AB-1601 • 2026

County employees’ retirement: cost-of-living adjustments.

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Rogers
Last action: 2026-04-16
Official status: In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on the amount of cost-of-living adjustment or when it should happen.

Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Sonoma County Retirees

This law allows Sonoma County's board of supervisors to approve cost-of-living adjustments for retired county employees, their survivors, and beneficiaries.

What This Bill Does

Allows the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to authorize cost-of-living adjustments for retirement allowances, optional death allowances, or annual death allowances payable by the retirement system.
Requires the Board of Supervisors to collaborate with the retirement board to determine eligible recipients, the amount of adjustment, and funding source.

Who It Names or Affects

Retired Sonoma County employees
Survivors of retired Sonoma County employees
Beneficiaries who receive benefits from Sonoma County's retirement system

Terms To Know

Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA): An increase in the amount of money someone receives to keep up with rising prices and costs.
Retirement Board: The group that manages a county's retirement system for its employees.

Limits and Unknowns

This law only applies to Sonoma County.
It does not specify the amount of cost-of-living adjustment or when it should happen.
Other counties are not required to follow similar rules unless they choose to do so.

Bill History

2026-04-16 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2026-04-16 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 60. Noes 3.)
2026-04-09 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-04-08 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (April 8).
2026-02-02 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on P. E. & R.
2026-01-17 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee February 16.
2026-01-16 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1601, as introduced, Rogers.
County employees’ retirement: cost-of-living adjustments.
The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 authorizes counties to establish retirement systems for county employees, authorizes counties to establish a board of retirement, and authorizes the board of retirement to provide cost-of-living adjustments and certain supplemental cost-of-living allowances. Existing law, applicable to Sonoma County and Imperial County, authorizes the board of retirement, with approval of the county board of supervisors, to grant a cost-of-living adjustment on a prefunded basis to the retirement allowances, optional death allowances, or annual death allowances payable to or on account of eligible members.
This bill would permit the county board of supervisors for Sonoma County to authorize a cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement allowances, optional death allowances, or annual death allowances
payable by the retirement system. Before authorizing a cost-of-living adjustment, the bill would require the county board of supervisors to take various actions, including collaborating with the retirement board to identify the eligible retired members, survivors, beneficiaries, or successors in interest designated, or a subset of those benefit recipients, to receive the cost-of-living adjustment, the amount thereof, and the funding source.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for Sonoma County.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF