Legislature: benefits and retirement.
This measure specifically alters how the benefits for newly elected legislators are defined and governed. By standardizing the value of benefits to be equal to those provided to full-time employees in their respective houses, it limits the discretion previously granted to the compensation commission. Furthermore, under current law, members serving since after November 1, 1990, are solely allowed participation in the federal Social Security system without the possibility of accruing other pension benefits related to their legislative service.
ACA24, proposed by Assembly Member Low, seeks to amend the California Constitution regarding the benefits and retirement systems for new members of the Legislature. The amendment targets those members first elected to the Legislature for terms commencing on or after December 7, 2020. It proposes to repeal the authority of the California Citizens Compensation Commission to establish and adjust benefits for these new members. Instead, the bill mandates that their total benefits package, encompassing medical, dental, insurance, and similar benefits, must be equivalent to that of a full-time employee within the respective house of the Legislature.
One of the key features of ACA24 is the proposal to allow members who are first elected after the cutoff date to opt into the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) after determining any qualifying prior state or local governmental service. This change could be contentious, as it indicates a shift from a purely Social Security-based system to one that potentially offers more substantial retirement benefits. Supporters of ACA24 argue that allowing participation in PERS reflects a necessary modernization of legislative benefits, while critics express concern that this could increase costs for the state and create disparity in retirement benefits between new and veteran lawmakers.