It is the intent of the Legislature to provide by this article a means by which any county which has provided all or any of officers and employees with both retirement benefits pursuant to this chapter and federal social security benefits on a nonintegrated basis may provide the benefits set forth herein as an alternative to survivorship benefits under social security. Accordingly, this article shall not be operative in any county until such time as the board of supervisors shall, by resolution adopted by majority vote and specifying the class or classes of employees to which it applies, make the provisions of this article applicable in such county, and a majority of the

members of the affected class or classes voting at an election held during 1974 with more than 50 percent of the members participating favor the termination of supplemental survivorship benefits under social security. Any such resolution may specify a date subsequent to the date of adoption as the operative date for implementation of this article.

This article shall not be applicable to any member who has retired or been placed in a deferred retirement status prior to the date this article becomes operative in any county; provided, however, that if such member reenters county employment on a full-time basis subsequent to the operative date of the article, it shall become applicable to such member.

In addition to the contributions required elsewhere in this chapter there shall be deducted from the salary or wages of each member covered by the provisions of this article, to finance the cost of the benefits provided herein, the sum of three dollars and fifty cents ($3.50) per month and an equivalent amount to be paid by the county as an additional county contribution. The amounts deducted pursuant to this section shall not be considered to be a portion of a member’s accumulated contributions and shall not be refunded to a member upon termination of service or for any other reason. The board is empowered to change the contribution figures set forth herein from time to

time based on actuarial recommendation as to contributions needed to fund these benefits.

Upon the death of a member prior to retirement who was a member continuously for not less than 18 months immediately prior to the member’s death and who is survived by one or more children but no surviving spouse, or who is survived by one or more children who are not being cared for by the surviving spouse, the child or children shall be entitled to a monthly survivor’s allowance as specified in Section 31855.8 or 31855.12, as the case may be. The monthly survivor’s allowance of two or more children shall be divided equally as to those children.

This section is an alternative to Section 31855.6.

This section shall not be operative in any county which has adopted this article, until the board of supervisors, by resolution adopted by a majority vote, makes this section operative in the county.

Monthly survivor’s allowances shall be based upon the following table:

This section is an alternative to Section 31855.8.

This section shall not be operative in any county which has adopted this article, until the board of supervisors, by resolution adopted by a majority vote, makes this section operative in the county.