1930’s – 1960’s
1930’s
1934 All were welcome to join for the annual dues of $1. After several years, CalRTA made its first major breakthrough in 1934, when pensions were finally boosted.
1937 AB 1195, changes in administration of teacher retirement, control by the State Board of Education plus two active teachers, both over investments and payment of retirement allowances; no basic changes in benefits or funding.
1940’s
1941 AB 907 granted retirement credit for teachers in military service and provision for making contributions while in service.
1944 AB 13 provided a new formula for teacher contributions and retirements based on sex and age at retirement, ranging from 2.53% for a 20-year-old male to 4.85% for a 62-year-old female; $60 of the total teacher contribution being credited to the Permanent Fund and the balance credited to a new Retirement Annuity Fund; all teachers guaranteed a minimum retirement allowance of $60 per month; no credit for out-of-state teaching service after July 1, 1944; school districts to continue contribution of $12 per teacher; allocation of 5% of state inheritance tax discontinued; appropriation of $30 million from State General Fund to build up Teacher Retirement Fund.
1947 Amount of teacher salary on which teacher retirement contributions are based for credit toward retirement increased from $3,000 to $5,000.
1950’s
1952 Removed $5,000 limit on annual teacher salaries used as a basis for teacher retirement contributions.
1953 Authorized a minimum retirement allowance of $170 per month after 30 years’ service and 60 years of age or more; prorated benefit at age 60 and less than 30 years of service.
1955 SB 1445, major changes in retirement benefits, effective July 1, 1956; a 1/50 benefit formula provided a retirement allowance of 1.657% of final compensation for each year of service, with an actuarial reduction down to age 55 and an actuarial increase up to age 63, also applied to all prior teacher retirements; minimum retirement benefit changed to $70 per year for each year of credited service up to a maximum of 40 years.
1960’s
1964 Minimum retirement benefit increased from $70 to $80 a year for each year of credited teaching service up to maximum of 40 years.
1967 AB 98 provided a one-time increase in retirement allowances for older retired teachers, varying from 2% to 23% of the first $300 of the monthly retirement allowance.
1969 AB 324 permitted qualified retired teachers to be employed as substitutes in California public schools and colleges, and to earn a maximum of $4,000 per year without loss of retirement benefits.
A8 1148 to allow up to 5 years credit for out-of-state teaching after July 1, 1944; passed by State Legislature but vetoed by Governor Ronald Reagan.
1970’s – 2000’s
1970’s
1971 AB 543, revision of AB 1307, authored by E. Richard Barnes of San Diego, signed by Governor Ronald Reagan, in effect July 1, 1972, teacher contribution changed from age and sex formula to a flat 8% of annual salary for all teachers; school district to pay 8% of annual teacher salaries; State appropriation of $135 million per year paid to Teacher Retirement Fund for 30 years, beginning in 1972; cost-of-living benefit for teachers retired before June 1, 1971, varying from 2% to 14% of the first $300 of monthly allowance; an automatic annual increase in monthly allowances of all retired teachers, noncumulative, beginning September 1, 1973; minimum retirement benefit of $10 per month for each year of teaching service; permitted earlier teacher retirement with relatively higher benefits; increase in death benefit from $500 to $2,000; local retirement systems given option of separate continuance or merging with STRS; all funds combined into a single State Teachers Retirement Fund.
1972 AB 444 granted retirement credit for sabbatical leave, provide that teacher and employer contributions are paid in full.
1976 SB 1641, benefits increased for teachers retired with 20 or more years of service prior to July 1, 1972, in 1972-73, or in 1973-74 at rates of 9%, 6%, or 3%, respectively, on the first $300 of their monthly allowance.
1977 AS 244 authorized sending of monthly retirement allowance checks to any bank, savings and loan association, or credit union for direct deposit to the account of the retiree.
1978 AB 2360, retired teachers with less than 20 years’ service prior to July 1, 1972, 1972-73, and 1973-74 given increases in benefits in same proportion as provided in SB 1641 (1976).
1980’s
1980 SB 1557 and SB 744 increased minimum retirement benefit from $10 to $16 and again to $18 per month for each year of teaching service.
1982 SB 1562, supplementary cost-of-living benefit for all retired teachers, based on years of service and year of retirement, paid quarterly; available only if an annual appropriation is included in the annual State Budget.
1984 AB 3103 increased from $5,000 to $7,500 a year the maximum amount earnable by a retired teacher as a substitute teacher in the California public schools and colleges without loss of retirement benefits.
1985 AB 75 increased contribution of school districts to Teacher Retirement Fund from 8% to 8.25% of annual teacher salaries; used to fund costs of teacher sick leave; no change in sick leave rules.
AB 528 permitted retirees to enroll in school district health and dental plans. AB 528 made it easier for schools to join the Public Employees’ Retirement System administered health insurance program. CRTA Sponsor.
1987 AB 58 allows the Public Employees’ Retirement System to develop a health benefits plan for teacher organizations. CRTA Sponsor.
1989 AB 265 allows teachers to bargain to secure individual teachers the right to join the federal Medicare system. CRTA Support, CTA Sponsor.
1990’s
1991 Veto of Assembly Bill 191, which would have reduced the funding and contributions to the State Teachers’ Retirement Fund. CRTA led opposition to bill.
1992 Enactment of SB 1884, 1885 and 1886 which provide a new disability retirement program and increase the death benefit from $2,000 to $5,000. CRTA Support
1993 Restoration of the $500 million in purchasing power funding which was deleted by the Senate in the State budget. CRTA led the Coalition for this restoration.
1994 Enactment of CRTA sponsored SB 585, which restates the state goal of funding 75 percent purchasing power protection.
1997 Establishment of the first annual Sacramento Day for a comprehensive lobbying activity in Sacramento.
1999 Enactment of Senate Bill 713 (Burton) which increases the minimum STRS allowance for members who retired with 20 or more years of credited service. This benefit increase is valued at $1.1 billion over the next 30 years. CTA sponsor, CRTA support.
2000’s
2000’s
2000 Passage of Senate Bill 1692 (Ortiz) to assist pre 1999 retirees to earn the higher 1999 retirement benefits.
2005 CRTA and a broad coalition of public service organizations successfully opposed the Governor’s special election ballot propositions that would have reduced STRS funding through having fewer career teachers and reducing future funding for public schools.
2006 CRTA established a Political Action Committee (PAC) in order to raise money to fight any ballot proposals to cut retiree benefits.
2008 Achieved 85% purchasing power protection, up from 80%.
Defeated proposals to cap purchasing power protection at less than 85%.
2010 Full state contribution to the Teachers’ Retirement Fund even when the state had a $19 billion budget deficit.
Testified for WEP/GPO repeal before the Commission for Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.
Submitted WEP/GPO repeal written testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee.
Achieved 330 House of Representative co-sponsors for WEP/GPO repeal legislation (HR 235 Berman) and 31 United States Senate co-sponsors for repeal (S 484 Feinstein).
2014 Supported the CTA sponsored full funding for CalSTRS with a 32-year target. Without this action the unfunded obligation would have ballooned from $72 billion to $167 billion. Our March 2014 Advocacy Day focused on CalSTRS full funding and educating legislators.
2015 Successfully reintroduced bills (HR 973 and S 1651) to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Social Security penalties.
Successfully mitigated the Medicare Part B and Part D cost increases for individuals enacted by the Social Security Penalties WEP and GPO.
Legislative Accomplishments1982 to present