Attention Teachers:
You may or may not have heard, but back in June, Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill 1469 which will increase member, employer, and state contribution amounts over the next several years to the CalSTRS program.
Before this bill, the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) was only 67 percent funded and would have run out of money in 33 years.
Shared, gradual contribution rate increases for members, employers and the state take effect July 1, 2014. Most teachers will first see this change on their September 30th paycheck. Provisions of the bill are as follows:
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Member Contribution Increases
AB 1469 increases member contributions on compensation that is creditable to the Defined Benefit Program, which previously had been set at a rate of 8 percent of payroll.
| Effective Date | Prior Member Contribution Rate | Rate Changes Under AB 1469 | |
| 2% at 60 Members | 2% at 62 Members* | ||
| July 1, 2014 | 8% | 8.15% | 8.15% |
| July 1, 2015 | 8% | 9.20% | 8.56% |
| July 1, 2016 | 8% | 10.25% | 9.205% |
* Rate imposed on 2% at 62 members is based on the normal cost of benefits for the Defined Benefit Program. The contribution rate in future years assumes no change in normal cost.
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Employer Contribution Increases
School employer contributions will increase from 8.25 percent to a total of 19.1 percent of payroll, phased in over the next seven years.
| Effective Date | Prior Employer Contribution Rate | Increases Under AB 1469 | |
| Increase | Total | ||
| July 1, 2014 | 8.25% | 0.63% | 8.88% |
| July 1, 2015 | 8.25% | 2.48% | 10.73% |
| July 1, 2016 | 8.25% | 4.33% | 12.58% |
| July 1, 2017 | 8.25% | 6.18% | 14.43% |
| July 1, 2018 | 8.25% | 8.03% | 16.28% |
| July 1, 2019 | 8.25% | 9.88% | 18.13% |
| July 1, 2020 | 8.25% | 10.85% | 19.1% |
| July 1, 2046 | 8.25% | Increase from prior rate ceases in 2046-47 | |
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State Contribution Increases
AB 1469 increases the state’s contribution attributable to the benefits in effect in 1990 but does not change the base rate of 2.017 percent. Thus, the state contribution rates, which in Fiscal Year 2013-14 were 3.041 percent, will increase over the next three years to a total of 6.328 percent. When contributions for purchasing power protection are included, the state’s total contribution rate in 2016-17 will be 8.828 percent.
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Other Provisions
Increased member and employer contributions under AB 1469 are only payable for compensation that is creditable to the Defined Benefit Program. Compensation creditable to the Defined Benefit Supplement Program will continue to be credited with member and employer contribution rates of 8 percent each.
Contributions CalSTRS receives for Defined Benefit Supplement compensation that are attributable to increases under AB 1469 will be returned to school district employers. School district employers will then return excess member contributions to their employees and the returned pre-tax contributions will be considered taxable income in the year they are received by the employee. This will occur regardless of when the contribution was initially paid.
AB 1469 grants the Teachers’ Retirement Board limited rate setting authority for contribution rates. Member rates will remain fixed in statute. Lastly, the bill requires CalSTRS to report to the Legislature on the fiscal health of the Defined Benefit Program every five years beginning on or before July 1, 2019.
This legislation represents a prominent milestone in CalSTRS’ funding history and demonstrates the leadership and commitment of the Legislature, Administration and our stakeholders. With a responsible funding plan firmly in place, CalSTRS is on target to meet the promise of a secure financial future due to California’s educators.
For more information, cut and paste the following links in your browser:
http://www.calstrs.com/calstrs-2014-funding-plan
http://gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=18581
–Written on September 22, 2014