LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 5Pt. 3Ch. 14Art. 2§ 21536 Local Member Death Benefits

§ 21536 Local Member Death Benefits

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

§ 21536 Local Member Death Benefits

Key Takeaways

  • •If a local retirement system stops working, the time you worked there still counts toward your death benefits.
  • •This rule only applies to certain local members, not to employees of contracting agencies unless their boss agrees to it.
  • •Your boss has to officially say 'yes' to this rule by changing their contract with the board.

Example

A firefighter worked for a city for 10 years. Then the city's retirement system closed, and the firefighter joined a new system. Later, the firefighter passed away.

The 10 years the firefighter worked for the city still count when figuring out the death benefits for their family.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 21536 Local Member Death Benefits

In the determination of the portion of the basic death benefit provided in subdivision (b) of Section 21532, for local members who were members of a local retirement system at the time of that system’s discontinuance wholly or in part as provided in Section 20483, service included in the calculation of the completed years of service shall not be limited to service under this system, but instead service rendered as members of the local system, shall also be included. This section shall not apply to employees of any contracting agency nor to any such agency unless and until the contracting agency elects to be subject to its provisions by amendment to its contract with the board, made as provided in Section 20474, or unless the agency’s contract with the board includes at its effective date, a provision making the agency and its employees subject to the provisions of this section. (Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 906, Sec. 189. Effective January 1, 1997.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

basic death benefitlocal retirement systemcompleted years of servicecontracting agency

Related Statutes

  • § 21531 Death Benefit Payment Rules
  • § 21532 Basic Death Benefit Eligibility
  • § 21540.5 Death Benefit For Violent Acts
  • § 21542 Special Death Benefit Payment
  • § 21543 Special Death Benefit Payment

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 21536.
View Official Source