The monthly allowance payable pursuant to Section 75091 shall be paid to the guardian of surviving unmarried children while under 18 years of age and the surviving unmarried children over age 18 and under the age of 22 who are full-time students, and to the child or guardian of a surviving unmarried child over age 18 who is disabled by a condition which disabled that child prior to attaining age 18 and which has continued without interruption after age 18, until the disability ceases, of a judge who dies prior to retirement under this chapter without a surviving spouse or in the event that the surviving spouse of a judge dies after his or her death. The amount paid shall be divided equally among the children.

“Children,” for the purposes of this section, shall be limited to dependent children and stepchildren of the judge at the time of his or her death.

“Disabled” or “disability” means, with respect to qualification for an allowance to a surviving child, inability to engage in any substantial gainful occupation by reason of any physical or mental impairment which is determined by the board, on the basis of competent medical or psychiatric opinion, to be of permanent or extended duration.

Election to come within this article shall be made by filing a written notice thereof with the Judges’ Retirement System. Any election by a judge may thereafter be revoked by the judge and a reelection may be made at any time after revocation.

The benefit payable under this section to a disabled child shall not exceed 25 percent of the compensation payable, at the time payments of the allowance fall due, to the judge holding the office which the judge last held prior to discontinuance of service as a judge.

The amendments to this section made during the 1991–92 Regular Session shall be applicable to any retired judge who elects to be subject to the amended provisions of this section on or before January 1, 1993.

(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 176, Sec. 9. Effective July 13, 1992.)