Senate bill would add victim witness advocates to Group 2 retirement classification after 10 years

Senator Adam Gomez filed Senate Bill No. 1870 on Jan. 16, 2025, proposing to amend the state retirement statute to classify long‑serving victim witness advocates in Group 2 for retirement purposes. The bill was docketed as Senate Docket No. 1389 and listed under Public Service. The measure would insert language into Group 2 of paragraph (g) of subdivision (2) of section 3 of chapter 32 of the General Laws to add “employees holding the title of victim witness advocate as defined by section 1 of chapter 258B who have been employed in such capacity for ten years or more.” If enacted, the change would place eligible victim witness advocates into the statutory retirement grouping referenced in chapter 32, §3. The bill as filed does not itself enact benefit changes; any difference for individual employees would depend on the legal and administrative consequences of reclassification under chapter 32 and any subsequent implementing actions by retirement boards. The filing notes a similar matter filed in the previous legislative session (Senate No. 1739 of 2023‑2024). The docket entry shows the bill was presented by Adam Gomez and carries the caption “Public Service,” indicating committee referral as recorded in the filing. No committee action, hearings, votes or additional debate are recorded in the docket text provided. The text specifies the tenure threshold—ten years or more in the victim witness advocate title, as defined in chapter 258B, §1—but does not indicate fiscal estimates, effective date language, or implementing regulations. Those items, if addressed, would typically appear later in committee reports or amendment language. Next steps for the measure are committee consideration and the standard legislative process in the General Court; the filing does not report a vote or final action.