2023 California Code › Education Code - EDC › TITLE 1 - GENERAL EDUCATION CODE PROVISIONS › DIVISION 1 - GENERAL EDUCATION CODE PROVISIONS › PART 13 - STATE TEACHERS' RETIREMENT SYSTEM › CHAPTER 14.5 - Military Service › Section 22851.

22851. The right to pension benefits under this part of a member who dies or who returns to employment with the same employer which had employed the member immediately prior to the eligible period of service in the uniformed services, and is subject to Chapter 43 (commencing with Section 4301) of Title 38 of the United States Code shall be determined under this section.
(a) (1) A reemployed or deceased member shall be treated as not having incurred a break in service by reason of that member’s eligible period or periods of service in the uniformed services.
(2) (A) Each eligible period of service served by a member in the uniformed services shall, upon return to employment, with the same employer which had employed the member immediately prior to the eligible period of service in the uniformed services, or upon death, be deemed to constitute service with the employer or employers toward plan vesting and eligibility for membership in the Defined Benefit Program. Service that is deemed to the member pursuant to this subparagraph shall not be used for benefit calculations.
(B) In cases of death during qualified military service or if a member fails to remit the member contributions that would have been required in respect of the eligible period of service in the uniformed services, service shall be used exclusively for plan vesting and eligibility for membership purposes. Service that is deemed to the member pursuant to this subparagraph shall not be used for benefit calculations.
(3) (A) Each eligible period of service served by a member in the uniformed services shall, upon his or her payment of the member contributions required under this part, be deemed to constitute service for the purposes of accruing benefits in the Defined Benefit Program and the Defined Benefit Supplement Program.
(B) A member who returns to employment, with the same employer which had employed the member immediately prior to the eligible period of service in the uniformed services shall not be entitled to any benefits under this part in respect of service in the uniformed services to which the member would not otherwise have been entitled had the member remained continuously employed and not undertaken such service in the uniformed services.
(b) For purposes of accruing benefits in the Defined Benefit Program and Defined Benefit Supplement Program, a member who returns to employment with the same employer which had employed the member immediately prior to the eligible period of service in the uniformed services shall be entitled to service credit, compensation earnable, contributions, interest, and additional earnings credits under this part for the eligible period of service in the uniformed services upon his or her payment of the member contributions required under Section 22901 and Section 22901.7, if applicable, that otherwise would have been due for such period of service had the member remained continuously employed and not undertaken such service in the uniformed services. No such payment of member contributions may exceed the amount the member would have been required to contribute under this part had the member not served in the uniformed services and had remained continuously employed by the employer throughout the eligible period of service in the uniformed services. If a member fails to remit the member contributions that would have been required under Section 22901 and Section 22901.7 if applicable, in respect of the eligible period of service in the uniformed services no benefits shall be provided under this part for the period to which the omitted contributions relate.
(c) Any payment of member contributions to the Defined Benefit Program or the Defined Benefit Supplement Program in this section shall be made by the member during the period beginning with the date of return to employment and may continue for three times the period of the member’s eligible service in the uniformed services, not to exceed five years. Any payment of member contributions to the Defined Benefit Program in this section by a member who returned to employment prior to January 1, 1997, and qualifies for benefits in accordance with the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (38 U.S.C. Secs. 4301 to 4335, incl.) shall be made by the member during the period beginning with the date of notification of eligibility by the employer to the system and may continue for three times the period of the member’s eligible service in the uniformed services, not to exceed five years. Any subsequent request to purchase service credit for this service shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 22800). If all contributions due under this part are not paid to the plan with respect to the Defined Benefit Program within the specified repayment period and in accordance with subdivision (b), the member shall be entitled to the benefits attributable to the contributions received or may request a return of his or her payments. Credited interest on member contributions made for the eligible period of service in the uniformed services shall not be credited under this part until after the contributions due are paid and then only prospectively to the member’s account in accordance with Section 22216. For the Defined Benefit Supplement Program, contributions, interest, and additional earnings credits the member would have earned had the member remained continuously employed during the period of eligible service in the uniformed services shall be credited retroactively after all contributions due are paid.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 218, Sec. 19. (SB 1352) Effective January 1, 2017.)