140. Peace Officer/Firefighter Retirement Classes

Who qualifies and what are the benefits?

You qualify if you meet any of these criteria:

you're employed in an investigator class defined in Government Code Section 20391, or
you're employed in any class defined in Government Code Section 20392, or
all of the following apply to you:
- you're a full-time, permanent employee, employed on or after July 1, 1984 as a
- Correctional Officer (BU 6), Protective Services and Public Safety employee (BU 7), or Firefighter (BU 8), and
- you're either a peace officer or a firefighter whose principal duties consist of active firefighting and fire suppression.

You must be

either a peace officer or a firefighter whose principal duties consist of active firefighting and fire suppression

and the majority of your duties must consist of

responsibility for the direct supervision of State peace officers or firefighters, or

investigating, auditing investigations, or auditing other audits for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or
administering programs primarily responsible for active law enforcement or active firefighting and fire suppression. Administering means that the majority of employees in your unit or departmental division under your direct chain of command are State peace officers or firefighters.

You get enhanced retirement, industrial disability, and survivor benefits.

You may be entitled to a 3% at 50, 3% at 55, or 2.5% at 55 retirement formula.
You get enhanced industrial disability benefits. Typically you'll get 50% of your salary, though it may be more based on how long you've served.
You're excluded from Social Security taxes. However, if you were hired on or after April 1, 1986, you have to pay the Medicare portion. That's 1.45% of your taxable gross earnings under $125,000.

GC 20391 - lists eligible investigator classes
GC 20392 - lists more eligible classes
GC 20395 - defines other criteria for eligibility
GC 20398 - outlines criteria for Excluded, CEA, Exempt, Management, and Supervisory employees
Chapter 4.5, Section 830 of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code - defines peace officer