It is the sole intent of the Legislature, in enacting this chapter, to fully comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that apply to public retirement systems in order to maintain and ensure the federal income tax exempt status of the county employees’ retirement systems, to elect the “grandfather” option in Section 415(b)(10) of the Internal Revenue Code, and to require that each county and district provide benefits that replace the benefits that are limited by Section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code for affected members of the county employees’ retirement systems.

The Legislature finds and declares that all costs of local public agencies and local public retirement systems of complying with Section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code are a federal mandate within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution and Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2, as construed in City of Sacramento v. State of California (50 Cal. 3d 51).

It is the intent of the Legislature that this chapter not be construed to impose upon local public agencies that are maintaining county retirement systems pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 31450) of this part, state-reimbursable, state-mandated local program benefit costs within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution and Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2.

If either the Commission on State Mandates or a court determines that this chapter imposes upon any local agency, state-mandated local program benefit costs, notwithstanding any other provision of law, no reimbursement therefor shall be made from the State Mandates Claims Fund pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 or from any other state fund.

(Added by renumbering Section 31899.9 by Stats. 2003, Ch. 520, Sec. 18. Effective January 1, 2004.)