(a) At any time after filing an application for disability retirement with the board, the member may, if eligible, apply for, and the board in its discretion may grant, a service retirement allowance pending the determination of his or her entitlement to disability retirement. If he or she is found to be eligible for disability retirement, appropriate adjustments shall be made in his or her retirement allowance retroactive to the effective date of his or her disability retirement as provided in Section 31724.
(b) This section shall not be construed to authorize a member to receive more than one type of retirement allowance for the same period of time nor to entitle any beneficiary to receive benefits which the beneficiary would not otherwise have been entitled to receive under the type of retirement which the member is finally determined to have been entitled. In the event a member retired for service is found not to be entitled to disability retirement he or she shall not be entitled to return to his or her job as provided in Section 31725.
(c) If the retired member should die before a final determination is made concerning entitlement to disability retirement, the rights of the beneficiary shall be as selected by the member at the time of retirement for service. The optional or unmodified type of allowance selected by the member at the time of retirement for service shall also be binding as to the type of allowance the member receives if the member is awarded a disability retirement.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), if the retired member should die before a final determination is made concerning entitlement to disability retirement, the rights of the beneficiary may be as selected by the member at the time of retirement for service, or as if the member had selected an unmodified allowance. The optional or unmodified type of allowance selected by the member at the time of retirement for service shall not be binding as to the type of allowance the member receives if the member is awarded a disability retirement. A change to the optional or unmodified type of allowance shall be made only at the time a member is awarded a disability retirement and the change shall be retroactive to the service retirement date and benefits previously paid shall be adjusted. If a change to the optional or unmodified type of allowance is not made, the benefit shall be adjusted to reflect the differences in retirement benefits previously received. This paragraph shall only apply to members who retire on or after January 1, 1999.
(Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 132, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1999.)