirement compensation limit does not apply if the appointment has been approved by the employer in a public meeting and a resolution containing certain information has been adopted by the governing body of the employer, as specified.

This bill would instead authorize a member retired from service to perform retired member activities, notwithstanding the above-mentioned 180 calendar days compensation limitation, if a request for exemption containing specified information is submitted by the Superintendent, the county superintendent of schools, or the chief executive officer of a community college to STRS, under penalty of perjury, as prescribed. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would require a written copy or copies of the completed documentation that substantiates the need for the request for exemption to be submitted to the exclusive representative of employees prior to the retired members performance of retired member activities. The bill, among other changes, would also require the board to submit, on or before February 1, 2027, to specified committees of the Legislature a report that includes, among other things, the total number of exemption requests received by STRS from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026, inclusive.

(2)Existing law establishes the Cash Balance Benefit Program, administered by the board, as a separate benefit program within the State Teachers Retirement Plan for purposes of providing a retirement plan for persons employed to perform creditable service for less than 50% of full-time equivalent service. Existing law provides that the normal retirement age for the program is 60 or 62 years of age, as applicable.

Under the program, a participant retired for service may perform retired participant activities, but prohibits the participant from making contributions to the plan or accruing service credit under the Defined Benefit Program based on compensation earned from that service. Under the program, if the retired participant performs retired participant activities, receives compensation paid in cash for those activities, and meets other specified conditions, the annuity paid to the retired participant is reduced by the amount of compensation. Existing law, however, does not require reduction of the participants annuity if the governing body of the employer, among other things, approves the appointment of the retired participant by resolution.

This bill would instead exempt a retired participant from the annuity reduction requirement if the Superintendent, the county superintendent of schools, or the chief executive officer of a community college submits a request for exemption to STRS with certification, under penalty of perjury, of specified information. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require a written copy or copies of the completed documentation that substantiates the need for the request for exemption to be submitted to the exclusive representative of employees prior to the retired participants performance of retired participant activities.

(3)This bill would make all of the above-described changes effective from only July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026, inclusive, before reverting to existing law.

The bill would also make legislative findings and declarations in support of its provisions.

(4)The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.