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Pension committee asks staff to draft letter endorsing 2026 ad hoc COLA, citing House Bill 1474
Summary
The Select Committee on Pension Policy Executive Committee voted to ask staff to draft a letter endorsing an ad hoc one‑year cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA) for 2026, referencing House Bill 1474 and any similar Senate companion; the request will be presented to the full committee in November.
Chair Couture moved that staff prepare a letter recommending endorsement of an ad hoc one‑year cost‑of‑living adjustment for 2026, specifically referencing House Bill 1474 and any similar Senate companion, and have that letter ready for the full committee’s November meeting. Members seconded the motion and approved it by voice vote.
The chair framed the choice as a practical one: the committee could either prepare a new bill that explicitly states the recommendation of the select committee or save staff time by endorsing the existing House bill. "I don't believe that it would be a surprise to any member of the legislature if the select committee sent a letter of endorsement for an ad hoc cola," the chair said, noting potential budget constraints in the upcoming session.
Melinda Oslakson, staff to the committee, explained timelines and options for including the item on the November briefing materials. Multiple members expressed support for allowing endorsement language to cover either House Bill 1474 or a similar Senate bill, to permit a Senate companion if a senator chose to introduce one.
Member Murrieta offered a friendly amendment to specify the endorsement for the 2026 COLA; that amendment was accepted. After a second, the committee approved drafting the endorsement letter and asked staff to present the prepared letter to the full select committee in November for a formal vote.
The motion approved by voice vote requested that staff draft the endorsement letter, including language to endorse House Bill 1474 or a similar Senate one‑year ad hoc COLA bill, and make the letter available for the November meeting so the full committee may vote on final adoption.
The discussion included multiple members stressing the need for flexibility so a Senate member could run a companion bill and for staff to avoid unnecessary drafting work if a letter would achieve the same effect. No formal legislative text was adopted by the select committee at this meeting; the action directed staff only to prepare the endorsement letter and present it at the next meeting.
