Section 19841.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 11030, whenever a state officer or employee is required by the appointing power because of a change in assignment, promotion, or other reason related to his or her duties to change his or her place of residence, the officer, agent, or employee shall receive his or her actual and necessary moving, traveling, lodging, and meal expenses incurred by him or her both before and after and by reason of the change of residence. The maximum allowances for these expenses shall be as follows: the costs of packing, transporting, and unpacking 11,000 pounds of household effects, traveling, lodging, and meal expenses for 60 days while locating a permanent residence, storage of household effects for 60 days, and additional miscellaneous allowances not in excess of two hundred dollars ($200). The maximum allowances may be exceeded where the director determines that the change of residence will result in unusual and unavoidable hardship for the officer or employee, and in those cases the director shall determine the maximum allowances to be received by the officer or employee.

(b) If a change of residence reasonably requires the sale of a residence or the settlement of an unexpired lease, the officer or employee may be reimbursed for any of the following expenses:

(1) The settlement of the unexpired lease to a maximum of one year. Upon the date of surrender of the premises by the employee who is the lessee, the rights and obligations of the parties to the lease shall be as determined by Section 1951.2 of the Civil Code.

The state shall be absolved of responsibility for an unexpired lease if the department determines the employee knew or reasonably should have known that a transfer involving a physical move was imminent before entering into the lease agreement.

(2) In the event of residence sale, reimbursement for brokerage and other related selling fees or charges, as determined by regulations of the department, customarily charged for like services in the locality where the residence is located.

(c) If the provisions of this section are in conflict with the provisions of a memorandum of understanding reached pursuant to Section 3517.5, the memorandum of understanding shall be controlling without further legislative action, except that if the provisions of a memorandum of understanding require the expenditure of funds, the provisions shall not become effective unless approved by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act.

(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 1, Sec. 24. Effective January 16, 2002.)