BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



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          Date of Hearing:   May 6, 2015


           ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, RETIREMENT, AND SOCIAL  
                                      SECURITY


                                  Rob Bonta, Chair


          AB 663  
          (Irwin) - As Introduced February 24, 2015


          SUBJECT:  County retirement boards:  alternate members


          SUMMARY:  Authorizes the board of supervisors in Ventura County  
          to make specified alternate appointments to their county board  
          of retirement.  Specifically, this bill: 





          1)Permits the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, by resolution  
            adopted by majority vote, to appoint one alternate member for  
            the 4th, 5th, 6th, or 9th retirement board member.

          Specifies that the term of office for the alternate member will  
            run concurrently with the term of office of the 9th member.

          2)Provides that the alternate board member can only vote when  
            the 4th, 5th, 6th, or 9th members is absent from meetings of  
            the county retirement board.



          3)Specifies that if there is a vacancy with respect to the 4th,  








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            5th, 6th, or 9th member, the alternate member will fill the  
            vacancy until a successor is appointed.



          4)Requires that the alternate member have the same compensation  
            for attending a meeting whether or not the 4th, 5th, 6th, or  
            9th member attends the meeting.



          EXISTING LAW:  


          1)Establishes the County Employees' Retirement Law of 1937 ('37  
            Act), which provides for retirement systems for county and  
            district employees in those counties adopting its provisions.   
            Currently 20 counties operate retirement systems under the '37  
            Act.

          2)Sets forth the composition of the nine-member board of  
            retirement for any '37 Act county retirement system as  
            follows:



             a)   The county treasurer;

             b)   Two general (non-safety) members elected by the general  
               members of the system (2nd and 3rd members);



             c)   Four members who are qualified electors not in any way  
               connected with county government, except one may be a  
               county supervisor, appointed by the board of supervisors  
               (4th, 5th, 6th, and 9th members);










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             d)   One safety member elected by the safety members of the  
               system (7th member); and,



             e)   One retired member elected by the retired members of the  
               system (8th member).



          3)Provides for alternates for all retirement board members  
            except those appointed by the board of supervisors (4th, 5th,  
            6th, and 9th members).

          4)Permits the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors, by resolution  
            adopted by majority vote, to appoint one alternate member for  
            the 4th, 5th, 6th, or 9th retirement board member.



          FISCAL EFFECT:  Unknown.  This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the  
          Legislative Counsel.


          COMMENTS:  According to the author, "Actions of the Retirement  
          Board can have a significant impact on County finances and  
          operations.  Existing '37 Act law provides alternates for all  
          Retirement Board members except those appointed by the Board of  
          Supervisors.  There are occasions when a County appointee is  
          unable to attend, and it is important that the County have full  
          representation at all times on the Retirement Board."



          AB 2628 (Mansoor) of 2014 would have allowed the Orange County  
          Board of Supervisors to appoint alternate members to the county  
          board of retirement.  That bill failed passage in this Committee  
          due to opposition from numerous Orange County employee  








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          organizations.



          AB 719 (Canciamilla), Chapter 64, Statutes of 2005, authorized  
          the board of supervisors in Contra Costa County to make  
          specified alternate appointments to their county board of  
          retirement.



          REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:




          Support


          Ventura County Board of Supervisors (Sponsor)




          Opposition


          None on file




          Analysis Prepared by:Karon Green / P.E.,R., & S.S. / (916)  
          319-3957













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