(a) On and after the election date, the participant shall cease to accrue retirement benefits under this chapter, and instead shall begin to accrue benefits under the program pursuant to the terms of this article, which benefits shall be credited to the participant’s program account pursuant to Section 31772.

(b) A member’s election to participate in the program shall be irrevocable except in the following circumstances:

(1) If the member is married on the election date and if that spouse dies during the program period, the member may, within 90 days after the spouse’s death, elect to revoke his or her election to participate in the program. In that case, the member’s benefits shall be calculated on retirement as if the member had never entered the program.

(2) If the member elects to retire for disability under the circumstances described in Section 31774, the member’s participation in the program shall cease and the member may apply for conversion of the deferred retirement allowance to a disability allowance calculated at date of entry into the program, and the employee shall retain all proceeds in the program account.

(c) (1) A participant in the program shall have all of the rights, privileges, and benefits, and is subject to all terms and conditions of active employment including, but not limited to, eligibility for other benefit programs not related to retirement benefits, seniority, accrual and use of vacation and sick leave, and pay increases.

(2) A participant shall continue to make normal member contributions under this chapter during the program period.

(d) Except as otherwise provided in Section 31773, eligibility of a spouse for any benefits, including survivor’s benefits shall be based on the participant’s marital status and the duration of the marriage as of the retirement date.

(Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 897, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2004.)