BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SB 215
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 3, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                     SB 215 (Beall) - As Amended:  May 30, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                             PERSS Vote:6-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill makes technical and conforming changes to the Public  
          Employees' Retirement Law (PERL) necessary for continued  
          effective administration of the California Public Employees'  
          Retirement System (CalPERS).  The provisions address issue  
          regarding contracting, paperless benefit statements,  
          reimbursement of employers for Board of Administration costs and  
          technical cleanup.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          CalPERS estimates it will save about $2 million because of the  
          provisions of this bill.

           COMMENTS  

          1)  Purpose  .  According to the sponsor, CalPERS, SB 215 would  
            make several minor policy and technical amendments to various  
            sections of the Government Code administered by CalPERS and  
            ensures the statutes administered by CalPERS are as clear and  
            unambiguous as possible.   CalPERS reports that it incurs an  
            annual cost of $2.8 million to reimburse the State Controller  
            for printing and mailing benefit statements each month to  
            approximately 92% of retirees who receive their retirement  
            allowance through Electronic Funds Transfer.  By authorizing  
            CalPERS to provide benefit statements electronically, this  
            bill would reduce that cost proportionately.

           2)Technical amendment  .  Existing law limits a spouse who has  
            remarried a former spouse from making the same beneficiary  
            choices as other CalPERS members.  The amendment removes the  
            limitation.








                                                                  SB 215
                                                                  Page  2


           3)There is no registered opposition to this bill.
           

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Roger Dunstan / APPR. / (916) 319-2081