This information pertains to CalPERS members who go to a reciprocal system. Questions regarding the rights, benefits. and obligations under any other retirement system should be directed to that system.

What is reciprocity?

• CalPERS has an agreement with many public retirement systems that allows movement from public employer to public employer within a specified time limit without losing valuable retirement and related benefit rights. This is called "reciprocity".

How does it work?

• When you leave your CalPERS-covered employment and join a reciprocal system, you become a member of both systems. There is no transfer of funds or service credit between retirement systems when you establish reciprocity. You become a member of both systems and are subject to the membership and benefit obligations and rights of each system (for example, minimum retirement age), except as modified by the reciprocity agreement. Upon retirement, separate retirement allowances are received from each system, and you must retire on the same date from all public retirement systems participating in a reciprocal agreement for all benefits of reciprocity to apply.

If you qualify for reciprocity, the final compensation used to compute your benefits will be the highest earnable under either system.

IMPORTANT: You may not withdraw your CalPERS contributions as long as you are an active member of a reciprocal system.

How do I qualify for reciprocity?

• You must satisfy certain statutory conditions in order to receive the full benefits of reciprocity when changing employment:
  • You must continue membership in the first retirement plan by leavingyour service credit and contributions (if any) on deposit
  • Your entry into employment in which you became a member of the reciprocal retirement system must occur within six months* of discontinuance of employment as a member of the first system
  • For the benefit of highest final compensation, you must retire concurrently under both systems.

• If you withdraw your CalPERS contributions and then go to a reciprocal system, you may redeposit your contributions and restore your CalPERS service credit. However, you would be eligible for reciprocity only if your move was within the time specified by law at the time of your move.

*Eligibility for reciprocity is determined by the retirement laws in effect at the time of movement between employers and retirement systems.

What are the restrictions?

• Reciprocity does not apply when termination and entry into employment resulting in a change in membership from CalPERS to another retirement system or from another system to CalPERS occurred before the effective date of the agreement that established reciprocity between the two systems. If you would have been eligible for reciprocity had the agreement been in effect at the time of the move, the provision relating to highest final compensation will apply as long as you retire on the same date under each system.

What systems have reciprocity with CalPERS?

• The public retirement systems that have established reciprocity with CalPERS, (systems under the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937), California Public Agency Systems and University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP) are listed below.

Public Retirement Systems that have Established Reciprocity with CalPERS

1. Counties that maintain retirement systems under the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937:

Alameda	Mendocino	San Mateo
Contra Costa	Merced	Santa Barbara
Fresno	Orange	Sonoma
Imperial	Sacramento	Stanislaus
Kern	San Bernardino	Tulare
Los Angeles	San Diego	Ventura
Marin	San Joaquin	.

2. California public agency retirement systems of the following:

CA Administrative Services Authority	City & County of San Francisco
City of Concord	City of San Jose
City of Costa Mesa (safety only)	Contra Costa Water District
Fresno Employees' Retirement System	San Luis Obispo County
Fresno Fire & Police Retirement System	East Bay Municipal Utility District
City of Los Angeles	East Bay Regional Park District (safety only)
City of Oakland (non-safety only)	Long Beach Schools Business Management Authority
City of Pasadena (fire & police only)	City of San Clemente (non-safety only)
City of Sacramento	City of San Diego
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transporation Authority (Non-Contract Employees' Retirement Income Plan) .
	.

3.The University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP)

Except for UCRP, all these retirement systems also have reciprocity with each other.

Systems with limited reciprocity

• State Teachers’ Retirement System
• Legislators’ Retirement System
• Judges’ Retirement System
• Judges' Retirement System II

If you enter employment under STRS, LRS, or JRS, CalPERS will use your highest salary under any of these systems when computing final compensation. You must retire under both systems on the same date. When you retire from CalPERS, note on your application your association with the other system.

You may leave your CalPERS contributions on deposit regardless of minimum service requirements. However, you may not withdraw your CalPERS contributions as long as you are an active member of STRS, LRS or JRS.

How do I request reciprocity?

• If you qualify, you can elect reciprocity when completing the CalPERS separation document or by written request. Send your request to:

CalPERS

Member Services Division

Membership Review Unit 841

P. O. Box 942704

Sacramento, CA 94229-2704

How can I obtain more information?

• Request the booklet "When You Change Retirement Systems" from the City's retirement office at (562) 570-6703 or contact CalPERS Member Services Division at (888) CalPERS (225-7377)