In summary Unions for California Highway Patrol officers and Cal Fire firefighters are asking the state for a new retirement option that would complement their CalPERS pensions. Separately, one deferred retirement plan in Los Angeles allowed cops to gain seven-figure payouts while claiming disability and not working. Late-career CHP officers and Cal Fire firefighters would stop making contributions from their paychecks toward their pensions and instead put money in the deferred retirement plan. CalPERS would manage the deferred retirement plan and guarantee participants a 5% return. Their deferred retirement proposal leaves some room for union bargaining and it’s unclear how much it would cost.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 05, 2026 13:17 UTC