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Committee recommends against bill that would let senior firefighters work past mandatory retirement age
Summary
The Council on Pensions voted 9-2 to recommend against House Bill 333 / Senate Bill 301, which would add shift commanders and above to exceptions allowing firefighters to remain in service past mandatory retirement ages, and which the Treasury estimated would reduce pension liabilities.
The Council on Pensions voted 9-2 on March 10 to recommend against passage of House Bill 333 / Senate Bill 301, which would extend an existing exception to mandatory retirement for certain public safety officers to include firefighters with rank equal to or higher than shift commander.
Sponsor Chairman Crawford said the change aims to keep experienced firefighters on the job to mentor newer staff. "What this bill is trying to do is keep us from losing all that experience and wisdom that the older firefighters have to be able to pass along to new and current firefighters," he told the committee.
Mister Weyman of the Department of Treasury told the committee that current law requires retirement at age 60 for covered members, with exceptions if 50% or more duties are administrative (allowing service to age 62) and an exception for police and fire chiefs. The proposed bill would add a third exception for firefighters with rank equal to or higher than shift commander.
The department presented an estimated pension liability savings of $1,495,000 and a first‑year cost (or net savings impact) of about $130,000 for the affected plans. Weyman said the estimate applies only to firefighters with rank of shift commander and above as written.
Members asked whether local jurisdictions use standard rank titles and whether TCRS collects job titles; Weyman said job titles are not currently collected from political subdivisions. Representative Gillespie confirmed the bill, as drafted, applies only to fire departments and not to police.
On the roll call the committee recorded 9 ayes and 2 noes; the Council transmitted a recommendation against passage to the bill's next committee. No amendments were adopted during the Council's consideration.
