We fight. We persist. We make a difference.
How We Advocate
RPEA retains a professional lobbyist who works with our leadership and Legislative Committee to monitor legislation, meet with lawmakers, provide testimony, and advance RPEA’s priorities.
When new legislation is needed, RPEA works with legislators willing to author and carry our bills.
Our advocacy also begins locally. Chapters and members build relationships with legislators in their districts, invite them to chapter meetings, share personal stories, and respond to RPEA legislative alerts.
RPEA’s legislative meet-and-greet in Sacramento brings our members together with legislators and Capitol staff to discuss the issues affecting public employees and retirees.
Your Voice Makes Us Stronger
Every legislative meeting, chapter visit, personal story, letter, telephone call, and email strengthens RPEA’s voice.
When public employees and retirees stand together, we can make a difference.
RPEA’S Advocacy & Legislative Accomplishments
- Made CalPERS accountability and transparency a major advocacy priority, pressing for greater disclosure and oversight of investments involving billions of dollars in retirement assets.
- Continued pushing for an independent Inspector General at CalPERS to provide meaningful oversight outside the existing management and Board structure.
- Advocated for stronger CalPERS governance and member confidence, including election reform and timely public access to records.
- Focused legislative advocacy on protecting retirees from elder financial exploitation, identity theft and abuse.
- Continued challenging the risks, costs and lack of transparency associated with CalPERS private equity and private debt investments.
- Celebrated the repeal of WEP and GPO after years of advocacy, ending federal provisions that unfairly reduced Social Security benefits for many public employees and retirees.
- Pushed for an independent CalPERS Inspector General to strengthen oversight, accountability and public confidence.
- Advanced CalPERS election reform proposals designed to provide members with a secure, transparent and verifiable voting process.
- Made elder financial abuse, healthcare access and senior protections major parts of RPEA’s legislative agenda.
- Co-sponsored successful CalPERS legislation protecting beneficiary rights for retirees following divorce and remarriage.
- Expanded the voice of older Californians by supporting representation on important state boards and commissions.
- Advocated for seniors in long-term care, including access to family, healthcare providers and advocates during emergencies.
- Supported stronger legal, nutrition and anti-fraud resources for seniors.
- Continued protecting retiree healthcare choices and benefits.
- Continued the fight to repeal WEP and GPO by supporting California’s formal call for Congress to eliminate the unfair Social Security penalties.
- Strengthened protections against elder abuse by supporting improved law-enforcement procedures for investigating abuse of seniors and dependent adults.
- Supported greater government transparency through legislation proposing a California Public Records Act Ombudsperson.
- Advocated for stronger protections for nursing-home residents, including informed consent and safeguards against inappropriate medication.
- Supported a stronger Long-Term Care Ombudsman program to give residents and families an independent voice.
The 2023-2024 legislative session included the beginning of the AB 1246 beneficiary-reform campaign and RPEA’s review of SB 252. AB 1246 was introduced in February 2023 and ultimately became law in 2024. Rather than duplicate the same two-year bills, they are described above under their final 2024 outcomes.
- Defended CalPERS investment transparency by continuing RPEA’s opposition to attempts to shield private debt/private credit information from public disclosure.
- Protected retiree healthcare benefits by opposing proposals that could diminish employer-provided healthcare assistance for Medicare-eligible retirees.
- Supported stronger oversight of long-term care facilities and protections for seniors receiving residential care.
- Advanced survivor protections for public employee families and sponsored successful death-benefit legislation.
- Supported efforts to strengthen Social Security and continued building momentum for federal retirement-security reform.
- Made elder abuse prevention and awareness an ongoing legislative priority.
- Fought CalPERS private-debt secrecy – and helped stop it – by opposing AB 386.
- Protected retirees from harsh post-retirement employment penalties and helped advance reforms that became law.
- Strengthened protections against elder financial abuse by supporting better information sharing among investigators.
- Supported stronger accountability for long-term care facilities when serious violations threaten residents.
- Expanded healthcare protections for seniors, including cognitive-health assessments.
- Addressed senior isolation and affordable housing, issues brought into sharper focus by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Sponsored legislation to improve retiree benefits, including stronger post-retirement death benefits and a California-based COLA.
- Fought CalPERS private-debt secrecy for the first time by opposing AB 2473 and helping stop the proposal.
- Protected retired annuitants from potentially devastating financial penalties arising from complicated post-retirement employment rules.
- Continued demanding transparency and accountability in the management of public pension assets.
- Laid the groundwork for later legislative victories involving death benefits and retired-annuitant protections.
- Defended public pensions against proposals RPEA believed could undermine defined-benefit retirement systems.
- Protected seniors from financial exploitation by supporting safeguards against money-transfer scams.
- Advocated for safer residential care facilities and stronger protections for vulnerable older Californians.
- Supported solutions to California’s growing long-term-care challenge and the financial burden it places on retirees and their families.
- Engaged in public pension investment policy, expanding RPEA’s focus on how retirement assets are invested and overseen.
- Defended defined-benefit pensions by opposing proposals that would weaken or replace traditional CalPERS retirement protections.
- Supported AB 1912 to protect employees and retirees when a Joint Powers Authority dissolves without paying its pension obligations.
- Opposed proposals to restrict COLAs or make future pension improvements more difficult.
- Continued making elder abuse prevention and awareness a legislative priority.
- Supported prescription-drug affordability and transparency for consumers.
- Secured enactment of RPEA-sponsored municipal bankruptcy protections so retirees could organize and protect their claims when a public agency enters bankruptcy.
- Continued defending earned pension and retiree healthcare benefits during a period of significant public-pension debate.
- Advanced the principle that retirees must have an organized voice when government financial decisions threaten their benefits.
- Launched the RPEA-sponsored municipal bankruptcy protection effort after the Stockton bankruptcy demonstrated the risks retirees could face.
- Protected retirees’ right to organize and have a meaningful voice when pension and benefit claims are threatened.
- Improved retiree healthcare through successful CalPERS advocacy, including the addition of SilverSneakers to a Medicare Advantage offering.
- Continued defending earned pension and healthcare benefits for California public employees and retirees.
In 2015, at the request of the RPEA Stockton Chapter, RPEA sponsored legislation (AB 215 Gordon) which allows retirees to organize and participate in bankruptcy court to protect the claims of retirees should their public agency declare bankruptcy.
In 2013, RPEA and Aaron Read’s office negotiated with the Governor on proposed Pension Reform legislation. Many of the harsher reforms were dropped. RPEA supported needed changes in salary spiking, removal of air-time purchases, and maximum benefit caps.
In 2012, the RPEA Director of Health Benefits negotiate with CalPERS to include drug plans to allow members to obtain medications for up to 90 days with a lower cost mail delivery service. In 2014, the Director of Health Benefits was successful in obtaining a “grandfather” provision to allow brand named drugs to be continued without requiring an adverse impact for generic step therapy. This provided a benefit for approximately 17,000 active and retired members.
In 1999, the investments held by CalPERS exceeded 100% of that needed to pay benefits for the future. The excess in investment earnings allowed CalPERS to permit many agencies a “pension holiday” for payment of contributions to the fund from 1999 to 2002. In 1999 the legislature passed SB 400 which provided for a 1-6% Cost of Living Allowance and safety workers a retirement package of 3% at age 50.
With the help of Aaron Read, the State Controller agreed to allow a card insert with information about retiree organizations to be sent out with the monthly warrant statement. This card insert program was managed by RPEA for about 20 years.
Because of continued efforts to raid PERS retirement accounts to balance the state budgets, by Governors Deukmejian and Wilson, RPEA and Aaron Read drafted Proposition 162 to give PERS the “Plenary Authority” over the funds held in trust for its members. The passage of Proposition 162 established the composition of the CalPERS board in the State Constitution.
In 1982, RPEA sponsored legislation creating the Investment Dividend Disbursement Account to raised the purchasing power of retirees up to 75%. In 1991, this program was replaced by the Purchasing Power Protection Act (PPPA) which retains retiree’s purchasing power at 75%.
In 1978, RPEA retained the services of Aaron Read and Associates to assist in lobbying for the Association. Aaron had been working as a volunteer with RPEA since it was founded. He was very instrumental in assisting RPEA with legislation in 1979 to sponsor a bill which provided a 10% increase to all retires members of CalPERS. This corrected some of the inflationary impact on retirement income.
In 1974, a “Retiree” position was added to the CalPERS Board. This position is elected by a vote of all retirees and represents the interests of all retired members of CalPERS.
In 1961 legislation was passed to give CalPERS the task of implementing the Public Employees Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA). All retired state members are covered by PEMHCA. Many contract agencies employees may also be covered. CalPERS now administers health plans for hundreds of thousands active and retired public employees.
2026
RPEA ACTIVE SUPPORT / TRANSPARENCY CAMPAIGN – HELD IN SENATE APPROPRIATIONS
RPEA made SB 1319 a major transparency priority. The measure sought greater disclosure of performance benchmarking and workforce information connected with private-equity holdings of public pension funds.
RPEA tied the bill to its broader campaign for greater CalPERS accountability and used public education, legislative outreach and the May 2026 premiere of Pension Fight Club to focus attention on secrecy surrounding private-market investments. The measure was subsequently stopped in the Senate Appropriations process.
Why it matters: It continues a multi-year RPEA effort to prevent public pension assets from moving into investment structures that reduce meaningful public oversight.
RPEA SUPPORT – HIGH PRIORITY
AB 871 strengthens reporting requirements when financial institutions suspect financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult. The bill adds reporting to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center and requires specified notice to the affected elder or dependent adult.
Why it matters: Financial exploitation is one of the most damaging forms of elder abuse. Faster, broader reporting can help interrupt scams before additional assets are lost.
RPEA SUPPORT
AB 1105 expands circumstances in which a conservator may seek court-approved placement of a conservatee in specified secured residential, intermediate-care or skilled-nursing settings.
Why it matters: The bill addresses care and safety options for vulnerable adults who may need secured placement while preserving court oversight.
RPEA SUPPORT
AB 1359 would allow a person age 80 or older to seek a permanent excuse from jury service without having to obtain a supporting medical letter.
Why it matters: It removes an unnecessary administrative burden for very old Californians who are unable to serve.
RPEA OPPOSE
AB 1821 would change the California Public Records Act’s 10-day determination period to 10 business days. RPEA’s July 2026 legislative report lists an oppose position.
For an organization that has repeatedly fought for access to CalPERS records, even seemingly technical changes to public-record timelines can have practical transparency consequences.
Why it matters: RPEA’s position is consistent with its longstanding emphasis on timely public access to government records.
RPEA SUPPORT
AB 2522 would temporarily exempt qualifying over-the-counter medications from California sales and use taxes.
Why it matters: Older adults often rely on multiple nonprescription medications. Reducing taxes on these products can modestly reduce recurring healthcare costs.
RPEA SUPPORT
ACR 206 proclaims June 2026 as Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month. RPEA’s legislative report lists a support position.
Why it matters: Awareness, reporting and prevention are central to reducing physical, emotional and financial abuse of older adults.
RPEA SUPPORT
SB 433 would limit what certain residential care facilities participating in the Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver can charge residents for room and board, tying the permitted amount to the resident’s income and personal-needs allowance.
Why it matters: It is aimed at protecting low-income seniors from housing charges that can consume money intended for basic personal needs.
RPEA SUPPORT – HIGH PRIORITY
As amended in 2026, SB 435 addresses the definition of publicly available personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act. RPEA’s July report lists a support position.
Why it matters: Privacy protections are increasingly important to older Californians, who are frequent targets of identity theft and financial scams.
RPEA SUPPORT
SB 991 would require the Department of Social Services, when it substantiates an abuse-related violation at a residential care facility for the elderly, to categorize the abuse using definitions in the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act.
Why it matters: Consistent categorization makes abuse violations easier to identify, compare and track and can improve accountability in facilities serving seniors.
RPEA SUPPORT
SB 1193 establishes approval and disclosure requirements for specified discretionary fund awards by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. RPEA’s July 2026 report lists a support position.
Why it matters: The measure reflects RPEA’s broader support for transparency and accountability in the expenditure of public funds.
RPEA SUPPORT
SB 1202 would require the Department of Health Care Services to create a public data dashboard tracking Medi-Cal applications, enrollment, redeterminations, disenrollments and terminations associated with federal eligibility changes.
Why it matters: Public reporting can reveal whether eligible Californians are losing healthcare coverage and helps policymakers respond to enrollment problems.
RPEA HEALTHCARE ADVOCACY
RPEA highlighted AB 1671 as a targeted approach to strengthening access to in-person medical care in rural California. The proposal would establish a competitive grant program through the Office of Rural Health for providers serving rural communities.
RPEA’s April 2026 magazine emphasized the particular importance of rural medical access for retirees, who may face provider shortages, facility closures and long travel distances.
Why it matters: Healthcare coverage has limited value when a retiree cannot reach a doctor, clinic or hospital. Rural access has been a recurring RPEA concern.
2025
Federal Advocacy: WEP / GPO Repeal
LONG-TERM RPEA FEDERAL ADVOCACY – ENACTED JANUARY 2025
RPEA advocated for decades for repeal of the federal Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which reduced Social Security benefits for many public employees and retirees who also received pensions from work not covered by Social Security.
RPEA continued supporting the Social Security Fairness Act through successive Congresses. RPEA’s own reporting describes repeal as legislation the organization had lobbied for ‘over many years.’
The campaign ultimately succeeded when the Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law in January 2025, repealing both WEP and GPO and applying the repeal to benefits payable after December 2023.
Why it matters: For affected public retirees, repeal restored Social Security benefits that had been reduced or eliminated because they also earned a public pension.
Federal Advocacy: WEP / GPO Repeal
RPEA-SPONSORED POLICY INITIATIVES
RPEA sought legislative authors for several reforms designed to strengthen accountability, transparency and member representation at CalPERS, including creation of an independent Inspector General and changes to the CalPERS Board election process.
Independent Inspector General for CalPERS
RPEA believes an organization responsible for investing nearly $600 billion in public pension assets and providing retirement and healthcare benefits to millions of Californians should have strong, independent oversight. CalPERS currently operates without an independent Inspector General with the authority to investigate the organization from outside its existing management and governance structure.
An independent Inspector General could:
- Investigate allegations of waste, misconduct, conflicts of interest and failures of internal controls.
- Independently examine investment practices, fees, contracting and other areas involving billions of dollars in public pension assets.
- Provide an additional layer of accountability that is independent of CalPERS management and the Board.
- Report significant findings publicly, improving transparency for members, retirees, employers, taxpayers and policymakers.
- Help restore and maintain confidence that decisions involving retirement assets are being made in the best interests of CalPERS members.
For RPEA, this is fundamentally about accountability for money held in trust for public employees and retirees. Those responsible for managing their retirement security should be subject to meaningful independent oversight.
CalPERS Board Election Reform
RPEA also sought reforms to strengthen confidence in elections for the member representatives who serve on the CalPERS Board.
The Board makes decisions affecting pension investments, retirement benefits and healthcare for millions of active and retired public employees. Members therefore need an election process that is secure, transparent, verifiable and worthy of their confidence.
RPEA proposed eliminating online and telephone voting and returning to a paper-ballot process that provides a clear physical record of each vote.
CalPERS currently permits eligible members to vote by mail, telephone or online, and electronic votes are included in the final electronic tabulation.
RPEA believes a paper-ballot system would:
- Provide a physical, auditable record of every vote cast.
- Strengthen confidence in the integrity and verification of election results.
- Make recounts, challenges and independent review easier to understand and verify.
- Reduce concerns surrounding electronic and telephone voting systems.
- Reinforce the principle that the members who own the pension system should have complete confidence in the process used to elect their representatives.
Why it matters: CalPERS manages the retirement security of millions of public employees and retirees. RPEA believes that such an important institution requires both independent oversight of its operations and a Board election process members can trust.
RPEA CO-SPONSORED – BILL DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA co-sponsored AB 83, a major elder financial abuse initiative. As amended, the bill would have authorized financial institutions to delay or refuse suspicious transactions and take other protective actions when they believed an eligible adult was the victim or target of financial abuse.
Why it matters: This was direct RPEA involvement in combating scams and financial exploitation that can wipe out a retiree’s lifetime savings.
RPEA SUPPORT
RPEA supported AB 92, which sought to require healthcare facilities to permit in-person visitation for patients at the end of life unless the patient requested otherwise.
Why it matters: The measure focused on dignity, family access and humane treatment at a particularly vulnerable time.
RPEA SUPPORT – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported AB 251, which addresses intentional destruction or concealment of evidence in elder-abuse and neglect cases involving skilled nursing, residential care and adult community care facilities.
The legislation gives courts additional authority when a facility deliberately destroys material evidence and the destruction prejudices the victim’s case. Governor Newsom signed AB 251 on October 7, 2025.
Why it matters: Facilities should not gain an advantage by destroying evidence. The law strengthens the ability of older adults and their families to pursue accountability.
RPEA SUPPORT – TWO-YEAR BILL
RPEA supported AB 280 to improve the accuracy of health-plan provider directories. The bill establishes escalating accuracy standards and protections for patients who reasonably rely on inaccurate directory information.
Why it matters: Retirees should not discover after seeking care that a listed doctor is unavailable or out of network. Accurate directories are a basic healthcare access and consumer-protection issue.
RPEA SUPPORT
RPEA supported AB 508, which addressed calculation and disclosure of direct-care staffing ratios in residential care facilities for the elderly.
Why it matters: Staffing levels directly affect safety, supervision and quality of life for residents of senior-care facilities.
RPEA SUPPORT
RPEA supported SB 434, which sought to extend eviction notice periods for residents of residential care facilities for the elderly, with longer notice depending on the resident’s length of stay.
Why it matters: Moving an older adult from residential care can be disruptive and medically risky. Additional notice gives residents and families more time to find appropriate alternative care.
RPEA SUPPORT – ORIGINAL 2025 PROPOSAL
RPEA supported the 2025 version of SB 435 requiring residential care facilities for the elderly to maintain emergency backup power for blackouts, fires, earthquakes and other emergencies.
The bill was later substantially amended in 2026 into a consumer-privacy measure; the 2025 RPEA support described here refers to the original elder-care proposal.
Why it matters: Older residents can be especially vulnerable to heat, power failures, medical-device interruptions and evacuation risks during disasters.
RPEA SUPPORT
RPEA supported AB 351, which sought to limit certain private-equity and hedge-fund influence over healthcare facilities and to void contractual provisions that restricted disclosure concerning ownership, quality or safety.
RPEA highlighted the measure in its October 2025 magazine as an elder and patient protection.
Why it matters: The proposal joined two RPEA priorities: protecting healthcare quality and increasing transparency where financial interests can affect patient care.
2024
RPEA CO-SPONSORED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA co-sponsored AB 1246. Beginning January 1, 2026, the law allows certain CalPERS retirees who divorced after retirement and later remarried to designate a new spouse as beneficiary of the retiree’s post-divorce interest, while protecting the former spouse’s awarded interest and avoiding additional employer cost.
Governor Newsom signed the bill on September 22, 2024, as Chapter 350.
Why it matters: It corrected a practical problem for retirees whose family circumstances changed after retirement and divorce.
RPEA ACTIVE SUPPORT – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA tracked and supported AB 2207, which expanded older-adult representation on specified state boards and advisory bodies, including bodies addressing Alzheimer’s disease, workforce issues and behavioral health.
The bill was signed September 21, 2024, as Chapter 332.
Why it matters: Older Californians are directly affected by decisions made by these bodies; representation helps ensure aging issues are considered in state policy.
RPEA TRACKED / ACTIVE LEGISLATIVE REVIEW – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA’s 2024 legislative reporting identified SB 252 among the measures receiving active attention. The bill would have prohibited new investments in specified fossil-fuel companies and required divestment subject to fiduciary safeguards.
The measure did not advance out of the Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee.
Why it matters: The proposal raised the recurring question of how public pension investment policy should balance public-policy goals with fiduciary responsibility and retirement security.
RPEA SUPPORTED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA supported AB 2075 to protect residents of long-term care facilities during public health emergencies. The bill would have preserved access to visitors and healthcare and social-service providers even when general visitation was restricted.
Why it matters: The isolation experienced by seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of safe access to family, advocates and healthcare providers.
RPEA SUPPORTED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA supported AB 1968, which sought to simplify access to nutrition assistance for qualifying seniors and other eligible individuals through an automatic enrollment process.
Why it matters: Eligible seniors should not go without food assistance simply because an enrollment process is difficult to navigate.
RPEA SUPPORTED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA supported AB 1989 to examine and improve the delivery of legal services to California seniors, including consideration of more uniform services and a statewide senior legal hotline.
Why it matters: Affordable legal assistance can help seniors protect themselves from financial exploitation, housing problems and other legal issues.
RPEA SUPPORTED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA supported the Secure Seniors Protection Act, which proposed a statewide toll-free hotline to help Californians deal with scams, with staff specifically equipped to assist people age 60 and older.
Why it matters: Seniors are frequent targets of increasingly sophisticated scams. A dedicated source of assistance can help prevent losses and connect victims with help.
RPEA OPPOSED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA opposed AB 2200, which proposed creation of the CalCare statewide single-payer healthcare system and would have incorporated existing state and federal healthcare programs into the new system.
Why it matters: RPEA evaluates major healthcare proposals based on their potential impact on the benefits and choices of active and retired public employees.
2023
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported AB 48, the Nursing Facility Resident Informed Consent Protection Act. The law strengthens informed-consent protections for psychotherapeutic drugs and guards against medication being used for discipline, convenience or improper chemical restraint.
Why it matters: Seniors in long-term care deserve dignity, informed consent and protection from unnecessary or inappropriate medication.
RPEA SUPPORTED – VETOED
RPEA supported AB 469, which would have created a California Public Records Act Ombudsperson to review disputes involving state agencies’ denials of public-record requests.
Why it matters: Access to public records is essential to government accountability and aligns with RPEA’s continuing demand for greater transparency.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported AB 751, which strengthened and clarified requirements for law-enforcement policies and procedures for investigating elder and dependent-adult abuse.
Why it matters: Effective law-enforcement procedures are critical to identifying, investigating and prosecuting abuse against seniors.
RPEA SUPPORTED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA supported AB 1410, which proposed expanding the advisory council for California’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman and strengthening its advisory role on policies affecting residents of long-term care facilities.
Why it matters: A strong Ombudsman program gives residents and families an important independent voice when problems arise in care facilities.
RPEA SUPPORTED – ADOPTED
RPEA supported SJR 1 urging Congress to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, continuing RPEA’s long-running campaign against the unfair reduction of Social Security benefits for public employees and retirees.
Why it matters: This state resolution was part of the sustained advocacy that ultimately culminated in federal repeal of WEP and GPO.
2022
RPEA SPONSORED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA sponsored SB 1168 to increase the minimum post-retirement lump-sum death benefit for local public agency retirees from $500 to $2,000.
The measure addressed an outdated benefit that had lost substantial value over time and brought greater parity to CalPERS retirees. It was signed into law in 2022.
Why it matters: RPEA identified an outdated benefit, sponsored the correction and successfully achieved enactment.
RPEA SPONSORED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA sponsored SB 850 to correct an inequity in special death benefits. The law permits qualifying benefits to be paid for the benefit of surviving children in circumstances where there is no qualifying surviving spouse.
The measure was signed into law in 2022 and became effective January 1, 2023, with specified retroactive application.
Why it matters: The legislation closed a gap that could leave children of deceased public employees without the protection intended by California’s special death-benefit laws.
RPEA SUPPORTED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA supported a statewide public-awareness campaign on Alzheimer’s disease, including education and information for unpaid family caregivers.
Why it matters: Greater awareness can help families recognize Alzheimer’s earlier and connect seniors and caregivers with available resources.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported AB 1720 addressing criminal background checks and exemptions for individuals working in or operating residential care and other licensed facilities.
Why it matters: California needs appropriate safeguards for people receiving care while maintaining a workable system for screening qualified caregivers.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported AB 1907, which updated state inspection requirements for skilled nursing and other long-term care facilities.
Why it matters: Effective state inspections are an important protection for the health, safety and quality of care of seniors living in long-term care facilities.
RPEA OPPOSED
RPEA opposed legislation that would have prohibited certain newly hired public employees covered by PEMHCA from receiving an employer reimbursement or subsidy for healthcare after retirement if they were eligible for Medicare Parts A and B.
Why it matters: RPEA opposed efforts that could diminish employer-provided retiree healthcare benefits.
RPEA SUPPORTED – ADOPTED
SCR 112 proclaimed June 2022 as Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month in California.
Why it matters: Preventing physical, emotional and financial abuse of seniors requires education, awareness and continued public attention.
RPEA SUPPORTED – ADOPTED
RPEA supported SJR 11, which affirmed California’s support for strengthening Social Security and called on California’s congressional delegation to support federal Social Security expansion.
Why it matters: Protecting Social Security complements RPEA’s broader work to protect public pensions and retirement security.
2021
RPEA OPPOSED – HELPED DEFEAT
CalPERS-sponsored AB 386 sought a new California Public Records Act exemption for specified records associated with internally managed private loans.
RPEA formally opposed the measure, arguing that the parties, terms, collateral and performance of investments held in public trust should remain subject to meaningful public scrutiny. The bill did not become law.
RPEA’s year-end legislative report summarized the result: ‘RPEA fought to defeat this bill and won.’
Why it matters: This is one of RPEA’s clearest transparency victories and demonstrates a documented history of opposing secrecy in CalPERS private-market investing.
RPEA ACCOUNTABILITY INITIATIVE
Following the private-lending transparency battles and broader governance concerns, RPEA announced its intention to pursue an independent Inspector General for CalPERS.
Why it matters: The proposal sought permanent independent oversight rather than relying only on case-by-case fights over disclosure.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported AB 323, which strengthened enforcement and increased civil penalties for serious violations in skilled nursing and intermediate care facilities.
Why it matters: Stronger penalties help hold facilities accountable when poor care causes serious injury, suffering or death.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported AB 636, which expanded the ability to share information concerning suspected elder or dependent-adult financial abuse with federal law enforcement and other agencies.
Why it matters: Financial crimes against seniors often cross jurisdictional boundaries; information sharing can help stop continuing exploitation.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported AB 665, requiring certain residential care facilities that already have internet service to provide residents access to an internet-enabled device with videoconferencing capability.
Why it matters: Internet and video access help residents maintain contact with family, healthcare providers and advocates, reducing isolation.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported SB 48, which expanded Medi-Cal benefits to provide annual cognitive health assessments for beneficiaries age 65 and older who were not otherwise eligible for a similar Medicare assessment.
Why it matters: Earlier detection of cognitive decline can help seniors and families obtain treatment, services and support sooner.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported SB 411, which modified harsh consequences facing CalPERS retirees who violated post-retirement employment rules and made reinstatement permissive in specified circumstances.
Why it matters: The reform addressed a long-standing RPEA concern that retirees could face severe financial penalties even when employers shared responsibility.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported SB 591, authorizing affordable intergenerational housing developments combining senior residents with caregivers and transition-age youth.
Why it matters: The measure addressed both affordable housing and social isolation among older Californians.
2020
RPEA OPPOSED / SOUGHT TRANSPARENCY AMENDMENTS – BILL FAILED
AB 2473 sought confidentiality protections for specified records connected with CalPERS’ internally managed private-loan program.
RPEA vigorously opposed the secrecy provisions and advocated amendments requiring greater disclosure once private loans became assets held in public trust. The bill did not advance.
The following year, RPEA described AB 386 as the second CalPERS attempt in two legislative sessions to obtain expanded public-record exemptions.
Why it matters: AB 2473 establishes that RPEA’s transparency campaign predates the current private-equity debate and has been sustained over multiple legislative sessions.
RPEA LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY
RPEA identified retired-annuitant payback rules as a legislative priority. Retirees who violated post-retirement employment restrictions could face substantial repayment consequences even when a public employer shared responsibility for the violation.
RPEA sought a fairer allocation of responsibility and penalties.
Why it matters: The issue involved protecting retirees from severe financial consequences caused by complicated post-retirement employment rules.
RPEA HEALTHCARE / LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY
RPEA’s 2020 legislative reporting identified CalPERS healthcare, vision care, drug costs and related retiree benefit issues as active priorities. RPEA also reported on state proposals intended to use California’s purchasing power to lower prescription drug costs.
Why it matters: Healthcare affordability is a core retirement-security issue because rising premiums and drug costs directly reduce retirees’ disposable income.
2019
ACTIVE SUPPORT / OPPOSE REVIEW
RPEA chapter reporting documents that the statewide Legislative Committee reviewed 27 California bills affecting retirees and determined whether RPEA should support or oppose them, with analysis from Aaron Read & Associates.
The surviving online material confirms the breadth of the legislative program but does not provide a complete reliable list of all 27 bill numbers and positions. For that reason, this history does not invent or attribute positions that cannot be verified.
Why it matters: The record demonstrates that RPEA maintained a broad legislative program even in years when no single sponsored bill became the organization’s headline accomplishment.
RPEA ACTIVE HEALTHCARE ADVOCACY
RPEA’s organizational history reports that it scrutinized CalPERS healthcare proposals, sought revisions and supported proposals after changes were made to better protect retirees.
Why it matters: A significant portion of retiree healthcare policy is decided through CalPERS rather than through a stand-alone bill, so this work is an important part of RPEA’s advocacy record.
RPEA HEALTHCARE ADVOCACY
RPEA advocated for restoration of rural healthcare support, pointing to rural hospital closures and the additional cost and travel burdens imposed on retirees who must travel to urban areas for care.
Why it matters: The campaign established rural healthcare access as a long-term RPEA priority that continues in the 2026 AB 1671 discussion.
RPEA LONG-TERM LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGN
RPEA continued advocating for a larger CalPERS post-retirement death benefit, at one point seeking an increase to $5,000. The effort helped lay the groundwork for the successful SB 1168 campaign in 2022.
Why it matters: It shows that the eventual 2022 victory was the product of sustained advocacy rather than a one-year effort.
RPEA RETIREMENT SECURITY ADVOCACY
RPEA advocated for a cost-of-living calculation that better reflected the actual cost of living in California rather than relying solely on a national measure.
Why it matters: Inflation protection is central to preserving the purchasing power of a pension over a long retirement.
2018
RPEA ACTIVELY SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported legislation to protect employees and retirees when a Joint Powers Authority terminates or dissolves without adequately funding its pension obligations.
AB 1912 required participating public agencies to address retirement liabilities when specified JPAs terminate. Governor Jerry Brown signed the measure in September 2018.
RPEA’s involvement grew out of a real case in which retirees faced pension reductions after a JPA ceased operations.
Why it matters: Public retirees should not lose earned benefits because a government entity dissolves without paying its pension obligations.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported AB 315, which requires pharmacies to tell customers when the retail price of a covered prescription drug is lower than the applicable insurance cost-sharing amount.
Why it matters: Patients should not pay more simply because they use insurance; the law improves price transparency at the pharmacy counter.
RPEA SUPPORTED – ADOPTED
RPEA supported ACR 238 proclaiming June 2018 as Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Awareness Month in California.
Why it matters: Continued statewide recognition keeps prevention, reporting and public awareness of elder abuse visible.
RPEA OPPOSED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA opposed SB 1149, which would have created an optional defined-contribution retirement plan for certain new state employees instead of traditional CalPERS membership.
Why it matters: RPEA defended the security and predictability of defined-benefit pensions for public employees.
RPEA OPPOSED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA opposed SCA 8, which would have allowed government employers to reduce retirement benefits associated with work not yet performed by existing employees.
Why it matters: RPEA opposed constitutional changes that could weaken retirement promises to career public employees.
RPEA OPPOSED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA opposed SCA 10, which would have required a two-thirds vote of the electorate before a public employer could provide a retirement benefit increase.
Why it matters: The proposal would have imposed a major new barrier to collectively bargained or legislatively approved retirement improvements.
2017
RPEA ACTIVE LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY
RPEA’s official accomplishments history identifies 2017 as the beginning of its legislative effort to protect JPA employees and retirees from pension losses when an authority ceases operations and fails to pay its termination liability.
That campaign continued into the successful AB 1912 effort in 2018.
Why it matters: It demonstrates RPEA’s ability to take a member problem, sustain the issue across sessions and pursue a statutory solution.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported AB 275, which expanded notice, assessment and relocation-planning requirements when a long-term care facility changes its operation and can no longer care for residents.
Why it matters: Facility closures can be traumatic for frail residents; stronger transition protections help reduce disruption and harm.
RPEA SUPPORTED – ADOPTED
RPEA supported AJR 8 calling on California’s congressional delegation to oppose cuts to or privatization of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Why it matters: These federal programs are fundamental to the retirement and healthcare security of public employees and retirees.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported SB 17, which required health plans and insurers to report specified information about prescription drug costs and increased transparency surrounding significant drug-price increases.
Why it matters: Prescription drug costs directly affect retiree healthcare premiums and out-of-pocket expenses; transparency is essential to controlling those costs.
RPEA OPPOSED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA opposed SB 32, which would have created a new Citizens’ Pension Oversight Committee to review CalPERS and CalSTRS pension costs and obligations.
Why it matters: RPEA opposed adding a new politically created oversight layer that could undermine existing member-governed retirement system structures.
RPEA SUPPORTED – SIGNED INTO LAW
RPEA supported SB 294, which temporarily expanded the ability of licensed hospice providers to provide interdisciplinary services, including palliative care, to seriously ill patients.
Why it matters: Greater access to palliative care can improve comfort, support and quality of life for seriously ill older adults and their families.
RPEA OPPOSED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA opposed AB 1310, which would have required public retirement systems to place unfunded pension liability and healthcare debt figures on individual member statements.
Why it matters: RPEA opposed using individual member statements as a vehicle for systemwide liabilities in a way that could confuse members or politicize their earned benefits.
RPEA OPPOSED – DID NOT ADVANCE
RPEA opposed AB 1311, which would have added two gubernatorial appointees to the CalPERS Board and altered the qualifications of another appointed seat.
Why it matters: RPEA defended member representation and the independence of the CalPERS Board from additional political appointments.
RPEA SUPPORTED – ADOPTED
RPEA supported statewide recognition of June 2017 as Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Awareness Month.
Why it matters: Awareness is an important part of preventing and reporting elder abuse and exploitation.
RPEA SUPPORTED – ADOPTED
RPEA supported SR 41 urging careful federal review of proposals to amend or repeal the Affordable Care Act and calling for protection of coverage, preexisting-condition safeguards and affordability for older low-income adults.
Why it matters: Federal healthcare changes can directly affect retirees’ access to affordable coverage and services.
2016
RPEA SPONSORED – SIGNED INTO LAW
At the request of RPEA’s Stockton Chapter, RPEA sponsored legislation to help retirees organize and protect their claims when a local public agency enters municipal bankruptcy.
AB 241 authorized qualifying retiree organizations to obtain contact information needed to communicate with retirees during the bankruptcy process. Governor Jerry Brown approved the bill on September 9, 2016; it became effective January 1, 2017.
RPEA’s current accomplishments webpage calls this measure AB 215 (Gordon), but older RPEA history and the California legislative record identify the bankruptcy bill as AB 241 (Gordon).
Why it matters: The Stockton bankruptcy showed that individual retirees need a practical way to organize quickly when pensions and retiree benefits may be at risk.
2015
RPEA SPONSORED – ENACTED IN 2016
At the request of RPEA’s Stockton Chapter, RPEA launched and sponsored AB 241 after the Stockton bankruptcy demonstrated how difficult it could be for retirees to organize quickly and protect pension and benefit claims in municipal bankruptcy.
Why it matters: RPEA turned a real problem experienced by retirees into legislation giving retirees a practical way to organize and defend their interests.
RPEA HEALTHCARE ADVOCACY VICTORY – NOT A STATE BILL
RPEA’s health-benefits advocacy helped obtain inclusion of the SilverSneakers fitness benefit in a CalPERS Medicare Advantage offering for 2016.
Why it matters: It is an example of RPEA improving retiree healthcare benefits through direct CalPERS advocacy even when legislation was not required.
