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HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 5Pt. 3Ch. 13Art. 3§ 21311 Retirement Allowance Definitions

§ 21311 Retirement Allowance Definitions

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 21311 Retirement Allowance Definitions

Key Takeaways

  • •This law defines terms for retirement money adjustments.
  • •Monthly allowance is the money paid to retired people or their families, but not all types of payments count.
  • •Base allowance is the original amount before any yearly changes.
  • •The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is used to adjust payments based on cost of living changes.

Example

A retired teacher gets a monthly check. Over time, the cost of groceries and bills goes up.

The law says the teacher's monthly check can be adjusted every year based on how much prices go up (using the CPI). This helps the teacher keep up with higher costs.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 21311 Retirement Allowance Definitions

The following definitions shall govern the application of this article: (a) “Monthly allowance” means any allowance payable monthly to a retired person, a survivor or beneficiary of a member or a retired person, other than a monthly installment of a basic death benefit, the commuted value of an unpaid temporary annuity, or an optional settlement 1, or allowances payable under Article 3 (commencing with Section 21570) of Chapter 14. There shall be excluded from the monthly allowance, for purposes of any adjustment under this article, any portion of the allowance derived from accumulated additional contributions of a member. (b) “Base allowance” means the amount of monthly allowance that would be payable to the recipient at the time of an annual adjustment under this article had this article not been enacted. (c) Effective January 1, 1978, “Consumer Price Index” means the United States city average “Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.” The “Consumer Price Index” for any period prior to January 1, 1978, means the United States city average consumer price index. Should the reference base of the consumer price indices (presently 1957–59=100) be changed, each of the indices used to determine the consumer price index as defined in this section will be the indices converted to the new base by standard statistical methods. (d) “Base year” means: (1) The calendar year 1965 for all members whose retirement occurred prior to January 1, 1966, and for the beneficiaries and survivors of those retired members. (2) The calendar year of retirement for all members whose retirement occurs after December 31, 1965, and for the beneficiaries and survivors of those members. (3) The calendar year 1965 for survivors of members whose death occurred before January 1, 1966. (4) The calendar year in which a member’s death occurs for survivors of members whose death occurred before retirement and on or after January 1, 1966. (Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 379, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1996.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

monthly allowancebase allowanceConsumer Price Indexbase year

Related Statutes

  • § 21330 Second Tier Annual Adjustment
  • § 21312 Retiree Allowance Adjustments
  • § 21313 Cost-Of-Living Adjustment Rules
  • § 21319 Retirement Allowance Increase
  • § 21320 Retirement Allowance Increase

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 21311.
View Official Source