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Committee releases pension buyback and survivor‑benefit bills for state troopers
Summary
The committee released S3606/A4751 to permit purchase of service credit (academy, military, class‑2 special officer time) and S3607 to extend accidental‑death survivor benefits tied to 9/11 illnesses; supporters said actuarial studies show minimal solvency impact and estimated upfront survivor costs at about $1.09M for four families.
Lawmakers in the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee released a pair of bills addressing State Police Retirement System (SPRS) benefits.
S3606 and A4751 would permit certain members and recruits to purchase service credit for academy enrollment, military service academy time and class‑2 special law‑enforcement employment. Supporters framed the measure as pension parity and a recruiting tool for the state police: allowing recruits to buy academy time and giving parity with municipal police and fire retirement systems.
Wayne Blanchard, president of the State Troopers Fraternal Association, described the bills as a recruit‑and‑retention tool and explained that purchases would require members to pay both employee and state contributions, and actuarial formulas would determine individual costs. "This bill will afford them that opportunity to have parity with our colleagues," Blanchard said.
S3607 would reopen a sunset to extend survivor accidental‑death benefits for certain retirees whose illnesses are linked to 9/11 exposures. Supporters told the committee that three of four affected families would receive benefits and that the upfront fiscal cost for those cases is about $1,089,000, largely tied to group life payouts and pension adjustments.
Committee members asked about fiscal studies and solvency impacts; witnesses said comparable prior buyback bills produced minimal actuarial liability increases and that the governor’s contributions to pension funds mitigate risk. The committee released both measures for further consideration.
