(a) The board may, subject to and consistent with its fiduciary duty, establish a program utilizing the retirement fund to assist currently employed members and retired members who are victims of a natural disaster to obtain loans from the retirement fund for the sole purpose of repairing or rebuilding their homes that have been damaged by a natural disaster. In order to qualify for such a loan, the home of the currently employed member or retired member shall have been damaged by a natural disaster and the home shall have been in an area that has been declared a disaster area in a proclamation of the Governor of a state of emergency affecting the area in which the currently employed member or retired member resides.

(b) The board may loan any amount of money, up to and including 100 percent of the current appraised value of a home of a currently employed member or retired member. However, 5 percent of the loan may, at the discretion of the board, be secured by the contributions of the member who requests the loan.

(c) The board may, under such conditions as it may deem prudent, require that a currently employed member or retired member pledge other assets as collateral for a loan.

(d) The board shall establish terms for the termination of loans made pursuant to this section upon the separation of members from service, to ensure, in the case of any default, that the fund shall not suffer any loss and to provide, as a condition of retirement, for alternative security. The board may impose any other terms and conditions the board may determine appropriate.

(e) The Legislature hereby reserves full power and authority to change, revise, limit, expand, or repeal the loan program authorized by this section.

(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 634, Sec. 92. Effective January 1, 1997.)