(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, all assets of an employer shall be used in the determination of the employer contribution rate for the membership comprising the basis of the computation. Assets held shall be recognized over the same funding period used to amortize unfunded accrued actuarial obligations, whether in excess of the accrued actuarial obligation or not, using the entry age normal funding method.

(b) On and after January 1, 1999, contracting agencies for which the actuarial value of assets exceeds the present value of benefits as of the most recently completed valuation, as determined by the chief actuary, may request that the board transfer employer assets to member-accumulated contribution accounts to satisfy all or a portion of the member contributions required by this part. That transfer shall be over a 12-month period provided the actuarial value of assets exceeds the present value of benefits. In determining the present value of benefits and the actuarial value of assets for purposes of this part, liabilities and assets attributed to the 1959 survivor allowance may not be included. On and after January 1, 2003, a transfer of assets may not be made pursuant to this subdivision unless all or the same portion of the member contributions of each member in a membership classification are satisfied through the transfer. An employer electing a transfer of assets pursuant to this subdivision shall satisfy the members’ contributions for a period of not less than one month and not more than one year.

(c) On and after January 1, 2002, any contracting agency for which the actuarial value of assets exceeds the present value of benefits as of the most recently completed valuation, as determined by the chief actuary, may request that the board transfer from the contracting agency’s employer account excess assets, as determined by the board subject to the requirements and limitations of Section 420 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 420), to a retiree health account established by the board, in its discretion, in the contracting agency’s employer account pursuant to Section 401(h) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 401(h)) for the purpose of providing health benefits to the contracting agency’s retirees and their covered dependents. The board may, in its discretion, transfer excess assets from the contracting agency’s employer account to that contracting agency’s retiree health account within that agency’s employer account, if the transfer meets the conditions of a qualified transfer pursuant to Section 420 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 420). The transferred assets shall be used solely for the payment of current retiree health liabilities. That qualified transfer shall be made only once each year. The board may adopt regulations necessary to implement this subdivision. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the regulations may provide for the nonforfeiture of accrued pension benefits of participants and beneficiaries of a plan from which excess assets are transferred to the extent necessary for the transfer to meet the conditions of a qualified transfer pursuant to Section 420 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 420), and may include any other provision necessary under Section 420 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 420) or Section 401(h) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. Sec. 401(h)) to accomplish the purposes of this subdivision.

(d) For the purpose of this section, “employer” means any contracting agency, the state, or a school employer.

(e) The actuarial report in the annual financial report shall also express the effect upon employer contribution rates of this section and of the recognition of net unrealized gains and losses.

(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 519, Sec. 13. Effective January 1, 2004.)