21159. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a state member shall not be retired for industrial disability for an illness or injury that occurs on or after January 1, 1993, unless the member is incapacitated for the performance of duty in any employment with the state employer and the disability is of permanent or extended and uncertain duration, as determined by the Department of Human Resources. This section shall only apply to state safety, state industrial, and state miscellaneous members employed in any state bargaining units for which a memorandum of understanding has been agreed to by the state employer and the recognized employee organization to become subject to this section. The Director of Human Resources may adopt rules regarding job placement and other related activities necessary for the administration of this section and Section 21195.
(b) A state member who, because of the enactment of this section is no longer eligible to retire for industrial disability and accepts alternate employment with the state in which the compensation is less than that received in the position held at the time of the illness or injury, shall, upon certification of the Department of Human Resources to the board, become entitled to benefits under the partial disability retirement program set forth in Section 21160.
(c) The employee shall have the right of appeal to the Department of Human Resources regarding: (1) the requirement to participate or (2) the exclusion from participating in the program described in this section and Section 21160.
(d) For all other disputes relative to this section and Section 21160, the employee shall seek administrative remedy from his or her appointing power through the departmental complaint process.
(e) The appointing power of the affected employee shall reimburse the Department of Human Resources for any costs associated with the administration of this provision.
(f) This section shall not apply to any job-related or job-incurred illness or injury that occurs on or after January 1, 2000.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 665, Sec. 128. (SB 1308) Effective January 1, 2013.)