Big Bear Fire Agencies Pension Consolidation Act of 2018.

The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 authorizes a county to establish a retirement system, as specified, in order to provide pension benefits to county, city, and district employees. Under that law, all officers and employees of a district become members of the county's retirement association on the first day of the calendar month after adoption, by specified vote thresholds, of a resolution by the governing body of the district providing for inclusion of the district in the retirement association and, if the county board of supervisors is not the governing body of the district, the board of retirement consents by majority vote. This bill would enact the Big Bear Fire Agencies Pension Consolidation Act of 2018, which, on and after the effective date of a resolution of the Board of Retirement of the San Bernardino County Employees' Retirement Association consenting to membership by employees of the Big Bear Fire Authority as described above, would provide that all safety employees currently employed by the Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District as of that date would be deemed to be employees of the authority and that all duties and obligations of the fire protection district in the employment relationship would be assumed by the authority. The bill would specify that the authority is a "district" for purposes of the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937. The bill would provide that the authority would assume the rights, obligations, and status previously occupied by the City of Big Bear Lake with regard to the portion of the city safety plan, which is that portion of the city's retirement plan that covers safety employees of the fire protection district, and to the replacement benefits program. The bill would also provide that termination of the city safety plan would not trigger withdrawal liability. The bill would state that its provisions are severable. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of San Bernardino. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.