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 2 - Definitions › Section 22135.

22135. (a) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 22134, “final compensation” means the highest average annual compensation earnable, as defined by Section 22115, by an active member who is a classroom teacher not subject to the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 and who retires, becomes disabled, or dies, after June 30, 1990, during any period of 12 consecutive months while an active member of the Defined Benefit Program.
(b) Section 22134, except subdivision (a) of that section, shall apply to classroom teachers who retire after June 30, 1990, and any statutory reference to Section 22134 or “final compensation” with respect to a classroom teacher who retires, becomes disabled, or dies, after June 30, 1990, shall be deemed to be a reference to this section.
(c) As used in this section, “classroom teacher” means any of the following:
(1) All teachers and substitute teachers in positions requiring certification qualifications who spend, during the last 10 years of their employment with the same employer which immediately precedes their retirement, 60 percent or more of their contract time each year providing direct instruction. For the purpose of determining continuity of employment within the meaning of this subdivision, an authorized leave of absence for sabbatical or illness or other collectively bargained or employer-approved leaves shall not constitute a break in service.
(2) Other certificated personnel who spend, during the last 10 years of their employment with the same employer that immediately precedes their retirement, 60 percent or more of their contract time each year providing direct services to pupils, including, but not limited to, librarians, counselors, nurses, speech therapists, resource specialists, audiologists, audiometrists, hygienists, optometrists, psychologists, driver safety instructors, and personnel on special assignment to perform school attendance and adjustment services.
(d) As used in this section, “classroom teacher” does not include any of the following:
(1) Certificated employees whose job descriptions require an administrative credential.
(2) Certificated employees whose job descriptions include responsibility for supervision of certificated staff.
(3) Certificated employees who serve as advisers, coordinators, consultants, or developers or planners of curricula, instructional materials, or programs, who spend, during the last 10 years of their employment with the same employer that immediately precedes their retirement, less than 60 percent of their contract time in direct instruction.
(4) Certificated employees whose job descriptions require provision of direct instruction or services, but who are functioning in nonteaching assignments.
(5) Classified employees.
(e) This section shall apply only to teachers employed by an employer that has, pursuant to Chapter 10.7 (commencing with Section 3540) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code, entered into, extended, renewed, or amended a written agreement with an exclusive representative, prior to January 1, 2014, that makes this section applicable to all of its classroom teachers, as defined in subdivision (c).
(f) The written agreement shall include a mechanism to pay for all increases in allowances provided for by this section through employer contributions or employee contributions or both, which shall be collected and retained by the employer in a trust fund to be used solely and exclusively to pay the system for all increases in allowances provided by this section and related administrative costs; and a mechanism for disposition of the employee’s contributions if employment is terminated before retirement, and for the establishment of a trust fund board. The trust fund board shall administer the trust fund and shall be composed of an equal number of members representing classroom teachers chosen by the bargaining agent and the employer. If the employer agrees to pay the total cost of increases in allowances, the establishment of a trust fund and a trust fund board shall be optional to the employer. The employer, within 30 days of receiving an invoice from the system, shall reimburse the retirement fund the amount determined by the Teachers’ Retirement Board to be the actuarial equivalent of the difference between the allowance the member or beneficiary receives pursuant to this section and the allowance the member or beneficiary would have received if the member’s final compensation had been computed under Section 22134 and the proportionate share of the cost to the plan’s Defined Benefit Program, as determined by the Teachers’ Retirement Board, of administering this section. The payment shall include the cost of all increases in allowances provided for by this section for all years of service credited to the member as of the benefit effective date. Interest shall be charged at the regular interest rate for any payment not received within 30 days of receipt of the invoice. Payments not received within 30 days after receipt of the invoice may be collected pursuant to Section 23007.
(g) Upon the execution of the agreement, the employer shall notify all certificated employees of the agreement and any certificated employee of the employer, who is a member of the Public Employees’ Retirement System pursuant to Section 22508, that he or she may, within 60 days following the date of notification, elect to terminate his or her membership in the Public Employees’ Retirement System and become a member of this plan’s Defined Benefit Program. However, only service credited under the Defined Benefit Program subsequent to the date of that election shall be subject to this section.
(h) An employer that agrees to become subject to this section, shall, on a form and within the timeframes prescribed by the system, certify the applicability of this section to a member pursuant to the criteria set forth in this section when a retirement, disability, or family allowance becomes payable.
(i) For a nonmember spouse, final compensation shall be determined pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (c) of Section 22664. The employer, within 30 days of receiving an invoice from the system, shall reimburse the retirement fund pursuant to subdivision (f). Interest shall be charged at the regular interest rate for payments not received within the prescribed timeframe. Payments not received within 30 days of invoicing may be collected pursuant to Section 23007.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 755, Sec. 13. (SB 1220) Effective January 1, 2015.)