April 6, 2026
The Honorable Tina McKinnor
Chair, Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement 1020 N Street, Room 153
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 1383 (McKinnor) Public employees’ retirement benefits.
OPPOSE (As Amended January 22, 2026)
Brett TaylorMayorLiz WynnVice MayorSteven A. NelsenCouncilmemberEmmanuel Hernandez Soto CouncilmemberBrian PoochigianCouncilmemberBrett TaylorMayorLiz WynnVice MayorSteven A. NelsenCouncilmemberEmmanuel Hernandez Soto CouncilmemberBrian PoochigianCouncilmember Brett Taylor
Mayor
Liz Wynn
Vice Mayor
Steven A. Nelsen
Councilmember
Emmanuel Hernandez Soto Councilmember
Brian Poochigian
Councilmember
Brett Taylor
Mayor
Liz Wynn
Vice Mayor
Steven A. Nelsen
Councilmember
Emmanuel Hernandez Soto Councilmember
Brian Poochigian
Councilmember
Dear Assembly Member McKinnor,
The City of Visalia respectfully writes to inform you of our respectful opposition to your Assembly Bill (AB) 1383. This bill would make several significant changes to public employees’ retirement benefits, which would ultimately lead to increased pension liability for public agencies.
The Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) was passed in 2012, and most of its provisions went into effect January 1, 2013. PEPRA was designed to address a wide range of issues involving public employee pensions and was a major step in helping local agencies better manage future pension costs and prevent the California Public Employees Retirement System from sliding into insolvency. AB 1383 would upend many of the reforms put in place in 2013 by PEPRA.
Specifically, this bill would:
• Increase the pensionable compensation cap;
• Reduce the retirement age for public safety from 57 to 55 prospectively; • Add a 4th safety tier that is 3% @ 55, prospective and subject to bargaining; • Allow local agencies to adjust their local formula in a prospective manner; and • Permit authorized employee representatives to bargain with the employer over the employee share of payment for the normal cost.
While we recognize and appreciate the intent of the bill to support recruitment and retention of essential public safety professionals, the bill would impose increase mandated costs without funding. The potential cost of this bill comes at a time of great uncertainty. The fiscal volatility in the market compounded with the increased benefit costs from this bill could lead to significant cost increases for public agencies.
While our City supports competitive recruitment and retention of all public employees, AB 1383 represents an unfunded mandate that fails to balance sustainable retirement benefits with taxpayer fairness and long-term financial stability.
For the reasons discussed above, the City of Visalia respectfully is opposed to AB 1383. We look forward to continued conversations and collaboration with stakeholders on addressing pension sustainability and employee retention and recruitment. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Assistant City Manager, John Lollis at (559)713-4323. We appreciate your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Brett Taylor, Mayor
City of Visalia
P 559.713.4355 W visalia.govP 559.713.4355 W visalia.gov220 N. Santa Fe St. • Visalia, CA 93292220 N. Santa Fe St. • Visalia, CA 93292 P 559.713.4355 W visalia.gov
P 559.713.4355 W visalia.gov
220 N. Santa Fe St. • Visalia, CA 93292
220 N. Santa Fe St. • Visalia, CA 93292
City Council