BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    






          SENATE PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT & RETIREMENT    BILL NO: AB 1658
          Lou Correa, Chair             Hearing date: June 14, 2010
          AB 1658 (Lieu)    as amended  3/01/10         FISCAL:  NO

           LOS ANGELES COUNTY EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION:  SERVICE  
          CREDIT ELECTION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS
           
           HISTORY  :            

              Sponsor:  Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers  
          Association, (Co-Sponsor)
                   Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS),  
          (Co-Sponsor)
                   Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department,  
                  (Co-Sponsor)

              Prior legislation:  none

           ASSEMBLY VOTES  :

              PER & SS             6-0       5/05/10
              Assembly Floor       76-0      5/13/10
           
          SUMMARY  : 

          Allows former Los Angeles Office of Public Safety employees  
          who are now employed in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's  
          Department, to consolidate their service from both  
          departments as safety service in the Los Angeles County  
          Employees Retirement Association (LACERA).  Employees who  
          elect to do so will pay the entire cost of consolidating the  
          service.

           BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS  : 
          
           1)    Existing law  :

             a)   establishes the County Employees Retirement law of  
               1937, covering 20 county retirement associations,  
               including LACERA.

             b)   allows a general member of a 1937 Act county  
               retirement system whose position is converted to a  
          Pamela Schneider
          Date:  6/7/10                                          Page 1  










               safety position to receive safety retirement credit for  
               some or all service in that position if the employee  
               pays the difference in cost of the member contributions  
               and interest he or she paid as a general member and the  
               cost required to fund the service as safety service.

           2)This bill  allows a former employee of the Los Angeles  
            Office of Public Safety, which was consolidated with the  
            Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, to receive some or  
            all of his or her service with the Office of Public Safety  
            as safety service if the employee pays the entire cost  
            (i.e., employer and employee contributions and interest) of  
            converting the general service to safety service.




           COMMENTS :

          1)   Arguments in support  

          According to the author:

            In 2009, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors  
            consolidated the County's Office of Public Safety into the  
            Sheriff's Department.  Those employees of the Office of  
            Public Safety who become deputy sheriffs will have two  
            different retirement benefits.  As employees of the Office  
            of Public Safety, they paid into a General LACERA  
            retirement for their years of employment; yet, as deputy  
            sheriffs, they will receive Safety LACERA retirement from  
            their years of employment in the Sheriff's Department.

            AB 1658 provides a way for these officers, at their own  
            cost, to have their retirement benefits reflect the risk  
            and duties they daily perform.

          According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the  
          Co-sponsor of  this bill  : 

            "Providing the opportunity for these members to receive  
            service credit is appropriate and the right thing to do.   
            Their service is appreciated, and they should have the  
          Pamela Schneider
          Date:  6/7/10                                          Page 2  










            option to fully fund their safety retirement".

          2)   SUPPORT  :

               Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers  
          Association, (Co-Sponsor)
               Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS),  
          (Co-Sponsor)
               Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, (Co-Sponsor)

          3)   OPPOSITION  :

               None to date




                                      #####























          Pamela Schneider
          Date:  6/7/10                                          Page 3