CA AB 1844
enactedJudges' Retirement System II: beneficiaries.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did CA AB 1844 pass?
Yes. CA AB 1844 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-27): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 553, Statutes of 2026.
What is CA AB 1844 about?
Existing law establishes the Judges' Retirement System II, which is administered by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System, and provides pension and other benefits to judges who are members. Existing law authorizes a judge to elect one of 4 optional retirement payment plans, with variations, in lieu of receiving the maximum retirement allowance for their life alone. The optional plans provide for a reduced allowance payable to the judge for life and a payment or allowance payable to their surviving spouse, as specified. Under existing law, the 100 Percent Beneficiary Option 2 with Benefit Allowance Increase consists of the right to have a retirement allowance paid to the judge until the judge's death and thereafter to have the same monthly allowance paid to the judge's surviving spouse for life, as provided, and the 50 Percent Beneficiary Option 3 with Benefit Allowance Increase consists of the right to have a retirement allowance paid to the judge until the judge's death and thereafter to have12 of the monthly allowance paid to the judge's surviving spouse for life, as provided. This bill would authorize a judge who retires on or after January 1, 2027, to elect to be subject to alternative provisions governing those 4 optional retirement payment plans described above, which would allow a judge to designate a beneficiary, which may or may not include their spouse, to receive the payment or allowance after the judge's death. A designation of a beneficiary under these alternative provisions would be subject to the community property rights of the judge's spouse. The bill would provide that under these alternative provisions, for the 100 Percent Beneficiary Option 2 with Benefit Allowance Increase and the 50 Percent Beneficiary Option 3 with Benefit Allowance Increase, if a nonspouse beneficiary waives entitlement to the allowance, the judge's allowance shall be adjusted effective the first day of the month following the receipt of the waiver to reflect the benefit that would have been paid had the judge not selected an optional settlement. The bill would provide that these two optional retirement payment plans shall not result in additional cost to the employer. Existing law authorizes the surviving spouse of a judge who died in office, had attained the minimum age for service retirement, with a minimum of 20 years of service, and met other requirements to receive an allowance that is equal to the amount that the judge would have received if the judge had been retired from service on the date of death, as specified. This bill would remove the requirement that the judge have had a minimum of 20 years of service in order to receive this surviving spouse allowance. Existing law authorizes the surviving spouse of a retired judge who was receiving a retirement allowance pursuant to specified provisions to receive a monthly allowance equal to 50% of the deceased judge's unmodified monthly retirement allowance, as provided. Under this bill, the surviving spouse of a retired judge who elected to be subject to the alternative provisions described above governing the 4 optional retirement payment plans would receive this surviving spouse allowance only if the spouse was married to the judge continuously from the date of the judge's retirement until the date of the judge's death. This bill would make other related and technical changes.
Who sponsors CA AB 1844?
Pacheco is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1844.
Description
Existing law establishes the Judges' Retirement System II, which is administered by the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System, and provides pension and other benefits to judges who are members. Existing law authorizes a judge to elect one of 4 optional retirement payment plans, with variations, in lieu of receiving the maximum retirement allowance for their life alone. The optional plans provide for a reduced allowance payable to the judge for life and a payment or allowance payable to their surviving spouse, as specified. Under existing law, the 100 Percent Beneficiary Option 2 with Benefit Allowance Increase consists of the right to have a retirement allowance paid to the judge until the judge's death and thereafter to have the same monthly allowance paid to the judge's surviving spouse for life, as provided, and the 50 Percent Beneficiary Option 3 with Benefit Allowance Increase consists of the right to have a retirement allowance paid to the judge until the judge's death and thereafter to have12 of the monthly allowance paid to the judge's surviving spouse for life, as provided. This bill would authorize a judge who retires on or after January 1, 2027, to elect to be subject to alternative provisions governing those 4 optional retirement payment plans described above, which would allow a judge to designate a beneficiary, which may or may not include their spouse, to receive the payment or allowance after the judge's death. A designation of a beneficiary under these alternative provisions would be subject to the community property rights of the judge's spouse. The bill would provide that under these alternative provisions, for the 100 Percent Beneficiary Option 2 with Benefit Allowance Increase and the 50 Percent Beneficiary Option 3 with Benefit Allowance Increase, if a nonspouse beneficiary waives entitlement to the allowance, the judge's allowance shall be adjusted effective the first day of the month following the receipt of the waiver to reflect the benefit that would have been paid had the judge not selected an optional settlement. The bill would provide that these two optional retirement payment plans shall not result in additional cost to the employer. Existing law authorizes the surviving spouse of a judge who died in office, had attained the minimum age for service retirement, with a minimum of 20 years of service, and met other requirements to receive an allowance that is equal to the amount that the judge would have received if the judge had been retired from service on the date of death, as specified. This bill would remove the requirement that the judge have had a minimum of 20 years of service in order to receive this surviving spouse allowance. Existing law authorizes the surviving spouse of a retired judge who was receiving a retirement allowance pursuant to specified provisions to receive a monthly allowance equal to 50% of the deceased judge's unmodified monthly retirement allowance, as provided. Under this bill, the surviving spouse of a retired judge who elected to be subject to the alternative provisions described above governing the 4 optional retirement payment plans would receive this surviving spouse allowance only if the spouse was married to the judge continuously from the date of the judge's retirement until the date of the judge's death. This bill would make other related and technical changes.
- Introduced
- 2026-03-18
- Latest action
- 2026-09-27 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 553, Statutes of 2026.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Pachecoauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-09-27
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 553, Statutes of 2026.
became-law
2026-09-27
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2026-09-08
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.
executive-receipt
2026-08-28
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0.).
2026-08-28
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 6794.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-27
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2026-08-27
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-08-25
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2026-08-17
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-13
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2026-08-13
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage
2026-08-03
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-06-22
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2026-06-11
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-06-10
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 10).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2026-05-06
Referred to Coms. on L., P.E. & R. and APPR.
referral-committee
2026-03-26
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2026-03-26
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 4441.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-03-23
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-03-19
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2026-03-18
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 18).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage
2026-02-23
Referred to Com. on P. E. & R.
referral-committee
2026-02-12
From printer. May be heard in committee March 14.
2026-02-11
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
Versions
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Votes
Do pass as amended.
2026-03-18 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Lackey: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Boerner: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Nguyen: yes
AB 1844 Pacheco Assembly Third Reading
2026-03-26 · pass · 73-0
Member-level votes (80)
- Elhawary: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- Ta: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Ward: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Krell: yes
- Castillo: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Solache: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Hart: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Gallagher: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Patel: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Fong: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Lee: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Haney: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Lackey: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Papan: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Chen: yes
- Kalra: yes
- DeMaio: yes
- Bains: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Addis: yes
- Davies: yes
- Hadwick: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Soria: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Ellis: other
- Ávila Farías: other
- Carrillo: other
- Berman: other
- Celeste Rodriguez: other
- Flora: other
- Dixon: other
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2026-06-10 · pass · 5-0
Member-level votes (5)
- Durazo: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Laird: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Strickland: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-09-30T15:54:55.732407Z
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