Public employment: retirement: benefits.

(1) Existing law, the Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA) , which is administered by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System, authorizes the board to contract for health benefit plans for employees and annuitants, as defined, which may include employees and annuitants of contracting agencies. Under existing law, the employee's or annuitant's contribution is the total cost per month of coverage less the portion contributed by the employer. Existing law prescribes a minimum level for the employer's contribution toward the employee's or annuitant's health benefits coverage. This bill would authorize the City of San Gabriel to enter into an agreement applicable to specified employees hired, and elected officials who first served, on or after January 1, 2023, to provide employer contributions for postretirement health care coverage to employees with at least 5 years of credited service with the City of San Gabriel. The bill would provide that its provisions for postretirement health benefits apply to employees who retire on or after the date that a memorandum of understanding that authorizes this benefit becomes effective. The bill would require the City of San Gabriel to provide notice, as prescribed, of the agreement and any additional information necessary to implement these benefits. (2) Existing law establishes the Judges' Retirement System II, which provides retirement and other benefits to its members and is administered by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System. Under the Judges' Retirement System II, a judge is eligible to retire upon attaining both 65 years of age and 20 or more years of service, or upon attaining 70 years of age with a minimum of 5 years of service. Existing law, on and after January 1, 2024, and applicable only to judges who retire before January 1, 2029, additionally authorizes a judge who is 60 years of age and has 15 years or more of service or 65 years of age and has 10 years or more of service who is not eligible to retire pursuant to those provisions in lieu of receiving monetary credits, as specified, to elect to retire and defer receipt of a monthly allowance, subject to specified formulations. Existing law requires the retirement allowance to be increased for the cost of living in January of each year after a judge has been retired under those provisions for more than 6 months, as specified. This bill would instead require the retirement allowance to be increased for the cost of living in January of each year after the judge receives a retirement allowance under those provisions for more than 6 months, as specified. (3) This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the City of San Gabriel.