BILL NUMBER: AB 1288 CHAPTERED 10/08/07 CHAPTER 331 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 8, 2007 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 8, 2007 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 7, 2007 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 11, 2007 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 28, 2007 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 12, 2007 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 3, 2007 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 18, 2007 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 25, 2007 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Hayashi FEBRUARY 23, 2007 An act to amend Section 31452.5 of, and to add Article 8.9 (commencing with Section 31698) to Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 3 of, the Government Code, relating to vision care. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1288, Hayashi. County employees: vision care. (1) The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 authorizes a county retirement board to give effect to a revocable written authorization signed by a retired member or beneficiary of a retired member entitled to a retirement allowance or benefit for the deduction of a specified amount for the purpose of paying for group life insurance, group disability insurance, prepaid group medical or hospital service plans, or dental plans approved by the board. This bill would further allow for the written authorization of, and deduction for, any vision care program approved by a county retirement board. (2) Existing law requires the Department of Personnel Administration to administer a vision care program for specified state annuitants and their dependents. The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 provides a comprehensive set of benefits for county and district employees who are members of a retirement system subject to that law. This bill would establish the County Retirement System Vision Care Program for purposes of providing vision care benefits to county and district retirees and their dependents, at retiree expense. The bill would permit the sponsor of the vision care program to contract with a 3rd-party administrator to provide vision care to the retired member, his or her survivors, and his or her eligible dependents. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 31452.5 of the Government Code is amended to read: 31452.5. The board may comply with and give effect to a revocable written authorization signed by a retired member or beneficiary of a retired member entitled to a retirement allowance or benefit under this chapter, authorizing the treasurer or other entity authorized by the board to deduct a specified amount from the retirement allowance or benefit payable to any retired member or beneficiary of a retired member for the purpose of paying premiums on any policy or certificate of group life insurance or group disability insurance issued by an admitted insurer, for any prepaid group medical or hospital service plan, or both, for any vision care program or dental plan, approved by the board, for the benefit of the retired member or his or her dependents, for the payment of premiums on national service life insurance or United States government converted insurance, for the purchase of shares in or the payment of money to any regularly chartered credit union, for charitable organizations or federally chartered veterans' organizations as approved by both the board of retirement and the board of supervisors, or for the purchase of United States Savings Bonds, or for the payment of personal income taxes to the government of the United States or of the State of California, and each month shall draw his or her order in favor of the insurer, institution, credit union, or government named in the written authorization for an amount equal to the deductions so authorized and made during the month. The board may charge a reasonable fee for the making of the deductions and payments. SEC. 2. Article 8.9 (commencing with Section 31698) is added to Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 3 of the Government Code, to read: Article 8.9. Vision Care 31698. This article shall be known and may be cited as the County Retirement System Vision Care Program. 31698.1. A member who retires from a county retirement system covered by this chapter may enroll in a vision care program offered pursuant to this article subject to meeting the eligibility requirements established for the program. 31698.2. Each retired member that elects to participate in the program shall be solely responsible for the payment of premiums. 31698.3. The benefits in this article are in addition to any other benefits provided in this chapter. 31698.4. The sponsor of the vision care program may contract with a third-party administrator to provide vision care to the retired member, his or her survivors, and his or her eligible dependents.