BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 634
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 19, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

             SB 634 (Committee on Public Employment and Retirement) - As  
                               Amended:  June 4, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                             P.E.R. &  
          S.S.Vote:6-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill makes various minor and technical amendments to the  
          Teachers' Retirement Law (TRL) to facilitate efficient  
          administration of the California State Teachers' Retirement  
          System (CalSTRS). Provisions of this bill:

          1)Bring California into compliance with federal law, by  
            restoring language previously removed that prohibits  
            registered domestic partners from rolling over the balances of  
            their retirement account to one another.

          2)Clarify that a member applying for disability must submit a  
            written application on a form specified by STRS.

          3)Clarify defined benefit program enrollment procedures for  
            substitute and part-time employees.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          CalSTRS indicates that any costs associated with this bill are  
          minor and absorbable.                                       

           COMMENTS  

           Rationale  . This bill, sponsored by CalSTRs, is its annual  
          omnibus bill to provide technical "housekeeping" changes in the  
          State Teachers' Retirement System Law to facilitate efficient  
          administration of the teachers' retirement system. It contains  
          non-controversial, clarifying, and technical changes that are  
          intended to remove ambiguities and inconsistencies in current  








                                                                  SB 634
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          state law. 

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Brad Williams / APPR. / (916) 319-2081