(a) On and after January 1, 2013, each public retirement system shall modify its plan or plans to comply with the requirements of this section for each public employer that participates in the system.
(b) Whenever pensionable compensation, as defined in Section 7522.34, is used in the calculation of a benefit, the pensionable compensation shall be subject to the limitations set forth in subdivision (c).
(c) The pensionable compensation used to calculate the defined benefit paid to a new member who retires from the system shall not exceed the following applicable percentage of the contribution and benefit base specified in Section 430(b) of Title 42 of the United States Code on January 1, 2013:
(1) One hundred percent for a member whose service is included in the federal system.
(2) One hundred twenty percent for a member whose service is not included in the federal system.
(d) (1) The retirement system shall adjust the pensionable compensation described in subdivision (c) based on the annual changes to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: U.S. City Average, calculated by dividing the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: U.S. City Average, for the month of September in the calendar year preceding the adjustment by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: U.S. City Average, for the month of September of the previous year rounded to the nearest thousandth. The adjustment shall be effective annually on January 1, beginning in 2014.
(2) The Legislature reserves the right to modify the requirements of this subdivision with regard to all public employees subject to this section, except that the Legislature may not modify these provisions in a manner that would result in a decrease in benefits accrued prior to the effective date of the modification.
(e) A public employer shall not offer a defined benefit or any combination of defined benefits, including a defined benefit offered by a private provider, on compensation in excess of the limitation in subdivision (c).
(f) (1) Subject to the limitation in subdivision (c) of Section 7522.42, a public employer may provide a contribution to a defined contribution plan for compensation in excess of the limitation in subdivision (c) provided the plan and the contribution meet the requirements and limits of federal law.
(2) A public employee who receives an employer contribution to a defined contribution plan shall not have a vested right to continue receiving the employer contribution.
(g) Any employer contributions to any employee defined contribution plan above the pensionable compensation limits in subdivision (c) shall not exceed the employer’s contribution rate, as a percentage of pay, required to fund the defined benefit plan for income subject to the limitation in subdivision (c) of Section 7522.42.
(h) The retirement system shall limit the pensionable compensation used to calculate the contributions required of an employer or a new member to the amount of compensation that would be used for calculating a defined benefit as set forth in subdivision (c) or (d).
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 528, Sec. 4. (SB 13) Effective October 4, 2013.)