Public employees’ retirement: felony convictions.

Assembly Member Quirk-Silva's proposal to modify California's public employee retirement regulations would require public employers to complete misconduct investigations even when employees retire during the process. The measure adds provisions to existing state law governing the forfeiture of public retirement benefits following felony convictions.

Under the proposed requirements, public employers must continue investigating potential misconduct related to official duties, pursuit of office, or obtaining benefits when employees retire during active investigations. The bill mandates that employers refer cases to law enforcement agencies if their investigations uncover potential criminal conduct. Upon felony conviction for these activities, affected employees would forfeit accrued retirement benefits in accordance with current state statutes.

The measure creates new obligations for local government entities as employers, qualifying it as a state-mandated local program. Local agencies and school districts would be eligible for state reimbursement of associated costs if the Commission on State Mandates determines the bill imposes state-mandated expenses. The bill maintains existing benefit forfeiture mechanisms while adding new investigative requirements to prevent investigations from being curtailed by retirement.