CHAPTER 4. Fiduciary Duties [22250. - 22261.]

Cal. Education Code - EDC 4.

in effect

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 22250. Section 22250.

The board and its officers and employees of the system shall discharge their duties with respect to the system and the plan solely in the interest of the members and beneficiaries of the Defined Benefit Program as well as the participants and beneficiaries of the Cash Balance Benefit Program as follows: (a) For the exclusive purpose of the following: (1) Providing benefits to members and beneficiaries of the Defined Benefit Program as well as the participants and beneficiaries of the Cash Balance Benefit Program. (2) Defraying reasonable expenses of administering the plan. (b) With the care, skill, prudence, and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person acting in a like capacity and familiar with those matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise of a like character and with like aims. (c) By diversifying the investments of the plan so as to minimize the risk of large losses, unless under the circumstances it is clearly prudent not to do so. (d) In accordance with the documents and instruments governing the plan and the system insofar as those documents and instruments are consistent with this part and Part 14 (commencing with Section 26000).

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 22251. Section 22251.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), the assets of the plan shall never inure to the benefit of an employer and shall be held for the exclusive purposes of providing benefits to members and beneficiaries of the Defined Benefit Program as well as the participants and beneficiaries of the Cash Balance Benefit Program and defraying reasonable expenses of administering the plan and the system. (b) In the case of a contribution that is made by an employer by a mistake of fact, subdivision (a) shall not prohibit the return of that contribution within one year after the system knows, or should know in the ordinary course of business, that the contribution was made by a mistake of fact.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 22252. Section 22252.

Except as otherwise provided by law, the board and its officers and employees of the system shall not cause the system to engage in a transaction if they know or should know that the transaction constitutes a direct or indirect: (a) Sale or exchange, or leasing, of any property from the system to a member or beneficiary of the Defined Benefit Program, as well as a participant or beneficiary of the Cash Balance Benefit Program, for less than adequate consideration, or from a member or beneficiary of the Defined Benefit Program, as well as a participant or beneficiary of the Cash Balance Benefit Program, to the system for more than adequate consideration. (b) Lending of money or other extension of credit from the system to a member or beneficiary of the Defined Benefit Program, as well as a participant or beneficiary of the Cash Balance Benefit Program, without the receipt of adequate security and a reasonable rate of interest, or from a member or beneficiary of the Defined Benefit Program, as well as a participant or beneficiary of the Cash Balance Benefit Program, with the provision of excessive security or an unreasonably high rate of interest. (c) Furnishing of goods, services, or facilities from the system to a member or beneficiary of the Defined Benefit Program, as well as a participant or beneficiary of the Cash Balance Benefit Program, for less than adequate consideration, or from a member, or beneficiary of the Defined Benefit Program, as well as a participant or beneficiary of the Cash Balance Benefit Program, to the system for more than adequate consideration. (d) Transfer to, or use by or for the benefit of, a member or beneficiary of the Defined Benefit Program, as well as a participant or beneficiary of the Cash Balance Benefit Program, of any assets of the plan for less than adequate consideration. (e) Acquisition, on behalf of the system, of any employer security, real property, or loan.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 22253. Section 22253.

The board and its officers and employees of the system shall not do any of the following: (a) Deal with the assets of the plan and the system in their own interest or for their own account. (b) In their individual or in any other capacity, act in any transaction involving the system on behalf of a party, or represent a party, whose interests are adverse to the interests of the plan or the interests of the members and beneficiaries of the Defined Benefit Program, as well as participants and beneficiaries of the Cash Balance Benefit Program. (c) Receive any consideration for their personal account from any party conducting business with the system in connection with a transaction involving the assets of the plan.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 22254. Section 22254.

(a) Any board member or officer who breaches any of the responsibilities, obligations, or duties imposed upon them by Section 22251, 22252, or 22253 shall be personally liable to make restitution to the retirement fund for any losses to it resulting from each breach, and to restore any profits that have been made through use of assets of the fund and shall be subject to any other equitable or remedial relief the court may deem appropriate, including removal from the board. (b) No board member or officer shall be liable with respect to a breach of fiduciary duty under this part if the breach was committed before the board member or officer became one, or ceased to be one.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 22255. Section 22255.

(a) No board member or officer shall be personally liable for the breach of a fiduciary duty except as set forth in Section 22254 or 22256. This subdivision shall apply only to causes of actions arising on or after January 1, 1990. (b) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to lessen the scope of liability of board members or employees of the system for gross negligence or fraud in the investment of the retirement fund assets, nor to lessen the scope of liability of the board or system for breach of fiduciary duty pertaining to the administration of the plan.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 22256. Section 22256.

A board member or officer shall be liable for a breach of fiduciary responsibility of another board member or officer with respect to the system in the following circumstances: (a) If the board member or officer knowingly participates in, or knowingly undertakes to conceal an act or omission of the other board member or officer knowing that the act or omission is a breach. (b) If the board member’s or officer’s failure to comply with his or her responsibilities as set forth in Section 22251, 22252, or 22253 has enabled another board member or officer to commit a breach. (c) If the board member or officer has knowledge of a breach unless the board member or officer makes reasonable efforts under the circumstances to remedy the breach.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 22257. Section 22257.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 22203, the board may contract with or appoint one or more investment managers to manage the assets of the retirement fund. If the board has acted with care, skill, prudence, and diligence in meeting the requirements of Sections 22252 and 22253 in selecting and monitoring the investment managers, then, notwithstanding Sections 22250, 22252, 22253, 22254, and 22256, no board member shall be liable for the acts or omissions of the investment managers or be under any obligation to invest or otherwise manage any assets of the retirement fund that are subject to the management of the investment managers. (b) Incorporation of the fiduciary duty set forth in Section 22250 into the terms of a contract between the system and an investment manager shall be admissible as evidence that the board has acted with care, skill, prudence, and diligence in the selection of the investment manager.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 22258. Section 22258.

Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, there is hereby continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, from the retirement fund to the board, the amount necessary to pay for any insurance obtained pursuant to Section 7511 of the Government Code. These payments shall be made upon warrants drawn by the Controller upon demands made by the board.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 22259. Section 22259.

(a) All board members and officers and employees of the system shall execute a fidelity bond, in an amount determined by the board to be prudent, conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of the board member or employee. (b) All board members and officers and all staff of the investment division who are authorized to invest funds shall be covered with fiduciary liability insurance in an amount determined by the board to be prudent.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 22260. Section 22260.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the system may provide credit enhancement for bonds, notes, certificates of participation, or other evidences of indebtedness of an employer, provided that any credit enhancement transaction satisfies the requirement of Section 22250 and does not constitute a prohibited transaction for purposes of Section 503 of the United States Internal Revenue Code.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 22261. Section 22261.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board may make investments related to the planning, development, or acquisition of surplus real property owned by an employer, if the investment satisfies the requirements of Section 22250 and does not constitute a prohibited transaction for purposes of Section 503 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026