2005 California Government Code Sections 50953-50956 Article 2. Administration, Award Fund, and Membership

50953.  (a) (1) The award system shall be administered by the board.
  All provisions of the Public Employees' Retirement Law, Part 3
(commencing with Section 20000) of Division 5 of Title 2, governing
the board's rights, powers, duties, obligations, and procedures in
administration of that system and investment of the Public Employees'
Retirement Fund which are not inconsistent with this chapter shall
apply with equal force and effect to the award system and the
investment of the fund created under this chapter.
   (2) In addition to those powers and duties, the board shall
determine if participation in the system is adequate to insure that
sufficient funds will be available for the payment of awards on an
actuarial reserve basis before any awards are paid.  If the board
determines that participation in the system is inadequate to assure
the financial success of the system, it shall terminate the system
prior to payment of the first award.  In case of termination,
evaluation fees shall be considered to have been fully earned and are
nonrefundable.
   (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the assets of the fund
attributable to the benefit of registered volunteers of a department
are subject to the claims of creditors of the department in the case
of the insolvency of the department.  The assets of the fund that are
not attributable to the benefits of registered volunteers of an
insolvent department are not subject to the claims of the creditors
of the insolvent department.
50954.  (a) The board shall, from time to time, determine and fix
the annual interest rate and actuarial interest rate.
   (b) The board shall keep in convenient form the data which are
necessary for the actuarial valuation of this system.  The board
shall, at least quadrennially, cause to be made an actuarial
investigation into the mortality and service experience of members
and persons receiving awards and an actuarial valuation of the assets
and liabilities of the award system and shall transmit the
information to the Legislature.
   When there is insufficient data upon which to establish mortality
rates or other actuarial assumptions required to evaluate the
obligations of the system, the board may adopt appropriate
assumptions which are necessary, upon the advice and recommendation
of the actuary.
50955.  (a) On the basis of such investigation and valuation, the
board shall adopt such mortality, service, and other tables as it
deems necessary, and shall make such changes in the contributions
required from contracting departments as it considers appropriate in
order to assure the actuarial soundness of this award system.
   (b) The board shall credit all contributions of departments in the
fund with interest at the annual interest rate compounded at each
June 30.
   (c) Data filed by any member or department with the board is
confidential, and no individual record shall be divulged by any
official or employee having access to it to any person other than the
member to whom the information relates or his authorized
representative, or the department by which he is employed.  Such
information shall be used by the board for the sole purpose of
carrying into effect the provisions of this chapter.
   (d) Each volunteer member and department shall file with the board
such information and evidence as may be required by the board in
administration of this system.
50956.  (a) The Volunteer Firefighters Length of Service Award Fund
is hereby created and established in the State Treasury.  All moneys
received by the award system pursuant to this chapter shall be
deposited in the fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340, the moneys in
the fund are continuously appropriated to the board, without regard
to fiscal years, for payment of the costs of administration of this
chapter and for the payment of awards pursuant to this chapter.
   (b) The State Treasurer shall be custodian of the fund, subject to
the exclusive control of the board as to administration and
investment of the fund.  All payments from the fund shall be made
upon warrants drawn by the Controller upon demands made by the board.