As used in this article:

(a) “Employee” means any of the following:

(1) A permanent or probationary full-time employee of the trustees, regardless of period of service, who is a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System or the State Teachers’ Retirement System in compensated employment on or after October 1, 1976.

(2) A permanent or probationary part-time or intermittent employee of the trustees with at least the equivalent of six monthly compensated pay periods of service in the 18 months of pay periods immediately preceding the pay period in which the disability begins, who is a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System or the State Teachers’ Retirement System in compensated employment on or after January 1, 1979.

(3) In addition to those eligible under paragraph (1), an employee of the trustees appointed half-time or more for one year of service or one academic year, as defined by the trustees, or more, who is a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System or the State Teachers’ Retirement System in compensated employment on or after January 1, 1979.

(4) A permanent or probationary full-time employee of the trustees, regardless of period of service, who is a participant in the optional retirement program pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 89600), provided that he or she would otherwise be eligible to participate in the Public Employees’ Retirement System except for the election to participate in the optional retirement program.

(b) “Full pay” means the gross base salary earnable by the employee and subject to retirement contribution on the date of the commencement of his or her disability.

(c) “Disability” or “disabled” includes mental or physical illness and mental or physical injury including any illness or injury resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition. An employee is deemed disabled on any day in which, because of his or her physical, mental, or medical condition, he or she is unable to perform his or her regular or customary work.

(d) “Disability benefit period”, with respect to any individual, means the continuous period of disability beginning with the first day with respect to which the individual files a valid claim for nonindustrial disability benefits. For the purpose of this article, two consecutive periods of disability due to the same or related cause or condition and separated by a period of not more than 14 days shall be considered as one disability benefit period.

(e) “Appeals board” means the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board.

(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 385, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997.)