ARTICLE 4.5. Extended Service Incentive Program [75085. - 75089.1.]

Cal. Government Code - GOV 4.5.
in effect

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75085. Section 75085.

The Extended Service Incentive Program is hereby created to provide an incentive to judges who are eligible to receive the maximum retirement benefit to remain in public service. The program is intended to address the growing problem of judges retiring when they are first eligible to do so. The people of California are continuing to lose vital judicial resources and experience when long-serving judges leave public service. The Extended Service Incentive Program shall provide certain judges who retire with more than 23 years of creditable service with a lump sum payment in addition to their normal monthly retirement allowance. It is intended that the program shall operate at no cost to the state, due to the anticipated delayed retirement of the participating judges.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75085.1. Section 75085.1.

The design and administration of the Extended Service Incentive Program shall conform to the applicable provisions of Title 26 of the United States Code and the Revenue and Taxation Code.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75085.2. Section 75085.2.

If any provision of this article or application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this article that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this article are severable.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75085.3. Section 75085.3.

The board shall implement the Extended Service Incentive Program pursuant to the provisions of this article no later than July 1, 2001, unless the board determines, by resolution, that the implementation tasks cannot be completed until a later date, in which case the board shall implement the program pursuant to this article no later than January 1, 2002.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75085.6. Section 75085.6.

“Extended service calculation date” means the later of (a) January 1, 2001, or (b) the date the judge first becomes eligible to participate in the program pursuant to Section 75086.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75085.7. Section 75085.7.

“Extended service period” means a period of time commencing on the extended service calculation date and ending (a) on the date of the judge’s retirement or his or her earlier termination of service, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 75086.1, or (b) 120 months after the extended service calculation date, whichever is earlier. Nothing in this article shall be deemed to prohibit a judge from continuing to perform creditable service beyond the extended service period.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75085.8. Section 75085.8.

“Program payment” means the amount to be paid to the judge as a result of his or her participation in the program, as calculated in Section 75087.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75086. Section 75086.

A judge shall be eligible to participate in the program if the judge has performed at least 20 years of creditable service and is at least 60 years of age.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75086.1. Section 75086.1.

(a) A judge described in Section 75086 shall be entitled to receive a program payment at the time of his or her termination of employment and retirement if the judge continued to perform creditable service for at least 36 months after the extended service calculation date. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), if a judge described in Section 75086 ceases to perform creditable service within 36 months after the extended service calculation date due to the judge’s death or disability, or because the judge was unsuccessful in his or her efforts to be reelected or retained in office, the judge, or the judge’s beneficiary, shall be entitled to receive a program payment. No program payment shall be distributed pursuant to this subdivision prior to the implementation of the program as provided in Section 75085.3.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75087. Section 75087.

The program payment shall be calculated by the system as an aggregate amount equal to a percentage of the judge’s monthly salary for each month of the extended service period, taking into account any salary increases occurring during the period, plus monthly interest thereon at a rate indexed to 30 year United States Treasury Bonds. For the first to the 60th month, inclusive, of the extended service period, the calculation amount shall be 20 percent of the judge’s monthly salary. For the 61st to the 120th month, inclusive, of the extended service period, the calculation amount shall be 8 percent of the judge’s monthly salary.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75088. Section 75088.

Upon the termination of employment and retirement of a judge who is entitled to a program payment, as described in subdivision (a) of Section 75086.1, the judge shall receive the program payment, calculated pursuant to Section 75087, in the form of a single, lump-sum payment, in addition to any other retirement benefit to which the judge is entitled pursuant to this chapter.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75088.3. Section 75088.3.

The required beginning date of distributions that reflect the entire interest of the judge shall be as follows: (a) In the case of a lump-sum distribution to the judge, the lump-sum payment shall be made not later than April 1 of the calendar year following the later of the calendar year in which the judge attains the age prescribed by Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code or the calendar year in which the judge terminates employment. (b) In the case of a program payment payable on account of the judge’s death, the distribution shall be made no later than December 31 of the calendar year in which the fifth anniversary of the judge’s date of death occurs unless the beneficiary is the judge’s spouse in which case distributions shall commence on or before the later of either: (1) December 31 of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year in which the judge dies. (2) December 31 of the calendar year in which the judge would have attained the age prescribed by Section 401(a)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75088.4. Section 75088.4.

A judge described in Section 75086 may, at any time, designate a beneficiary to receive the benefits that may be payable to his or her beneficiary or estate under this article by a writing filed with the board, except that no designation may be made in derogation of the community property share of any nonmember spouse when any benefit is derived, in whole or in part, from community property contributions or service credited during the period of marriage, unless the nonmember spouse has previously obtained an alternative order for division pursuant to Section 2610 of the Family Code. If a judge has not filed a beneficiary designation with the board, all benefits payable pursuant to this article shall be paid to the survivors of the judge in the order set forth in Section 21493.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75089. Section 75089.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a judge shall have no vested rights under this article unless and until the judge satisfies the eligibility requirements specified in Section 75086. Nothing in this article shall be construed to limit the right of the Legislature to subsequently modify or repeal any provision of this article as it relates, or may relate, to all other judges subject to this chapter.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 75089.1. Section 75089.1.

The Judicial Council shall, on or before January 1, 2006, prepare a report to the Legislature that analyzes the effects of the Extended Service Incentive Program, including the effect, if any, of the program on the length of service of judges. The report shall include recommendations on ways to encourage long service by judges in the Judges’ Retirement System II, including whether and how to establish an Extended Service Incentive Program for members of the Judges’ Retirement System II. The recommendations should also ensure that the Judges’ Retirement System and the Judges’ Retirement System II provide appropriate incentives to attract and retain judges of the highest quality from all areas of legal practice. In addition, the board shall, on or before January 1, 2006, conduct an actuarial valuation to determine the costs of the program and report the results thereof to the Legislature.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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