BILL NUMBER: AB 1658INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Lieu JANUARY 19, 2010 An act to amend Section 31639.7 of the Government Code, relating to public retirement. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1658, as introduced, Lieu. County employees' retirement: service credit: safety members. The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 authorizes a member of that system who becomes a safety member by operation of a specified law to receive service credit, as a safety member, for duties performed, prior to the change in law, which, under current law constitutes service as a safety member. Existing law requires a member that elects to receive the service credit to pay an amount equal to the contributions the member would have made for that service, plus interest. This bill would authorize specified members in the County of Los Angeles that become safety members by operation of a specified consolidation of departments within that county to receive service credit, as a safety member, for duties performed as an officer prior to the consolidation. This bill would require a member that elects to receive the service credit to pay an amount equal to the contributions the member would have made for that service by a lump sum payment or by installment payments. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 31639.7 of the Government Code is amended to read: 31639.7. (a) If a member not previously within the field of membership as a safety member is brought within such field of safety membership by amendment to this chapter, he may receive credit as a safety member for all or any part of the time during which his duties would have made him eligible to become a safety member if such amendment had then been in effect by filing with the board at the time he elects to become a safety member his election to pay into the retirement fund an amount equal to the difference between the contributions actually made during the time for which he claims credit and the contributions he would have made during such time, including all additional contributions, if any, required by Article 7.5 of this chapter, had he been a safety member, together with regular interest on the amount required to be deposited. (b) If a member not previously within the field of membership as a Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff is brought into that field of membership by a consolidation of the Los Angeles County Office of Public Safety with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, that member may receive additional credit as a safety member for all or any part of the time that member served as an officer with the Los Angeles County Office of Public Safety if that member makes an election to fund an amount equal to the difference between the contributions the member actually made during the time for which the member claims the credit and the contributions that the member would have made during that same period of time. The member may elect to fund the contributions by either a lump sum payment or by installment payments. No other restrictions shall be placed on a member's election to receive additional credit as authorized by this subdivision.