“Public agency” also includes the following:

(a) The Commandant, Veterans’ Home of California, with respect to employees of the Veterans’ Home Exchange and other post fund activities whose compensation is paid from the post fund of the Veterans’ Home of California.

(b) Any auxiliary organization operating pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 89900) of Part 55 of Division 8 of Title 3 of the Education Code and in conformity with regulations adopted by the Trustees of the California State University and any auxiliary organization operating pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 72670) of Chapter 6 of Part 45 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code and in conformity with regulations adopted by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.

(c) Any student body or nonprofit organization composed exclusively of students of the California State University or community college or of members of the faculty of the California State University or community college, or both, and established for the purpose of providing essential activities related to, but not normally included as a part of, the regular instructional program of the California State University or community college.

(d) A state organization of governing boards of school districts, the primary purpose of which is the advancing of public education through research and investigation.

(e) Any nonprofit corporation whose membership is confined to public agencies as defined in Section 20056.

(f) A section of the California Interscholastic Federation.

(g) Any credit union incorporated under Division 5 (commencing with Section 14000) of the Financial Code, or incorporated pursuant to federal law, with 95 percent of its membership limited to employees who are members of or retired members of this system or the State Teachers’ Retirement Plan, and their immediate families, and employees of any credit union. For the purposes of this subdivision, “immediate family” means those persons related by blood or marriage who reside in the household of a member of the credit union who is a member of or retired member of this system or the State Teachers’ Retirement Plan. The credit union shall pay any costs that are in addition to the normal charges required to enter into a contract with the board. All the payments made by the credit union that are in addition to the normal charges required shall be added to the total amount appropriated by the Budget Act for the administrative expense of this system. For purposes of this subdivision, a credit union is not deemed to be a public agency unless it has entered into a contract with the board pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 20460) prior to January 1, 1988. After January 1, 1988, the board may not enter into a contract with any credit union as a public agency.

(h) Any county superintendent of schools that was a contracting agency on July 1, 1983, and any school district or community college district that was a contracting agency with respect to local police officers, as defined in Section 20430, on July 1, 1983.

(i) Any school district or community college district that has established a police department, pursuant to Section 38000 or 72330 of the Education Code, and has entered into a contract with the board on or after January 1, 1990, for school safety members, as defined in Section 20444.

(j) A nonprofit corporation formed for the primary purpose of assisting the development and expansion of the educational, research, and scientific activities of a district agricultural association formed pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 3801) of Division 3 of the Food and Agricultural Code, and the nonprofit corporation described in the California State Exposition and Fair Law (former Article 3 (commencing with Section 3551) of Chapter 3 of Part 2 of Division 3 of the Food and Agricultural Code, as added by Chapter 15 of the Statutes of 1967).

(k) (1) A public or private nonprofit corporation that operates a regional center for the developmentally disabled in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 4620) of Division 4.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(2) A public or private nonprofit corporation, exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, that operates a rehabilitation facility for the developmentally disabled and provides services under a contract with either (A) a regional center for the developmentally disabled, pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 4648 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or (B) the Department of Rehabilitation, pursuant to Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 19350) of Part 2 of Division 10 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, upon obtaining a written advisory opinion from the United States Department of Labor as described in Section 20057.1.

(3) A public or private nonprofit corporation described in this subdivision shall be deemed a “public agency” only for purposes of this part and only with respect to the employees of the regional center or the rehabilitation facility described in this subdivision. Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, the agency may elect by appropriate provision or amendment of its contract not to provide credit for service prior to the effective date of its contract.

(l) Independent data-processing centers formed pursuant to former Article 2 (commencing with Section 10550) of Chapter 6 of Part 7 of the Education Code, as it read on December 31, 1990. An agency included pursuant to this subdivision shall only provide benefits that are identical to those provided to a school member.

(m) Any local agency formation commission.

(n) A nonprofit corporation organized for the purpose of and engaged in conducting a citrus fruit fair as defined in Section 4603 of the Food and Agricultural Code.

(o) (1) A public or private nonprofit corporation that operates an independent living center providing services to severely handicapped people and established pursuant to federal Public Law 93-112, that receives the approval of the board, and that provides at least three of the following services:

(A) Assisting severely handicapped people to obtain personal attendants who provide in-home supportive services.

(B) Locating and distributing information about housing in the community usable by severely handicapped people.

(C) Providing information about financial resources available through federal, state, and local government, and private and public agencies to pay all or part of the cost of the in-home supportive services and other services needed by severely handicapped people.

(D) Counseling by people with similar disabilities to aid the adjustment of severely handicapped people to handicaps.

(E) Operation of vans or buses equipped with wheelchair lifts to provide accessible transportation to otherwise unreachable locations in the community where services are available to severely handicapped people.

(2) A public or private nonprofit corporation described in this subdivision shall be deemed a “public agency” only for purposes of this part and only with respect to the employees of the independent living center.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this part, the public or private nonprofit corporation may elect by appropriate provision or amendment of its contract not to provide credit for service prior to the effective date of its contract.

(p) A hospital that is managed by a city legislative body in accordance with Article 8 (commencing with Section 37650) of Chapter 5 of Part 2 of Division 3 of Title 4.

(q) The Tahoe Transportation District that is established by Article IX of Section 66801.

(r) The California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Program formed pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 3070) of Division 3 of the Labor Code.

(s) A public health department or district that is managed by the governing body of a county of the 15th class, as defined by Sections 28020 and 28036, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971.

(t) A nonprofit corporation or association conducting an agricultural fair pursuant to Section 25905 may enter into a contract with the board for the participation of its employees as members of this system, upon obtaining a written advisory opinion from the United States Department of Labor as described in Section 20057.1. The nonprofit corporation or association shall be deemed a “public agency” only for this purpose.

(u) An auxiliary organization established pursuant to Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 69522) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code upon obtaining a written advisory opinion from the United States Department of Labor as described in Section 20057.1. The auxiliary organization is a “public agency” only for this purpose.

(v) The Western Association of Schools and Colleges upon obtaining a written advisory opinion from the United States Department of Labor as described in Section 20057.1. The association shall be deemed a “public agency” only for this purpose.

(w) The State Assistance Fund for Enterprise, Business and Industrial Development Corporation upon obtaining a written opinion from the United States Department of Labor as described in Section 20057.1.

(x) (1) A private nonprofit area agency on aging as described in Section 9006 of the Welfare and Institutions Code upon obtaining a written advisory opinion from the United States Department of Labor as described in Section 20057.1.

(2) The area agency on aging shall be deemed a “public agency” only for purposes of this part and only with respect to the employees of the agency.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, the area agency on aging may elect by appropriate provision or amendment of its contract not to provide credit for service prior to the effective date of its contract.

(y) (1) A nonprofit mutual water company operating pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 14300) of Part 7 of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code, upon obtaining a written advisory opinion from the United States Department of Labor as described in Section 20057.1, if both of the following requirements are satisfied:

(A) More than 50 percent of the company’s shares are owned by a municipality.

(B) The governing body of the company is a local public agency, as defined in Section 6252, and a legislative body, as defined in Section 54952.

(2) A nonprofit mutual water company that meets the requirements specified in paragraph (1) shall be deemed a “public agency” only for the purposes of this part and only with respect to the employees of the agency.

(3) A nonprofit mutual water company that meets the requirements specified in paragraph (1) shall be deemed a “public agency” for purposes of this part only if it complies with the provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 and Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 330, Sec. 2. (SB 782) Effective January 1, 2020.)