Public employees' retirement: armed forces: service credit.

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, creditable service, and age at retirement, subject to certain variations. STRS is administered by the Teachers' Retirement Board. Existing law creates the Teachers' Retirement Fund, which is continuously appropriated for specified purposes, into which certain moneys are deposited, including employee contributions. Existing law authorizes a member of STRS to receive creditable service for certain types of service outside the system, including military service, and distinguishes in this regard between service performed before membership and after becoming a member. Existing law authorizes a member who is a state employee, or a retired member who retired immediately following service as a state employee, as specified, to receive credit for specified military or Merchant Marine service occurring prior to membership and prescribes requirements and limits in this connection. Existing law requires, in this context, that the member contribute sufficient funds to cover the total cost of military service credit, as specified. Existing law limits the application of this authorization to receive premembership service credit to specified service in the Armed Forces of the United States or in the Merchant Marine of the United States prior to January 1, 1950. This bill would delete the limitation that the service have occurred prior to January 1, 1950, from these provisions, unless certain exceptions apply, and would delete the requirement that the electing member is a state employee or a retired member who retired immediately following service as a state employee. By providing for additional contributions to be made to a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. The Public Employees' Retirement Law creates the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) , which is administered by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System. Existing law establishes the Public Employees' Retirement Fund, which is a trust fund that is appropriated continuously for specified purposes, into which certain moneys are deposited, including employee contributions. Existing law authorizes specified members of PERS, including state members, to receive public service credit for certain types of service outside the system, including military service, and distinguishes in this regard between service performed before membership and after becoming a member. Existing law authorizes receipt of public service credit for specified military or Merchant Marine service occurring prior to membership and prescribes requirements and limits in this connection. Existing law requires, in this context, that the member contribute funds to cover the total cost of this public service credit, as specified. Existing law limits the application of this authorization to receive this public service credit to specified service in the Armed Forces of the United States or in the Merchant Marine of the United States prior to January 1, 1950. Existing law provides that this authorization only applies to agencies contracting with PERS if the agency elects to amend its contract. This bill would delete the requirement that the service subject to the authorization described above have occurred prior to January 1, 1950, and would require contracting agencies to provide members the option to receive the public service credit for specified service in the Armed Forces of the United States or in the Merchant Marine of the United States. By providing for additional contributions to be made to a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation.