CHAPTER 15. Community Property [27400. - 27413.]

Cal. Education Code - EDC 15.

in effect

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27400. Section 27400.

(a) This chapter establishes the power of a court in a dissolution of marriage or legal separation action with respect to community property rights in benefits under this part and defines the rights of nonparticipant spouses in the Cash Balance Benefit Program. (b) For purposes of this chapter, the termination, dissolution, or nullity of a registered domestic partnership, or the legal separation of partners in a registered domestic partnership, as provided in Section 299 of the Family Code, shall be treated in the same manner as a dissolution of marriage or legal separation of a member and his or her spouse.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27401. Section 27401.

(a) For purposes of this chapter, “nonparticipant spouse” means a participant’s spouse or former spouse who is being or has been awarded a community property interest in the benefits determined by reference to the amounts credited to a participant’s employee and employer accounts or the participant’s annuity. A nonparticipant spouse who is awarded separate nominal accounts is not a participant in the Cash Balance Benefit Program. A nonparticipant spouse who receives or is awarded an interest in a participant’s annuity is not a participant in the Cash Balance Benefit Program. (b) For purposes of this chapter, a participant’s registered domestic partner or former registered domestic partner who is being or has been awarded a community property interest in the benefits determined by reference to the amounts credited to a participant’s employee and employer accounts or the participant’s annuity shall be treated in the same manner as a nonparticipant spouse.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27402. Section 27402.

(a) Upon the legal separation or dissolution of marriage of a participant, the court shall include in the judgment or a court order the date on which the parties separated. (b) The court may order in the judgment or court order that the participant’s employee and employer credits in accounts which are attributable to periods of participation in the plan during the marriage be divided into separate nominal accounts in the name of the participant and the nonparticipant spouse, respectively. Any employee or employer account credits that are not explicitly awarded by the judgment or court order shall be deemed the exclusive property of the participant. (c) The determination of the court of the community property rights pursuant to this section shall be consistent with this chapter and shall address the rights of the nonparticipant spouse, including, but not limited to, retirement benefits, disability benefits, death benefits, or termination of the benefits of the participant.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27403. Section 27403.

The nonparticipant spouse who is awarded separate nominal accounts pursuant to Section 27402 is not a participant of the Cash Balance Benefit Program. The nonparticipant spouse is entitled only to rights and benefits explicitly established by this chapter.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27404. Section 27404.

The nonparticipant spouse is entitled to no benefits or rights from the separate nominal accounts except as otherwise provided in this chapter. However, this section shall not be construed to limit any right arising from the accounts of a nonparticipant with respect to the Cash Balance Benefit Program which exists because the nonparticipant spouse is employed to perform creditable service subject to coverage by the program.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27405. Section 27405.

Upon the legal separation or dissolution of marriage of a participant, the court may include in the judgment or court order a determination of the community property rights of the parties in the participant’s annuity consistent with this section. Upon election under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 2610 of the Family Code, the court order awarding the nonparticipant spouse a community property share in the benefits of a participant receiving an annuity shall be consistent with this section. (a) If the court does not award the entire annuity to the participant and the participant is receiving an annuity under paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 26807 or paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 26807.5, the court shall require only that the system pay from the plan the nonparticipant spouse, by separate warrant, his or her community property share of the participant’s annuity, or the option beneficiary’s annuity or both. (b) The nonparticipant spouse may designate a beneficiary to receive his or her community property share of the participant’s annuity.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27406. Section 27406.

The nonparticipant spouse who is awarded separate nominal accounts with respect to the Cash Balance Benefit Program shall have the right to a lump-sum distribution of amounts credited to the account. (a) The nonparticipant spouse shall file an application on a form provided by the system to obtain the distribution. (b) The distribution is effective when the system deposits in the United States mail a warrant drawn in favor of the nonparticipant spouse and addressed to the latest address for the nonparticipant spouse on file with the system. (c) If the nonparticipant spouse has elected on a form provided by the system to transfer all or a specified portion of the accounts that are eligible for direct trustee-to-trustee transfer under Section 401(a)(31) of Title 26 of the United States Code to the trustee of a qualified plan under Section 402 of Title 26 of the United States Code, deposit in the United States mail of a notice that the requested transfer has been made constitutes a distribution of the nonparticipant spouse’s credit balance from the separate nominal accounts. This subdivision shall not apply to a nonparticipant partner consistent with Section 402 of the Internal Revenue Code. (d) The nonparticipant spouse is deemed to have permanently waived all rights to an annuity when the distribution becomes effective. (e) The nonparticipant spouse may not cancel a distribution after the distribution is effective. (f) The nonparticipant spouse shall have no right to elect to redeposit the distribution after the distribution is effective.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27407. Section 27407.

No judgment or court order issued pursuant to this chapter is binding on the plan with respect to the Cash Balance Benefit Program until the plan has been joined as a party to the action and has been served with a certified copy of the judgment or court order.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27408. Section 27408.

(a) Sections 26107, 26700, 26802, 26806, 27000, 27002, paragraphs (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 26807, and paragraphs (1) and (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 26807.5 shall apply to a nonparticipant spouse as if she or he were a participant. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), this section shall not be construed to establish any right for the nonparticipant spouse that is not explicitly established in Sections 27400 to 27405, inclusive, and Sections 27409 to 27412, inclusive.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27409. Section 27409.

Upon being awarded separate nominal accounts or an interest in the annuity of a participant, a nonparticipant spouse shall provide the system with proof of his or her date of birth, social security number, and any other information requested by the system, in the form and manner requested by the system.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27410. Section 27410.

(a) The nonparticipant spouse who is awarded separate nominal accounts shall have the right to designate, pursuant to Sections 27100 to 27102, inclusive, a beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive the amounts credited to the separate nominal accounts of the nonparticipant spouse on his or her date of death, and any annuity attributable to the separate nominal accounts which is unpaid on the date of the death of the nonparticipant spouse. (b) This section shall not be construed to provide the nonparticipant spouse with any right to elect a joint and survivor annuity pursuant to paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 26807 or subdivision (a) of Section 26807.5.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27411. Section 27411.

The nonparticipant spouse who is awarded a separate nominal account under this part shall have the right to an annuity pursuant to paragraph (1) or (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 26807.5. (a) The nonparticipant spouse shall be eligible for an annuity if the following conditions are satisfied: (1) The nonparticipant spouse has at least three thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500) in his or her separate nominal accounts. (2) The nonparticipant spouse has attained the age of 55 years or more. (b) An annuity of a nonparticipant spouse shall become effective upon any date designated by the nonparticipant spouse, provided: (1) The requirements of subdivision (a) are satisfied. (2) The nonparticipant spouse has filed an application for an annuity on a properly executed form provided by the system, which is executed no earlier than 90 days before the effective date of the annuity.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27412. Section 27412.

The system shall include the contribution and earnings credits awarded to a nonparticipant spouse in the judgment or court order to determine the eligibility of a participant for an annuity.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 27413. Section 27413.

It is the intent of the Legislature to abolish any application of the terminable interest doctrine in California relating to the division of public retirement benefits of a participant in the event of dissolution of marriage or death if the division is made under this chapter.

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