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HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 5Pt. 3Ch. 5Art. 5§ 20589 Public Agency Retirement Transfer

§ 20589 Public Agency Retirement Transfer

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 20589 Public Agency Retirement Transfer

Key Takeaways

  • •This law lets some workers (like firefighters or police) switch their retirement plans if their job moves from one agency to another in San Francisco.
  • •The new retirement system takes over all the money and responsibilities for these workers' pensions.
  • •The workers keep the same benefits they had before, even though they're in a new system.
  • •This only happens in San Francisco and only if the workers' jobs were moved to a new agency.

Example

A firefighter works for the state but gets moved to work for San Francisco. His retirement plan changes because of this law.

The firefighter's old retirement plan gives his money and responsibilities to San Francisco's plan. He keeps all his benefits, just like before, but now San Francisco handles his pension.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 20589 Public Agency Retirement Transfer

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the board may enter into an agreement with the board of retirement of the San Francisco City and County Employees’ Retirement System, for termination of participation of a public agency whose contract has been in effect for at least five years in this system or the state with respect to certain safety members who have ceased to be employed by the public agency or the state and have been employed by the city and county, fire authority, or district as a result of a transfer of firefighting or law enforcement functions from the public agency or the state to the city and county, fire authority, or district and inclusion of the former public agency employees in that retirement system. (b) The agreement shall contain provisions the board finds necessary to protect the interests of this system, including provisions for determination of the amount, time, and manner of transfer of cash or securities, or both, to be transferred to the city and county system representing the actuarial value of the interests in the retirement fund of the public agency or the state and the transferred employees by reason of accumulated contributions credited to that public agency or the state and the employees transferred. The agreement may also contain any other provisions that the board deems necessary to address issues related to the transfer, including, but not limited to, benefits subject to an outstanding domestic relations order and benefits subject to a lien. The agreement shall apply only to employees who are employed by the city and county or district on the effective date of the agreement. (c) All liability of this system with respect to the members transferred under that agreement shall cease and shall become the liability of the San Francisco City and County Employees’ Retirement System as of the date of transfer specified in the agreement. Liability of the city and county retirement system shall be for payment of benefits to transferred employees. (d) Any member transferred who becomes a member of the city and county retirement system upon that transfer date shall be subject to provisions of this part and the provisions of the San Francisco City Charter and Administrative Code extending rights to a member or subjecting him or her to limitations because of membership in another retirement system to the same extent that he or she would have been had he or she been a member of the city and county retirement system during his or her membership in this system. (e) This section shall apply only in the City and County of San Francisco. (Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 268, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2005.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

retirementagreementliabilityterminationenforcementsan francisco citycounty employeescontract

Related Statutes

  • § 6508.2 Retirement Obligation Apportionment Agreement
  • § 20510 Hospital Contract Retirement Rights
  • § 20571.5 Contract Termination For Inactive Classifications
  • § 66540.61 Public Retirement System Contracts
  • § 19134 State Service Worker Wages

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 20589.
View Official Source