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California Code, Government Code - GOV § 20398

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

“State peace officer/firefighter member” also includes:

(a)(1) State officers and employees designated as peace officers as defined in Sections 830.1, 830.2, 830.3, 830.38, 830.4, and 830.5 of the Penal Code, or a firefighter whose principal duties consist of active firefighting/fire suppression, who is either excluded from the definition of state employee in subdivision (c) of Section 3513 or is a nonelected officer or employee of the executive branch of government who is not a member of the civil service, if the majority of his or her duties consists of one of the following:

(A) Responsibility for the direct supervision of state peace officer/firefighter personnel specified in Sections 20391, 20392, 20393, and 20395.

(B) Conducting investigations or audits of investigatory practices and other audits of, or in, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

(C) Administration of programs of an agency, department, or other organizational unit that is primarily responsible for active law enforcement or active firefighting/fire suppression.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “administration” means the actions of the employee designated as a peace officer/firefighter member in a position that is in the direct chain of command over an agency, department, or organizational unit in which the majority of employees are state peace officer/firefighter members as described in Section 20391, 20392, 20393, or 20395.

(b) “State peace officer/firefighter member” shall not include persons whose primary responsibilities are limited to personnel administration, budgeting, public affairs, data processing or information technology, governmental relations, or legal support, or administration or oversight of these responsibilities.

(c) “State peace officer/firefighter member” shall include individuals hired prior to January 1, 2009, who do not meet the criteria in subdivision (a) if those individuals have been continuously employed in positions that were deemed to come within the “state peace officer/firefighter member” classification pursuant to this section prior to January 1, 2009.

(d) “State peace officer/firefighter member” shall include individuals hired prior to April 1, 2011, or the first day of the first pay period following the enactment of the act that added this subdivision if that act is enacted after April 1, 2011, who do not meet the criteria in subdivision (a) if those individuals have been continuously employed in positions in the Office of the Inspector General that were deemed to come within the “state peace officer/firefighter member” classification pursuant to this section prior to April 1, 2011, or prior to the first day of the first pay period following the enactment of the act that added this subdivision if that act is enacted after April 1, 2011.

(e) The Department of Human Resources shall annually determine which classes meet the conditions described in this section and are not classes specified in Sections 20391, 20392, 20393, and 20395, and report its findings to the Legislature and to this system, to be effective July 1 of each year. An agency or department shall not designate a classification as a “state peace officer/firefighter member” classification pursuant to this section without prior approval from the Department of Human Resources.

(f) Members who are reclassified pursuant to this section may file an irrevocable election to remain subject to their prior retirement formula and the corresponding rate of contributions. The Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation may, upon appointment to that office on or after January 1, 1999, file an irrevocable election to be subject to the industrial formula and the corresponding rate of contributions. The elections shall be filed within 90 days of notification by the board. Members who so elect shall be subject to the reduced benefit factors specified in Section 21353 or 21354.1, as applicable, only for the service included in the federal system.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - California Code, Government Code - GOV § 20398 - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/government-code/gov-sect-20398/

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