A family allowance is payable in the amount and to the specified persons in the following order of priority:

(a) To the deceased member’s surviving spouse who has financial responsibility for at least one dependent child, an amount equal to 40 percent of the member’s final compensation or the disabled member’s projected final compensation plus 10 percent of the member’s final compensation or the disabled member’s projected final compensation for each child, up to a maximum allowance of 90 percent.

(b) If there is no surviving spouse or upon the death of the surviving spouse, to each dependent child, an amount equal to 10 percent of the deceased member’s final compensation or the disabled member’s projected final compensation, up to a maximum allowance of 50 percent. If there are more than five dependent children, they shall share equally in the maximum allowance of 50 percent.

(c) To the surviving spouse at 60 years of age or over if there is no dependent child, a monthly allowance equal to the amount that would have been payable to the spouse as beneficiary under Option 3 pursuant to Section 24300, as that section read on December 31, 2006, that provides an allowance equal to one-half of the modified retirement allowance the member would have received at 60 years of age, computed on the member’s projected final compensation and projected service to normal retirement age. The allowance payable under this subdivision shall be increased by application of the benefit improvement factor for time that elapses between the date the member would have attained normal retirement age and the date the family allowance under this subdivision begins to accrue. The allowance calculation shall include service credit for the unused sick leave that had accrued to the member as of the date of his or her death. Eligibility for the inclusion of service credit for unused sick leave credit and the calculation of that service credit shall be determined pursuant to Section 22717.

(d) If there is no surviving spouse or dependent child, to the dependent parent, 60 years of age or over, a monthly allowance equal to the amount that would have been payable to the dependent parent as beneficiary under Option 3 pursuant to Section 24300, as that section read on December 31, 2006, that provides an allowance equal to one-half of the modified retirement allowance the member would have received at 60 years of age, computed on the member’s projected final compensation and projected service to normal retirement age. The allowance calculation shall include service credit for the unused sick leave that had accrued to the member as of the date of his or her death. Eligibility for the inclusion of service credit for unused sick leave and the calculation of that service credit shall be determined pursuant to Section 22717. If there are two dependent parents, only one family allowance shall be payable under this subdivision and that allowance shall be computed on the assumption that the younger parent is the option beneficiary and the allowance shall be divided equally for as long as there are two dependent parents. Thereafter, the full allowance shall be payable to the surviving dependent parent.

(e) The surviving spouse or dependent parent may elect to begin receiving the family allowance payable under subdivision (c) or (d) immediately upon the later of the death of the member or when there is no dependent child, or to defer receipt of the allowance to the date the surviving spouse or dependent parent attains 60 years of age. If allowance payments commence prior to the date the surviving spouse or dependent parent attains 60 years of age, the allowance payable shall be actuarially reduced.

(f) If there is no dependent child, a surviving spouse or dependent parent or parents may elect, prior to receipt of the first payment under subdivision (c) or (d), to receive the member’s accumulated retirement contributions in a lump sum subject to a reduction for any disability allowance or family allowance payments previously made.

(g) (1) The allowance calculated under this section shall not include either of the following:

(A) The increase in the percentage of final compensation pursuant to Section 24203.5.

(B) The increase in the monthly allowance pursuant to Section 24203.6.

(2) This subdivision does not constitute a change in, but is declaratory of, the existing law.

(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 323, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 2008.)