(a) The board shall pay monthly to an employee or annuitant who is enrolled in, or whose family member is enrolled in, a Medicare health benefit plan under this part the amount of the Medicare Part B premiums, exclusive of penalties, except as provided in Section 22831. This payment may not exceed the difference between the maximum employer contribution and the amount contributed by the employer toward the cost of premiums for the health benefit plan in which the employee or annuitant and the employee’s or annuitant’s family members are enrolled. No payment may be made in any month if the difference is less than one dollar ($1).

(b) This section shall be applicable only to state employees, annuitants who retired while state employees, and the family members of those persons.

(c) With respect to an annuitant, the board shall pay to the annuitant the amount required by this section from the same source from which the annuitant’s allowance is paid. Those amounts are hereby appropriated monthly from the General Fund to reimburse the board for those payments.

(d) There is hereby appropriated from the appropriate funds the amounts required by this section to be paid to active state employees.

(e) This section does not apply to:

(1) A state employee who is first employed by the state and becomes a state member of the system on or after January 1, 2016, and who is represented by State Bargaining Unit 9 or 10.

(2) A state employee related to State Bargaining Unit 9 or 10 who is excepted from the definition of “state employee” in subdivision (c) of Section 3513 and is first employed by the state and becomes a state member of the system on or after January 1, 2016.

(3) A state employee who is first employed by the state and becomes a state member of the system on or after January 1, 2017, and who is represented by State Bargaining Unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, or 21.

(4) A state employee related to State Bargaining Unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, or 21 who is excepted from the definition of “state employee” in subdivision (c) of Section 3513 and is first employed by the state and becomes a state member of the system on or after January 1, 2017.

(5) A judicial branch employee who is first employed by the state and becomes a state member of the system on or after January 1, 2017. This paragraph does not apply to a judge who is subject to Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 75000) or Chapter 11.5 (commencing with Section 75500) of Title 8.

(6) A state employee who is first employed by the state and becomes a state member of the system on or after April 1, 2017, and who is represented by State Bargaining Unit 16.

(7) A state employee related to State Bargaining Unit 16 who is excepted from the definition of “state employee” in subdivision (c) of Section 3513 and is first employed by the state and becomes a state member of the system on or after April 1, 2017.

(8) A state employee who is first employed by the state and becomes a state member of the system on or after January 1, 2020, and who is represented by State Bargaining Unit 5.

(9) A state employee related to State Bargaining Unit 5 who is excepted from the definition of “state employee” in subdivision (c) of Section 3513 and is first employed by the state and becomes a state member of the system on or after January 1, 2020.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 859, Sec. 21. (AB 118) Effective October 13, 2019.)