Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that will protect the post-retirement earnings of retired educators.

Thanks in part to the letter-writing efforts of ACSA members, the governor signed Assembly Bill 178, Gorell, R-Westlake Village. The bill provides a “bridge” solution between the June 30, 2012 expiration date of exceptions to earnings limits and the enactment of new pension regulations as set forth by the Joint Legislative Conference Committee on Public Employee Pensions, which is expected to release its final report in August.

AB 178 will help school district leaders make critical decisions concerning their staffing and operational needs. Districts will now be able to hire part-time retirees to provide services based on their experience; a crucial ability especially in the most hard-to-staff schools and districts. In addition, the bill will allow retired members who want to reinstate into active service to re-apply for retirement at any time by eliminating the one-year waiting period.