Article 3Retirement Benefits
Section § 25009
Section § 25010
To get retirement benefits from the Defined Benefit Supplement Program in the system, a member must first stop working and have their employer confirm their employment termination. Additionally, the member has to retire according to specific guidelines and submit a retirement application using the prescribed form. From January 1, 2010, any member who retires must have their application completed to receive their allowance.
Section § 25011
This section details retirement benefit options for members and their nonmember spouses from the Defined Benefit Supplement account. Members can choose to receive their benefits as an annuity if their account balance is at least $3,500 after lump-sum payouts. They have several annuity options: a single life annuity (with or without cash refund), a 100% or 50% joint and survivor annuity with a 'pop-up' feature, or a period certain annuity. Each option varies in how benefits continue for beneficiaries after the member's death. Nonmember spouses have a limited set of annuity options. Since January 1, 2007, new elections for certain joint and survivor annuities can't be made, except under specific conditions.
Section § 25011.1
Under this law, if you have at least $3,500 in your Defined Benefit Supplement account when you retire, you can choose to receive your retirement payments as an annuity rather than a lump sum. You have several options for how the annuity is paid out: just for yourself, or shared with a beneficiary where they continue to receive payments after your death. The options vary based on how much continues to be paid to the beneficiary (100%, 75%, 50%, or for a set period of time). If your designated beneficiary dies before you, you can switch to the member-only annuity, or choose a new beneficiary, with some conditions. Nonmember spouses can only choose certain annuity options. Also, domestic partners are not considered spouses in this context. If there are community property rights involved, any annuity choice must respect those rights.
Section § 25011.5
This section of the law explains how members who have retired can change their annuity plans. They can only switch plans if they fulfill certain conditions: it's during a specified time period (January 1, 2007, to July 1, 2007), they choose the same beneficiary as their previous plan, neither they nor their beneficiary have a known terminal illness, and their beneficiary hasn't passed away by the effective date of the change. If the member wants to switch back to their old plan, they can do so within 30 days of receiving acknowledgment of their new election. Any change has to be made on official forms submitted to the system headquarters in time, and must not create extra financial liability for the plan. Also, any changes cannot interfere with a spouse's community property rights according to court orders.
Section § 25011.6
This section addresses changes to retirement annuities for members who designated a same-sex spouse or former spouse as a beneficiary. Members can alter their annuity type, depending on the age difference between them and their same-sex spouse. Such changes must occur within a specified timeframe, from July 1, 2015, to December 31, 2015. The law allows for switching to different annuity options and setting effective dates for changes accordingly. Members must use official forms and adhere to deadlines. Any changes should not violate a spouse's property rights. Members are allowed to cancel and make one subsequent change, ensuring no extra liability to the plan.