Bill filed to extend retirement benefits to licensed electricians in regional school districts

Representatives Simon Cataldo of the 14th Middlesex and Kimberly N. Ferguson of the 1st Worcester filed House Bill No. 2768 on Jan. 7, 2025, seeking to make licensed electricians employed by regional school districts eligible for retirement benefits under state law.

The filing would amend Section 3 of Chapter 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as amended by section 27 of chapter 39 of the acts of 2021, by inserting after the word "county" the phrase ; employees of a regional school district who are employed as licensed electricians. The bill cover sheet lists the measure as "An Act relative to licensed electricians employed at regional school districts." Similar language appeared in House No. 4208 of 2023-2024, according to the filing.

Why it matters: the change would add a specific class of school-district employees to the statutory list in Section 3 of Chapter 32, which governs state retirement classifications. The document filed with the House does not include fiscal notes, estimated costs, or details about implementation, and it does not record any committee referral, hearing schedule, or vote.

The filing is a petition presented to the General Court; it does not itself create law. The document identifies the petitioners and the exact statutory insertion being requested but does not specify how many employees would be affected, the anticipated fiscal impact on the State or regional districts, or whether local collective bargaining agreements would be changed.

Next steps were not specified in the filing provided. The petition and bill text establish the legislative proposal; further action such as committee referral, fiscal analysis, or hearings would occur through the House process and are not recorded in the submitted document.