(a) Any Member of the Senate or Assembly who, after the effective date of this section, retires for service or disability shall receive the retirement allowance provided by this chapter unmodified by any optional settlement elected pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 9361) of this chapter.
(b) The surviving spouse of a member described in subdivision (a) who dies after retirement may elect to receive an allowance under this section. Any surviving spouse making that election shall receive an allowance equal to one-half of the retirement allowance, unmodified by any optional settlement that would be payable to the member were he or she living and retired under this chapter.
(c) The surviving spouse of a member who is a Member of the Senate or Assembly and who dies before retirement but after becoming eligible for retirement may elect to receive an allowance under this section. Any surviving spouse making that election shall receive an allowance equal to one-half of the amount of the retirement allowance, unmodified by any optional settlement, that would be payable to the member were he or she living and retired under this chapter. If there is no surviving spouse, or if the spouse dies or remarries, then the allowance payable under this paragraph shall be payable to the children of the member under the same conditions and qualifications as provided for the allowances of children under Article 8 (commencing with Section 9371) of this chapter.
(d) The election provided for in this section shall be made by a writing filed with the board within 60 days after the death of the member.
(e) The allowance to a surviving spouse provided by this section is payable commencing upon the death of the member and continuing until the death or remarriage of the surviving spouse. If pursuant to this section, an allowance is paid to a surviving spouse, no payment shall be made pursuant to Section 9359.8 or pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 9361) of this chapter.
(f) The provisions of this section apply to the surviving spouse of any Member of the Senate or Assembly who was credited with 20 or more years of service at the time of his or her retirement and regardless of the date of retirement.
(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 664, Sec. 92.6. Effective January 1, 2003.)