Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Senate hears bill allowing state retirees to designate special‑needs trusts as beneficiaries of retirement benefits
Loading...
Summary
Senate Bill 85 would permit state employees to designate special‑needs trusts as beneficiaries of state‑administered retirement benefits; supporters described it as providing parents peace of mind, and the measure received a roll call whose final disposition is not specified in the captured transcript.
Senate Bill 85, presented Feb. 18, 2026, would amend public pension law to allow state employees to establish a special‑needs trust as a beneficiary of state‑administered retirement benefits, supporters said.
The senator from Carter described the bill as "simple" but with major impacts, noting it amends pension law to permit trusts that comply with federal law to receive retirement benefits on behalf of individuals with special needs. The senator thanked Michael Clancy of LRC and trust lawyer Tanner Duncan for assistance on the measure.
The senator from McCracken urged support on the floor, saying there is "no greater peace of mind that the parent of a child with special needs can have" than knowing the child's financial security after the parent's death.
The clerk called the roll; numerous senators' responses of 'Aye' are recorded in the transcript, but the captured segments do not include a clear final clerk announcement of the bill's disposition. The transcript therefore does not specify the final vote tally or whether the bill was declared passed within the recorded segments.
