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AB 1054CALIFORNIASession 20252026
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AB 1054 establishes a voluntary Deferred Retirement Option Program for California Highway Patrol and Firefighter units

Original title: Public employees' retirement: deferred retirement option program: public employee health benefits.

September 3, 2026

Public Employees Retirement SystemDeferred Retirement Option ProgramState Bargaining UnitsPublic Employee Health BenefitsCalifornia Highway PatrolFirefightersPublicemployees'retirementdeferredretirementoptionprogrampublicemployeehealthbenefits

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Where This Stands

Currently Unknown. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Introduced.

Last action
Referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.May 6, 2026

Version history & redline

4 versions on file

Official version history is partial: 4 linked texts are unavailable or incomplete. Source links remain available below.

Comparing 03/24/25 - Amended Assembly → 01/05/26 - Amended Assembly
removed addedOfficial text

The text diff for this stage has not been computed yet.

pdf extract failed: Invalid PDF structure.

Redline computed from the official version text (record lane).View this version →

The Frame

What this does

This bill changes retirement and health benefit structures for state safety employees, requiring an to ensure ity before implementation and establishing new waiver requirements for participants.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

State Bargaining Unit 5 (Highway Patrol)

Members are eligible to participate in the new voluntary Deferred Retirement Option Program.

State Bargaining Unit 8 (Firefighters)

Members are eligible to participate in the new voluntary Deferred Retirement Option Program.

Spouses of program participants

Spouses must sign an acknowledgment regarding potential reductions in benefits resulting from the member's participation.

What changed

Last recorded activity September 3, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

AB 1054 creates a voluntary within the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) for specific state safety employees, including Highway Patrol and Firefighters. The bill also expands health benefit eligibility under the Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA) for participants who retire within 120 days of leaving the program.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for this new retirement program?
The program is for employees in State Bargaining Units 5 (Highway Patrol) and 8 (Firefighters), as well as certain supervisory or managerial employees within the Department of the California Highway Patrol or the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Does this program guarantee benefits for my spouse?
No. Spouses must sign an acknowledgment that they understand participation in the program may result in a reduction of benefits payable to them.
Can the state cancel this program after I join?
Yes. The bill specifies that the Legislature reserves the right to suspend the program, which would terminate benefit accrual and prohibit participants or beneficiaries from having a vested right to prospective benefits.

Why It Matters

This bill changes retirement and health benefit structures for state safety employees, requiring an to ensure ity before implementation and establishing new waiver requirements for participants.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Expansion of DROP to State Level

The bill represents a shift by extending the Deferred Retirement Option Program, previously limited to county/district systems, to state-level safety bargaining units.

Public Employees' Retirement SystemState Bargaining Unit 5State Bargaining Unit 8

Connected Entities

organizationDepartment of the California Highway Patrol“Employer of affected safety personnel”Map →
organizationDepartment of Forestry and Fire Protection“Employer of affected safety personnel”Map →
otherPublic Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act“Governs health benefit plans for state employees”Map →
organizationState Bargaining Unit 5“Highway Patrol employees eligible for the program.”Map →
organizationBoard of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System“The governing body responsible for managing the program and reporting.”Map →
organizationState Bargaining Unit 8“Firefighter employees eligible for the program.”Map →
organizationPublic Employees' Retirement System“The system managing state employee pension benefits.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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