Public employees’ retirement: felony convictions.

Assembly Member Quirk-Silva's public employee retirement legislation mandates that investigations into potential misconduct continue even when employees retire during the inquiry process. The measure requires public employers to maintain active investigations of employees suspected of misconduct related to their official duties, salary, or retirement benefits if criminal activity may have occurred.

Under the new provisions, public employers must refer cases with potential criminal elements to appropriate law enforcement agencies. While employers may close their internal investigations after making such referrals, the bill specifies that employees convicted of related felonies forfeit all accrued public retirement system benefits as of their conviction date. This builds upon existing state law requiring benefit forfeiture when public employees are convicted of felonies arising from official duties.

The measure creates new responsibilities for local government employers, qualifying it as a state-mandated program. Local agencies and school districts would be eligible for state reimbursement of associated costs, pending review by the Commission on State Mandates. The provisions apply to all categories of public employees, including elected officials, appointed officers, and career staff members.