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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Crystal Quezada

April 9, 2013 (916) 319-2079

Op-EdAssembly Bill 785 Keeps Retirees Informed and

Protected

Sacramento, CA-Entering retirement means a lot of changes for the average American. But

what does not change is the freedom to assemble.

As in their time in the workforce, retirees have the right to join an organization made up of

fellow retirees that represents their best interests as they leave the workforce and enter

their golden years.

At a time when pension programs across the nation are under attack and ever evolving,

states are not always able to properly communicate these changes and the real effects they

will have on the average retiree, their family or California taxpayers in general.

Statewide, CalPERS annually fuels economic growth, job creation and tax revenues;

stimulating not only the broader California economy, but local economic activity through

investments and the spending capitol that CalPERS provides its retirees.

As programs like Californias CalPERS make investment decisions, it is imperative that the

over 1.5 million retirees currently enrolled in this vital program are educated about the

choices being made on their behalf.

Assembly Bill 785 does just this, providing bona fide retiree organizations the ability to

conduct a blind mailing for the purpose of educating members on the benefits and services

already available to retirees within the CalPERS system.

Blind mailings means that CalPERS would provide the information to a mail house NOT the

retiree organizations. The organization would never see or be in possession of the list. The

mailing will be handled by a third party chosen by CalPERS. Confidentiality of the list will

always be maintained.

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Any and all costs including printing, postage and mail house charges will be paid for by

the retiree organization requesting the mailing.

A bonafide public sector retiree organization is defined as a retiree group officiallyaffiliated with an employee organization that represents current public sector employees

that participate in CalPERS or a retiree association composed solely of retired California

public employees.

Because the bill stipulates that access to blind mailings is only for organizations that

provide employee representation or membership services specific to the annuitants of

CalPERS, organizations like AARP, insurance companies or other vendors or commercial

enterprise would not have access they are not a bonafide retiree organization of CalPERS.

Furthermore, AB 785 specifically prohibits using a blind mailing for any political purpose

and strictly limits blind mailings to voluntary membership recruitment.

Retiree organizations keep an informed eye on developments in the state pension plan and

retiree health care programs, as well as federal retirement programs and work to educate

their members to these changes.

With over 1.5 million retired Californians presently enrolled in CalPERS, it is our duty as

daughters and sons, friends, neighbors and fellow taxpayers to do all we can to ensure

Californias retirees are given the same opportunities to advocate for their own best

interests as they had in the workplace.

This is not a new concept. More than 40 state, city or local retirement systems allow

bonafide retiree organizations access to the list of pensioners for the purpose of

membership recruitment many through blind mailings.

At its core, AB 785 is about freedom and education.