CHAPTER 31. Procedures Concerning Payment [24600. - 24620.]

Cal. Education Code - EDC 31.

in effect

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24600. Section 24600.

(a) A retirement allowance under this part begins to accrue on the effective date of the member’s retirement and ceases on the earlier of the day of the member’s death or the day on which the retirement allowance is terminated for a reason other than the member’s death. (b) A retirement allowance payable to an option beneficiary under this part begins to accrue on the day following the day of the retired member’s death and ceases on the day of the option beneficiary’s death. (c) A disability allowance under this part begins to accrue on the effective date of the member’s disability allowance and ceases on the earlier of the day of the member’s death or the day on which the disability allowance is terminated for a reason other than the member’s death. (d) A family allowance under this part begins to accrue on the day following the day of the member’s death and ceases on the day of the event that terminates eligibility for the allowance. (e) A survivor benefit allowance payable to a surviving spouse under this part pursuant to Chapter 23 (commencing with Section 23850) begins to accrue on the day the member would have attained normal retirement age or on the day following the day of the member’s death, as elected by the surviving spouse, and ceases on the day of the surviving spouse’s death. (f) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a child’s portion of an allowance under this part begins to accrue on the effective date of that allowance and ceases on the earlier of either the termination of the child’s eligibility or the termination of the allowance. (2) A child’s portion of a disability retirement allowance under Chapter 26 (commencing with Section 24100) ceases on the earlier of either: (A) The termination date of the child’s eligibility. (B) The termination of the allowance for reasons other than death. (g) Supplemental payments issued under this part pursuant to Sections 24412 and 24415 to retired members, disabled members, and beneficiaries shall begin to accrue pursuant to Sections 24412 and 24415 and shall cease to accrue as of the termination dates specified in subdivisions (a) to (f), inclusive, of this section. (h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part or other law, distributions payable under the plan with respect to the Defined Benefit Program and the Defined Benefit Supplement Program shall be made in accordance with Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and related regulations. (1) In the case of a refund of contributions, as described in Chapter 18 (commencing with Section 23100) of this part and distribution of an amount equal to the balance of credits in a member’s Defined Benefit Supplement account, as described in Chapter 38 (commencing with Section 25000) of this part, payments shall commence not later than April 1 of the calendar year following the later of (A) the calendar year in which the member attains the age at which the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 requires a distribution of benefits or (B) the calendar year in which the member terminates employment within the meaning of subdivision (i). (2) In the case of a retirement allowance, as defined in Section 22166, payments shall commence not later than April 1 of the calendar year following the later of (A) the calendar year in which the member attains the age at which the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 requires a distribution of benefits or (B) the calendar year in which the member terminates employment within the meaning of subdivision (i), to continue over the life of the member or the lives of the member and the member’s option beneficiary, or over the life expectancy of the member or the life expectancy of the member and the member’s option beneficiary. (i) For purposes of subdivision (h), the phrase “terminates employment” means the later of: (1) The date the member ceases to perform creditable service subject to coverage under this plan. (2) The date the member ceases employment in a position subject to coverage under another public retirement system in this state if the compensation earnable while a member of the other system may be considered in the determination of final compensation pursuant to Section 22134 or 22134.5. (3) In the case of a monthly allowance resulting from the death of a member: (A) If the spouse is the sole beneficiary, payments shall commence not later than December 31 of the later of the calendar year in which the member would have attained the age at which the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 requires a distribution of benefits or the calendar year following the calendar year of the member’s death. (B) If the spouse is not the sole beneficiary, payments shall commence not later than December 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year of the member’s death. (4) In the case of a distribution of the member’s accumulated retirement contributions resulting from the death of a member or beneficiary or other lump-sum death benefit that represents the member’s entire interest in the plan, including the death payment, payments shall be completed in accordance with Section 401(a)(9) of Title 26 of the United States Code and the regulations thereunder.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24601. Section 24601.

Whenever the system determines that payments in the correct amount due cannot be made when payable because required information or documentation is not yet on file in the system, payment of estimated allowances based on preliminary information in the possession of the system may be made, the system may present claims therefore, and the Controller shall draw warrants in payment of the claims.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24602. Section 24602.

The board may establish a special account and procedures to pay, on an emergency basis, allowances, death payments, and up to 75 percent of the return of the balance of the accumulated retirement contributions as a result of termination of employment or death. Disbursements under the special account shall be by checks issued by the system and subject to the auditing requirements of the Controller. Payments under the special account shall be deducted from allowances, death benefits, and payment of accumulated retirement contributions, otherwise due.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24603. Section 24603.

If any estimated allowances under this part are more or less than the correct amount due, the difference between the correct amount and the estimated allowance shall be adjusted in subsequent payments or the Controller may state an account with the retired member, disabled member, or beneficiary, pursuant to Section 12419 of the Government Code.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24604. Section 24604.

(a) A member, nonmember spouse, or beneficiary under this part shall specify whether monthly benefit payments are to be disbursed by one of the following: (1) Direct deposit (electronic funds transfer). (2) Direct mail to a financial or other institution. (3) Mailing to a payment address provided by the member, nonmember spouse, or beneficiary. (b) A member, nonmember spouse, or beneficiary under this part to whom a lump-sum payment or benefit is to be disbursed, and who is receiving payment for an ongoing benefit by electronic funds transfer, may have the lump-sum payment disbursed by electronic funds transfer to the financial institution on file for payment of the ongoing benefit. (c) A member, nonmember spouse, or beneficiary under this part who is not receiving payment for an ongoing benefit by electronic funds transfer and to whom a lump-sum payment or benefit is to be disbursed shall specify the address to which the payment shall be mailed. (d) The system shall make available an electronic copy of the benefit payment information to any member, nonmember spouse, or beneficiary under this part who receives a monthly benefit payment. (e) (1) The system may designate electronic delivery the default method of delivery of the benefit payment information, unless a member, nonmember spouse, or beneficiary under this part submits a written request as described in paragraphs (3) and (4). (2) The system shall notify the member, nonmember spouse, or beneficiary that he or she has the right to request that a copy of the benefit payment information be mailed. (3) If the system has received a written request from any member, nonmember spouse, or beneficiary under this part, the system shall mail a copy of the monthly benefit payment information to that person. (4) If the system has received a written request from any member, nonmember spouse, or beneficiary under this part, the system shall mail a copy of the benefit payment information to that person, only when there is an adjustment in the allowance due to an annual benefit enhancement, pursuant to Sections 22140 and 24402, or a change in any amount deducted from the allowance due to an adjustment to an income tax withholding tax table made by the Internal Revenue Service or the Franchise Tax Board. (f) A payment disbursed as specified by the member, nonmember spouse, or beneficiary under this part shall fully discharge the board, system, and plan from any claim resulting from actions taken under this section.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24605. Section 24605.

Upon receipt of proof satisfactory to the board, that a warrant drawn in payment of a retirement allowance or in payment of any other account due from the plan under this part, has been lost or that payment transmitted electronically cannot be credited to an account, the Controller upon the request of the board shall issue a replacement warrant in payment of the same amount, without requiring a bond from the payee, and any loss incurred in connection therewith shall be charged against the fund from which the payment was derived.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24606. Section 24606.

(a) If any payment of contributions or accumulated contributions or benefits under this plan remains unclaimed and, after a good faith effort, the legal claimant cannot be found, the board shall redeposit the proceeds in the retirement fund, and shall hold the proceeds for the legal claimant without further accumulation of interest. The redeposit does not operate to establish the membership of the claimant in this plan. (b) Subdivision (a) applies to warrants drawn and canceled by the Controller and payments rejected via electronic funds transfer. Upon notice of cancellation or rejection, the proceeds revert to and become a part of the retirement fund, and shall be applied to meet the liabilities of the retirement fund. (c) The board may at any time after reversion of proceeds, as provided above to the retirement fund, and upon receipt of proper information satisfactory to it, return from the retirement fund an amount equal to those proceeds to the credit of the legal claimant.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24607. Section 24607.

Any warrant in an amount less than two thousand dollars ($2,000) paid by the system under this part, for the month in which a retired member or disabled member dies, shall not be invalidated by the system, except upon the request of the beneficiary of the retired member or disabled member.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24608. Section 24608.

(a) Persons entitled to receive allowances under the plan under this part may authorize deductions to be made from those allowances, in accordance with procedures established by the board. (b) The board shall determine the additional cost involved in making deductions under this section, and may require the public agency, association, insurance carrier, or unit thereof to pay the amount of the additional cost to the board for deposit in the retirement fund to the credit of the Defined Benefit Program.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24609. Section 24609.

Any allowance payable under this part to a retired member, that has accrued and remains unpaid at the time of his or her death, shall be paid to either of the following: (a) The option beneficiary entitled to payment in accordance with an option elected by the member. (b) The beneficiary entitled to receive the lump-sum death benefit provided upon death of a retired member if the member has not elected an option.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24610. Section 24610.

Any disability allowance under this part that has accrued and remains unpaid to a disabled member at the time of death shall be paid to the person entitled to receive a family allowance under this part or, if none, to the beneficiary entitled to receive the death payment under this part.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24611. Section 24611.

Part 5 (commencing with Section 220) of Division 2 of the Probate Code, when applicable, shall govern the distribution of the proceeds of any death benefit payable under this part. In applying Part 5 (commencing with Section 220) of Division 2 of the Probate Code with respect to proceeds payable to a beneficiary, membership shall be considered as having the same status as an insurance policy issued after December 31, 1984.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24612. Section 24612.

(a) If any person entitled to a benefit from the plan under this part is a minor who has no guardian of his or her estate, the benefit, not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000), may be paid to the person entitled to the custody of the minor to hold for the minor, upon the written statement, duly acknowledged and verified, of the person that the total estate of the minor does not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) in value. (b) The payment shall constitute full discharge of any and all liabilities of the board, system, and plan. (c) The person shall account to the minor for the money when the minor reaches the age of majority. (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a natural parent or an adoptive parent having custody of the minor shall not be required to establish a guardianship for the purpose of collecting a survivor benefit, family benefit, or death benefit under this part.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24613. Section 24613.

(a) Payment pursuant to the board’s determination in good faith of the existence, identity, or other facts relating to entitlement of persons under this part constitutes a complete discharge and release of the board, system, and plan from liability for that payment. (b) Notwithstanding Sections 751 and 1100 of the Family Code relating to community property interests, whenever payment or refund is made by this system to a member, former member, or beneficiary of a member pursuant to this part, the payment shall fully discharge the board, system, and plan from all adverse claims thereto unless, before payment is made, a written notice of adverse claim is received at the system’s headquarters office.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24613.5. Section 24613.5.

The board shall not be required to determine the powers of a trustee or the validity of a trust or of any of the terms of a trust that is elected as a beneficiary, option beneficiary, or other payee under the plan. Such a determination by the board shall not be inferred from the fact that a member or trustee has provided a copy of all or part of the trust instrument. The acknowledged certification pursuant to Section 22450 by the member or trustee that the trustee has the powers declared therein and that the trust meets the requirements described in this part and Part 14 shall be conclusive. Payment of benefits to a trust pursuant to the board’s determination in good faith of the existence, identity, or other facts relating to entitlement of the trust to receive a benefit under this part constitutes a complete discharge and release of the board, system, and plan from liability for the benefit.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24614. Section 24614.

(a) This section shall only be applicable to a district retirement salary plan in a unified district presently having an average daily attendance of less than 200,000 pupils and which was discontinued by the governing board of the district. (b) The district shall continue to pay monthly to teachers and other persons who were retired prior to the date of the discontinuance an amount equal to the amount by which the retirement allowance to which any of the retired teachers or other persons were entitled under the district plan exceeds the increase in the teacher’s or other person’s retirement allowance under this part resulting from the discontinuance. The arrangement under which those amounts are paid by the district shall not be considered to be a local retirement system for the purposes of this part, nor shall those amounts be taken into account in the calculation of retirement allowances under this part. (c) The reserve fund created by the district from the assets delivered to it by the discontinued district retirement plan under subdivision (c) of former Section 14690 prior to its repeal is continued in existence and the amounts payable under subdivision (b) of this section shall be paid from that reserve fund.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24615. Section 24615.

(a) If the system determines that contributions are due under this part from a retired member, disabled member, or a person who has died, and the person is unable to pay the amount due, the system may withhold all or part of subsequent payments due the retired member, disabled member, or survivor, until the amounts withheld equal the contributions due plus regular interest to the date of payment. Total contributions plus regular interest due shall be recovered by the system within 18 months. (b) Any payment of contributions that a member or beneficiary is required by law to make to the system shall be paid upon receipt of written notice from the system, except as provided in subdivision (c). Payment may be made either in a lump sum or installments, as permitted by the system. Payment of contributions due the system not discovered or unpaid, for whatever reason, prior to the time of retirement, disability, or death shall be paid prior to granting an allowance or benefit to the member or beneficiary unless, in the opinion of the board, the making of the payment prior to receipt of an allowance or benefit would impose an undue hardship, in which case payment may be made by the system withholding not more than 18 consecutive monthly installments from payments due from the system. Those installments may not be less than twenty-five dollars ($25) per month, except for the last installment, which may be less than twenty-five dollars ($25). (c) The mode of notice and the measurement of time within which a redeposit described in subdivision (b) shall be made is subject to Section 22337.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24616. Section 24616.

Any overpayment made to or on behalf of any member, former member, or beneficiary, including, but not limited to, contributions, interest, benefits of any kind, federal or state tax, or insurance premiums, shall be deducted from any subsequent benefit that may be payable under either the Defined Benefit Program, the Defined Benefit Supplement Program, or the Cash Balance Benefit Program, except as provided in Section 24616.2. These deductions shall be permitted concurrently with any suit for restitution, and recovery of overpayment by adjustment shall reduce by the amount of the recovery the extent of liability for restitution.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24616.2. Section 24616.2.

(a) Except as limited pursuant to Section 22008: (1) All amounts that have been overpaid due to inaccurate information, untimely submission, nonsubmission of information, or on the basis of fraud or intentional misrepresentation by, or on behalf of, a recipient of a benefit, annuity, or refund shall be recovered, as applicable, from the member, participant, former member, former participant, or beneficiary. This paragraph excludes amounts overpaid pursuant to paragraph (2), (3), or (4). (2) All amounts that have been overpaid due to inaccurate information, untimely submission, or nonsubmission of information by an employer that reports directly to the system shall be recovered, as applicable, from that employer. (3) All amounts that have been overpaid due to inaccurate information, untimely submission, or nonsubmission of information by a county superintendent of schools that reports directly to the system on behalf of an employer shall be recovered, as applicable, from that county superintendent of schools. If the overpayment resulted from an error of an employer, the county superintendent of schools may recover the amounts required from that employer pursuant to Section 23012. (A) If the county superintendent of schools provided notice to, and received consent from, an employer to submit that employer’s monthly report, inclusive of any modifications by the county superintendent of schools on behalf of the employer, an overpayment due to inaccurate information shall be considered an error of that employer. (B) If the untimely submission or nonsubmission of information was the result of the employer’s untimely submission or nonsubmission of information, the overpayment shall be considered an error of the employer. (4) (A) All amounts that have been overpaid due to an error by the system shall be recovered, with interest as specified in subparagraph (B), as follows: (i) Commencing July 1, 2024, 85 percent of this amount resulting from benefit adjustments that take place within the fiscal year ending in the immediately preceding calendar year, the specific amount of which shall be determined by the board, shall be made as a continuous appropriation from the General Fund to the Controller each July 1 for transfer to the Teachers’ Retirement Fund. If July 1 falls on a weekend or holiday, the funds shall be transferred the next business day. (ii) Commencing July 1, 2024, 15 percent of this amount resulting from benefit adjustments that take place within the fiscal year ending in the immediately preceding calendar year, the specific amount of which shall be determined by the board, shall be recovered from all employers that report directly to the system in amounts proportionate to their share of contributions for that fiscal year, including the contributions of those employers for whom a county superintendent of schools reports. A county superintendent of schools that reports directly to the system on behalf of employers may recover amounts proportionate to each employer’s share of contributions for that fiscal year from those employers pursuant to Section 23012. (B) The amount to be recovered in accordance with subparagraph (A) shall be calculated to include regular interest from the date of the overpayment to the date of recovery. (b) (1) An employer shall remit any amount required to be paid to the system pursuant to this section within 30 days of the date of the invoice. If the system does not receive payment within 30 days, the amount owed to the system shall be recalculated to include regular interest from the initial due date. (2) If a payment pursuant to paragraph (1) is not received within 30 days of the date of invoice, the Controller shall, upon the order of the board, reduce subsequent payments from the State School Fund to the county for deposit in the county school service fund by the amount owed or, upon the request of a county superintendent of schools to the county auditor, the Controller shall reduce payments to a school district for deposit in the district general fund by the amount owed. The Controller shall then pay to the system the amount owed for deposit in the Teachers’ Retirement Fund. (c) Determination of an amount that has been overpaid shall be provided in writing by the system to the party responsible for the overpayment pursuant to subdivision (a). The system shall identify the error, document the source of the error, and specify the total amount overpaid due to the error. (d) This section shall not apply to a recovery made under Section 24015, 24016, or 24017 or to a benefit or allowance reduction required pursuant to Section 24010, 24109, 24114, 24201.5, 24214, or 24214.5. (e) Except as explicitly provided by its provisions, this section shall not be interpreted to limit the system’s authority to correct benefits.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24617. Section 24617.

(a) To recover from a member, participant, former member, former participant, or beneficiary an amount overpaid under this part or Part 14 (commencing with Section 26000), as determined pursuant to Section 24616.2, the system shall correct the benefit, annuity, or refund, and the corrected monthly allowance payable under the Defined Benefit Program or the corrected annuity benefit payable under the Defined Benefit Supplement Program or the Cash Balance Benefit Program may be reduced by no more than 15 percent if the amount overpaid was due to inaccurate information, untimely submission, or nonsubmission of information by, or on behalf of, a recipient of the allowance or annuity benefit. (b) This section does not apply to the collection of overpayments due to fraud or intentional misrepresentation of facts by the recipient of the allowance or benefit. (c) The amendments to this section enacted during the second year of the 2021–22 Regular Session shall apply when the system notifies a member, participant, former member, former participant, or beneficiary of a benefit adjustment on and after January 1, 2023.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24618. Section 24618.

Losses or gains resulting from overpayment or underpayment of contributions or other amounts under this part within the limits set by the Department of General Services for automatic writeoff, and losses or gains in greater amounts specifically approved for writeoffs by the Department of General Services, shall be debited or credited, as the case may be, to the appropriate reserve in the retirement fund.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24619. Section 24619.

The system shall annually report to the board the following information: (a) The amount of underpayment made to recipients under this part. (b) The amount to be recovered because of overpayments and the number of overpayments under this part. (c) The actions taken by the board and the system to reduce the number and amount of overpayments and underpayments under this part.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 24620. Section 24620.

(a) The special reserve resulting from the discontinuance of a district retirement salary plan as provided in former Section 14690 prior to its repeal, and a part of which is used annually in the interest of the employees of the district at the discretion of the governing board, is continued in existence and shall continue to be used first as provided in this section. (b) The district in which the district retirement plan was discontinued and that credited each teacher or other person employed by the district at the time of discontinuance, in a status requisite for membership in this plan, with an amount that bears the same ratio to the portion of the assets delivered to the district pursuant to former subdivision (c) of Section 14690 prior to its repeal, that remained after the creation of the reserve fund for payments under former subdivision (d) of Section 14690 prior to its repeal, as required by former subdivision (e) of Section 14690 prior to its repeal, as the accumulated contributions credited to the member in his or her individual contribution account under the discontinued retirement plan at the time of discontinuance, bore to the total accumulated contributions so credited to all such teachers and persons, but this credit to any active member shall not exceed the amount of the member’s accumulated contributions so credited at that time. The amount so credited to any person shall continue to be increased by interest at rates approved from time to time by the governing board of the district. The accumulated amount at the date upon which the person retires for service or disability under the system shall continue to be applied according to rates and tables adopted by the governing board and then in effect, to provide an annuity payable to the person throughout the balance of his or her life or a lump-sum payment of the total account balance on the date of retirement at the option of the governing board. If the person dies prior to retirement, the amount, with credited interest, shall be paid to his or her designated beneficiary, as it appears on the records of the district, if any, otherwise to the member’s estate. If the person ceases to be employed by the district for any reason other than death, retirement, or attainment of the age at which his or her classification as a permanent employee ceases, he or she shall no longer be credited with or have any right to the accumulated amount, but the amount shall revert to and belong to the district. The arrangement under which annuities and death benefits are paid by a district under this subdivision shall not be considered to be a local retirement system for the purposes of this part, nor shall those payments be taken into account in the calculation of retirement allowances under this plan. (c) The reserve fund created by the district from the assets delivered to it pursuant to subdivision (c) of former Section 14690 prior to its repeal is continued in existence and in the amount equal in amount to the total contributions credited to employees of the district, under former subdivision (b) of former Section 14691 prior to its repeal, and the annuities and death benefits payable under subdivision (b) of former Section 14691 prior to its repeal shall continue to be paid from this reserve fund. If the reserve fund as first created proves insufficient to make the payments required under subdivision (b) of former Section 14691, the district shall continue to make any additions to the reserve fund necessary to provide for those payments. (d) (1) In addition to any other investments authorized by law for the investment of those funds, the funds of any specialized reserve or reserve fund established pursuant to former Section 14690 or former Section 14691 prior to their repeal may continue to be invested as authorized by Section 31595 of the Government Code for the investment of the funds of a county employees’ retirement system. (2) The governing board may employ investment advisers to advise it on these investments and the fees for these services may be paid from the special reserve or reserve funds. (e) The governing board may make additional cost-of-living adjustments in the payments to persons who retired prior to January 1, 1953.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026