Public employees' retirement: safety members.

The Public Employees' Retirement Law (PERL) creates the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) , which provides a defined benefit to its members based on age at retirement, service, credit, and final compensation. PERL defines final compensation variously based on different member classifications, bargaining units, and dates of hire. PERL generally provides for a definition of final compensation based on the highest annual average compensation earnable by the member during a designated 12-month or 36-month period. This bill would provide that final compensation for a person who becomes a state member of the system on or after January 1, 2011, and who is represented by State Bargaining Unit 5, 6, 8, 9, or is a peace officer/firefighter member of State Bargaining Unit 7, means the highest annual average compensation earnable by the member during a designated 36-month period. The bill would also apply this definition of final compensation to a state employee who is excepted from the definition of state employee for purposes of state labor relations, as specified, or an officer or employee of the executive branch of state government who is not a member of the civil service, who is employed by the state for the first time and becomes a state member of the system on or after January 1, 2011.