(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, a member who is credited with less than the years of service specified in Article 1 (commencing with Section 21060) of Chapter 12 who enters employment as a member of a public retirement system supported, in whole or in part, by state funds, including the University of California Retirement System, or as a member of a county retirement system, within six months of leaving state service, shall have the right to elect to leave accumulated contributions on deposit in the retirement fund. Failure to make an election to withdraw accumulated contributions shall be deemed an election to leave accumulated contributions on deposit in the retirement fund. This section shall also apply to a member who is subject to Section 21076 or 21076.5.

(b) (1) An election to allow accumulated contributions to remain in the retirement fund may be revoked by the member at any time, except any of the following:

(A) While the member is employed in state service in a position in which the member is not excluded from membership with respect to that service.

(B) While the member is in service as a member of a public retirement system supported, in whole or in part, by state funds, including the University of California Retirement System.

(C) While the member is in service, entered within six months after discontinuing state service, as a member of a county retirement system.

(2) All accumulated contributions in a member’s account up to the time of revocation shall be distributed in accordance with an election pursuant to Section 20735.

(3) A member who is permanently separated from all service covered by the system, who is not subject to paragraph (1), and who attains the age that is one-half of a year prior to the age prescribed by Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code shall be provided with an election to withdraw contributions or, if vested, an election to either apply for service retirement or to withdraw contributions. Failure to apply for service retirement or to make an election to withdraw contributions within 90 days shall be deemed an election to withdraw contributions. If the person fails to either apply for service retirement or elect to withdraw contributions, or cannot, with reasonable diligence, be located, the accumulated contributions shall be distributed in accordance with Section 21500.

(c) A member whose membership continues under this section is subject to the same age and disability requirements as apply to other members for service or for disability retirement. After the qualification of the member for retirement by reason of age, which shall be the lowest age applicable to any membership category in which the member has credited service, or disability, the member shall be entitled to receive a retirement allowance based upon the amount of the member’s accumulated contributions and service standing to the member’s credit at the time of retirement and on the employer contributions held for the member and calculated in the same manner as for other members, except that the provisions in this part for minimum service and disability retirement allowances shall not apply to the member, unless the member meets the minimum service requirements. If a basic death benefit becomes payable under Article 1 (commencing with Section 21490), Article 2 (commencing with Section 21530), and Article 5 (commencing with Section 21620) of Chapter 14 because of death before retirement of a member, the average annual compensation earnable in the year preceding the date of termination of that service, rather than in the year preceding death, shall be used in computing the benefit under Articles 1, 2, and 5 of Chapter 14.

The provisions of this section, as it read prior to June 21, 1971, shall continue with respect to a member whose membership continued under this section on that date.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 159, Sec. 4. (SB 885) Effective January 1, 2024.)