Senate Committee reviews bill to move Randolph officers to state retirement Group G

The Senate Committee on Government Operations on April reviewed H.519, a bill that would reclassify municipal law enforcement officers who hold level-two or level-three certifications and whose primary duties are policing from retirement Group F into Group G of the Vermont State Employees Retirement System. Proponents told the committee the change is intended to improve recruitment and retention for the small municipal department in Randolph.

Cameron Wood of the Office of Legislative Council summarized the measure, saying it adds a definition for affected municipal law enforcement officers, adjusts the normal retirement date to reflect Group G rules and makes technical edits to align other statutory cross-references. "This bill moves law enforcement officers ... from group F over to group G," Wood said, adding that the bill includes a one-time election late in the year allowing current employees to remain in Group F if they choose.

Tim Dugen of the Vermont Retirement Systems and the Office of the State Treasurer told senators the bill follows the policy choices in Act 130 of 2024, which previously moved sheriff's deputies into Group G. Dugen said the fiscal impact to the retirement system and state budget is expected to be negligible because participating towns pay employer contributions and the affected universe is tiny—"three people, as many as five positions possible" in Randolph, he said.

Chris from the Joint Fiscal Office reiterated that the state budget would not be touched because municipalities pay the employer share and Group G members pay an incremental contribution rate (4.68% higher) to cover the added cost. The fiscal office characterized the change as "very limited" and similar to prior transitions implemented without material state cost.

Randolph officials told the committee the change is primarily a recruitment and retention tool. Randolph Police Chief Scott Claude said the department was reestablished four years ago and is currently short at least two full-time officers. "I want my 20 and done," Claude said, describing the 20-year path to full retirement as a necessary tool to remain competitive with other law enforcement employers. Former Randolph Select Board Chair Triny Brousard said the town chose Group G because it does not impose a mandatory retirement age and would help the town retain newly trained officers.

Committee members asked whether other municipalities could be affected, whether transfers between systems would be possible, and how legacy liabilities would be apportioned. Treasury and counsel said elections apply only to employees currently holding the job; switching membership is prospective and does not retroactively enhance prior years of service. The committee discussed effective dates: the bill includes a July 1 effective date, and members noted the substantive statutory deadline in the bill is January 1, 2027, when new hires would no longer be permitted to remain in Group F.

No formal vote was recorded at the hearing. Members agreed to keep the bill on the calendar for an additional day or two to allow any late questions and discussed scheduling a vote at the next meeting.

The committee also heard brief administrative remarks about assembling a chart comparing retirement groups for lawmakers to use as a reference; staff agreed to prepare additional materials to clarify differences among Groups C, D, F and G.

Next steps: the committee planned to leave H.519 on its calendar for follow-up and possible vote at a subsequent meeting.