BILL NUMBER: AB 106	CHAPTERED  09/29/03

	CHAPTER  548
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 29, 2003
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  SEPTEMBER 28, 2003
	PASSED THE SENATE  SEPTEMBER 8, 2003
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  JUNE 2, 2003
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 20, 2003

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Corbett and Dutton
   (Principal coauthor:  Assembly Member Calderon)
   (Principal coauthor:  Senator Battin)
   (Coauthors:  Assembly Members Bates, Chavez, Cogdill, Garcia,
Harman, Koretz, Levine, Lieber, Liu, Longville, Lowenthal, Maze,
Nation, Plescia, Runner, Salinas, Spitzer, Wolk, Wyland, and Yee)
   (Coauthors:  Senators Bowen, Kuehl, and Vasconcellos)

                        JANUARY 10, 2003

   An act to amend Section 22171 of the Education Code, relating to
state teachers' retirement.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 106, Corbett.  Teachers' Retirement System:  surviving spouse.
   Existing law defines a spouse, for purposes of qualification for
specified survivors' benefits under the Defined Benefit Program of
the State Teachers' Retirement Plan, as a person who was married to
the member of the program for a continuous period beginning at least
12 months prior to the death of the member, unless specified
conditions exist.
   This bill would additionally define a spouse, for these purposes,
as a person who was married to the member for less than 12 months, if
the member's death was accidental, as defined, or for the period
beginning prior to the occurrence of the injury or diagnosis of the
illness that resulted in death, except as specified.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 22171 of the Education Code is amended to read:

   22171.  (a) "Spouse" means a person who was continuously married
to the member for the period beginning at least 12 months prior to
the death of the member, unless a child is born to the member and his
or her spouse within the 12-month period or unless the spouse is
carrying the member's unborn child.
   (b) "Spouse" also means a person who was married to the member for
less than 12 months, if the member's death was accidental, or for
the period beginning prior to the occurrence of the injury or
diagnosis of the illness that resulted in death.
   (1) A member's death is defined as accidental only if he or she
received bodily injuries through violent, external, or accidental
means and died as a direct result of the bodily injuries and
independent of all other causes.
   (2) This subdivision does not apply if, at the time of the
marriage, the member could not have reasonably been expected to live
for 12 months, due to a known illness.