[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6199085,"mediaKeyId","3840737-bb57e2135ccd52f7243065d1540a2d0c","parentId",3840737,"title","Committee extends study on educator high‑needs program; sponsor seeks local control over high‑need designations","audioSeconds",191,"startMs",1907000,"endMs",2098000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3840737-bb57e2135ccd52f7243065d1540a2d0c&start=1907&end=2098","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3840737-bb57e2135ccd52f7243065d1540a2d0c/thumbnail_1907000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6199085/Georgia/Committee-extends-study-on-educator-highneeds-program-sponsor-seeks-local-control-over-highneed-designations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199085-674ba135b8c0a0cec9036b86963c7c37/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064690&Signature=QQ6bUy1cVy8ZYv7jJ3d~BUPNHPWQpLeR5q7ItmvDCfJSq3nh2Xhp5HsIZcj5jpNuQOBplBNx4V1jbFwmTJP-ICpfF7G64egfUpEY9xVS1~IYMlywp~5LXUKtffQV9L424aqCuObRuY3lylAskDX8qY2cgP4yt7oHKRjX2Y-gK2b1SYlejHY59wcX5cKr6emrkGoxdXbiNWUMxG2tG~NIzwO7KlKatYKdZdxAQlbQXyS73N2KsY03t8PA8LV3qGqrtPfZPK~L1p2L0hJwREH5y-4IqsFrFQkoqHTa1ZKTRWaNrOTH9kMgSPE8k2DotlCpwgvnifzteHKVyNybWHvShQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Georgia Legislature","date","2025-06-16T00:00:00Z","article","The committee voted to send House Bill 372 to study after the bill’s sponsor said the measure would extend the sunset for a teacher recruitment program created in a prior session and would give local school districts authority to set their own high‑need categories.

Sponsor remarks: The bill’s sponsor, Bethany Ballard, told the committee HB 372 would move out the program’s sunset established by House Bill 385 (2021–22) and would allow local public school systems to determine their highest‑need areas rather than rely solely on RESAs. Ballard said the bill would list eligible high‑need areas — including math, special education, reading, writing and English language arts — and would require a current dyslexia or reading endorsement where applicable to comply with recent literacy legislation.

Ballard said the proposal would not change existing high‑need designations for employees already hired under the program, so a change in a district’s high‑need category would not result in termination or nonrenewal of current beneficiaries. Claire Suggs, representing the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, spoke in support and said the association had submitted a letter backing the bill.

Formal action: Committee members moved and seconded that HB 372 be sent to study; the motion carried by voice vote. A committee member asked whether an actuarial or cost review would permit scaling back the sunset if a study returned higher costs; staff answered the committee could reduce scope but could not make the change more expensive than statutory limits.

The sponsor asked the committee to return the bill with any requested technical edits and cost information. The committee did not set a new sunset date in its discussion; the sponsor stated a date in the meeting transcript that was unclear in the recording, and the committee asked staff to provide the precise effective and sunset dates in the study materials.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","06.16.25 Retirement","oneSentenceSummary","A bill to move a sunset and give local school districts control over high‑need teacher categories was sent to study; the sponsor said the measure would preserve jobs of those already hired under the program and align with recent literacy and dyslexia requirements.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Georgia , Georgia","taxId",77688,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6199089,"Committee opens study on multiple legislative‑retirement proposals, including equalization and benefit increases",792,2176000,2968000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3840737-bb57e2135ccd52f7243065d1540a2d0c&start=2176&end=2968","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3840737-bb57e2135ccd52f7243065d1540a2d0c/thumbnail_2176000.jpg","/articles/6199089/Georgia/Committee-opens-study-on-multiple-legislativeretirement-proposals-including-equalization-and-benefit-increases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199089-954f1625e881d9e4e427d7a388389591/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064689&Signature=nVMkFSL8xQeQ65ATT6KFyXuu6DUvgla4svonslTyLifFVxcyM3XAv3G5FlMOMhb4zQ86T4Ik1fNY1mji2dNwJx3yOeT~PMCoy8aJr5U1l8ZNCTolKDel3KDs0IV~r6LzHA0ws7zOKcZ2ngRPkHFDraqCmYvUPRWpEzTjfCUSKDW5eqNM4GmwGAmO-SWu92ra1JWXtdKMzm1gMTrbTjTF1KuuANQcCKSY2YHEeqiu5TsbF5uExu3Bo59uTfBHbbex0~90DmcA4YDAfXkysMcTwFPA2BHo6FijLFbgyrEBnnnkfTUhmaxc5fOV-XRJE4VGppUADCOlG4Ntv7dwpXF2IA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A House committee agreed to study multiple bills that would change benefits and contributions across several state retirement plans used by legislators, judges and certain public employees.

The measures considered together included a proposal to make retirement benefits equal for all legislative retirees regardless of whether they retired before or after Jan. 1, 2022 (House Bill 924); proposals to raise the monthly multiplier used to calculate legislative benefits (House Bill 895 and related measures); an amendment allowing service credit recognition between the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) and the Judicial Retirement System (JRS) with a 90‑day election window (House Bill 905 as amended); and a proposal affecting members of the Georgia State Employees’ Pension and Savings Plan (GSEPS) to offer an opt‑in increase in the multiplier paired with higher member contributions (House Bill 891).

Why it matters: Committee members said these bills affect the Legislative Retirement System and other participant groups that, in some cases, are well funded. Committee discussion referenced recent funding levels, with staff and members characterizing the legislative plan as substantially funded above actuarial liability; one staff member described the plan’s funded status in the range of about 125–133 percent based on prior reports. Members said they wanted actuarial study and cost comparisons before choosing a policy path so changes would not shift an unexpected cost to taxpayers.

Key points from discussion included:
• House Bill 924 would extend the benefit formula to cover retirees who left service before Jan. 1, 2022; presenters said the change would equalize benefits for currently retired lawmakers rather than alter benefits for active members.
• House Bill 895 (and related proposals) would raise the monthly multiplier used to calculate benefits for future retirees — one proposal would boost the multiplier to $75 per month per year of service beginning in 2026 and increase the presiding officer’s multiplier to $300 per month per year of service — and committee members asked staff to calculate employer and employee contribution implications.
• Representative Gary Richardson offered an amendment to House Bill 905 to clarify the transfer of service between ERS and JRS; the committee adopted language to strike “or” in one line and add a 90‑day election window “after entering service in a covered position.”
• A staff presenter described a GSEPS proposal (House Bill 891) that would raise the pension multiplier to 1.5% for service after July 1, 2026, require member opt‑in, and increase member contributions from the current 1.25% toward 3% (with board authority to raise to 4% if necessary).

Formal action: The committee voted to send the relevant bills and the Richardson amendment to study or actuarial review where appropriate. Votes were recorded on multiple motions; the transcript records motions and seconds and notes the motions carried (most by voice vote). Committee members emphasized that study or actuarial review would precede any final action.

The committee asked staff to return cost estimates, employer/employee contribution scenarios and comparisons of the different proposals’ fiscal impact before further consideration.","Lawmakers voted to study several bills affecting the Legislative Retirement System and related plans, including proposals to equalize benefits for earlier retirees, increase monthly multipliers for future retirees, and ease transfer of service credit between retirement systems.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6199093,"Committee orders actuarial review of bills to create new state law‑enforcement retirement plan",174,1244000,1418000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3840737-bb57e2135ccd52f7243065d1540a2d0c&start=1244&end=1418","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3840737-bb57e2135ccd52f7243065d1540a2d0c/thumbnail_1244000.jpg","/articles/6199093/Georgia/Committee-orders-actuarial-review-of-bills-to-create-new-state-lawenforcement-retirement-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199093-ddf585db384e5732285d3f6d16541f65/orig.mp4?Expires=1771064689&Signature=eTnrqDhLkC027ZFgEW2tgVTbyVQgGCclCwA~SNovT~koCoHSogyAKb4PXSyUM7bgqj-zbhIykQst4XLXi62qZVIWVctHMFMTn69se49T9EoKHMi3CwFT46hPKvESjgsuyHJDkQszX~2yWOd69Ai20nmhq4amWbM2zED8aSVOg0sCmX7X5SfafPktr7xmRECWBOlwpJCPJMFAxwROLJDWlGHTBbHHUwlqH8-aDnwdw4i6rHywgFDMReBCB6Dnq8XtMxIaiPcydUy1dBktLPcWfpIY7N5dOPUSzuhuvqGXV-q2w4G6FQNTvhez5~CXJHJyuaLigE8L6trdxSnW9l43yg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A House committee voted to send House Bills 337 and 808 to actuarial review after presenters said the measures would create a new State Law Enforcement Officer retirement plan and substantially expand who is eligible.

The committee chair described House Bill 337 as creating “a new state law enforcement retirement plan called the SLEO,” and said it mirrors a bill from the 2023 session. The chair said the bill would change the current accrual structure for covered, post‑certified employees and asked the panel to authorize using state resources to perform an actuarial review before any legislative action.

Why it matters: Committee members and staff said the bills could carry a large fiscal cost and affect multiple agencies that employ state law‑enforcement personnel. The chair said the broader Bill 808 would add employees who are not post‑certified but who perform front‑line public safety work, including staff in the Department of Community Supervision and juvenile justice.

Committee discussion focused on who the bills would cover and the likely cost. The chair said the expanded package would be “gonna be expensive” and estimated a total liability “around $200,000,000.” The chair also cited a staff estimate that placing the change as an injection into the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) would carry a specific actuarial cost of about $192,800,000. ERS staff and actuaries said the actuarial review would quantify total liability and first‑year costs, and that a single actuarial study typically costs “somewhere from $10,000 to $25,000.”

Representative David Horner asked whether affected employees would remain eligible for ERS; committee staff responded that members would remain eligible for ERS but that the sponsor expected many to opt into the new plan. Committee members also asked for employee and employer rate details; staff said participating members were currently at a 5% employee contribution and that other contribution details would be part of the actuarial analysis.

Formal action: Representative Warner moved and Dean Gerald Green seconded that the committee send the bills to actuarial review. The motion carried unanimously on voice votes recorded in the meeting.

The committee did not approve either bill itself; members emphasized that the committee was authorizing a study only and that any policy decisions would follow the actuarial findings.

The bills were introduced by or at the request of the Department of Public Safety; the chair said the measure was brought forward by Commissioner Wright (then of the Department of Public Safety). The committee asked staff to return the actuarial results and cost breakdowns before any further legislative action.","A Georgia House committee voted to send House Bills 337 and 808 to actuarial review. Sponsors said the bills would create a new State Law Enforcement Officer retirement plan and expand eligibility to additional public safety personnel; committee members were warned the change would be expensive.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee extends study on educator high‑needs program; sponsor seeks local control over high‑need designations

Committee opens study on multiple legislative‑retirement proposals, including equalization and benefit increases

Committee orders actuarial review of bills to create new state law‑enforcement retirement plan