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Committee refers reinstatement of ‘half pay’ for state law enforcement pensions to actuary
Summary
House Bill 1739, which would reinstate a previously removed 'half pay' provision for certain state law enforcement retirement members as a retention and recruitment tool, was referred to the actuary for evaluation after the committee voted to forward the measure.
The House Banking, Financial Services and Pensions Committee voted to refer House Bill 1739 to the state actuary for an actuarial assessment. Representative Chapman presented the bill, which would reinstate a "half pay" provision for members of the state law enforcement retirement system, a provision removed in 2012.
Chapman told the committee reinstating half pay—removed in 2012 to shore up pension plans—would increase retirement benefits for affected members (he said removal had reduced benefits by about 30%) and help make state law enforcement retirement packages competitive with municipal police forces that received benefit increases last year. He described the actuary's study as “step one” to move the proposal forward for possible passage in a future session.
The pension director identified himself in committee as Duane Michael and stated that the current draft does not bring in attorneys general agents or military police; he said those groups joined the pension system last year (the committee referenced that earlier change as already completed). Chapman moved and members seconded a referral to the actuary; the committee voted 8 yes, 0 no to forward the bill for actuarial study.
No actuarial figures or estimated fiscal impacts were presented at the hearing; the committee expressly referred the measure for an actuarial assessment as its next step.
