Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB337 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 56 0216
2	2	House Bill 337
3	3	By: Representatives Carson of the 46
4	4	th
5	5	, Hitchens of the 161
6	6	st
7	7	, Powell of the 33
8	8	rd
9	9	, Lumsden
10	10	of the 12
11	11	th
12	12	, Momtahan of the 17
13	13	th
14	14	, and others
15	15	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
16	16	AN ACT
17	17	To amend Chapter 2 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
18	18	1
19	19	Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, so as to establish the State Law Enforcement2
20	20	Officer Plan to offer enhanced benefits for electing state law enforcement officers; to provide3
21	21	for irrevocable elections; to provide for conditions and limitations; to provide for deferred4
22	22	retirement option program accounts; to provide for definitions; to provide a short title; to5
23	23	provide for related matters; to provide conditions for an effective date and automatic repeal;6
24	24	to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7
25	25	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8
26	26	SECTION 1.9
27	27	Chapter 2 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Employees'10
28	28	Retirement System of Georgia, is amended in Code Section 47-2-1, relating to definitions,11
29	29	by revising paragraph (37) and by adding a new paragraph to read as follows:12
30	30	"(37) 'State law enforcement officer' means any member employed by the:
31	31	13
32	32	(A) Uniform Division of the Department of Public Safety as an officer, a14
33	33	noncommissioned officer, or a trooper;15
34	34	(B) Georgia Bureau of Investigation as an officer or agent;16
35	35	H. B. 337
36	36	- 1 - 25 LC 56 0216
37	37	(C) Department of Natural Resources as a game warden;17
38	38	(D) Department of Revenue as an alcohol and tobacco officer or agent or as an officer18
39	39	or agent of the Special Investigations Unit;19
40	40	(E) Motor Carrier Compliance Division as a sworn law enforcement officer; or20
41	41	(F) Capitol Police Division of the Department of Public Safety as a sworn law21
42	42	enforcement officer.22
43	43	(38) 'Within one year after discharge from the armed forces' means within one year after23
44	44	the termination of the member's active service in the military or naval forces of the24
45	45	United States and shall not include any military reserve or naval reserve service."25
46	46	SECTION 2.26
47	47	Said chapter is further amended by adding a new article to read as follows:27
48	48	"ARTICLE 1128
49	49	47-2-400.29
50	50	This article shall be known and may be cited as the 'State Law Enforcement Officer Plan'30
51	51	or 'SLEO Plan.'31
52	52	47-2-401.32
53	53	(a) As used in this article, the term 'electing officer' means a state law enforcement officer33
54	54	who, on or after July 1, 2026, is a contributing member of this retirement system and makes34
55	55	an irrevocable election to participate in the SLEO Plan in lieu of any other retirement35
56	56	system, plan, or program established under this chapter.36
57	57	H. B. 337
58	58	- 2 - 25 LC 56 0216
59	59	(b) Each eligible state law enforcement officer shall become an electing officer if he or she37
60	60	notifies the board of trustees in writing of such irrevocable election within 90 days of38
61	61	becoming a state law enforcement officer or July 1, 2026, whichever is later.39
62	62	(c) No person who did not make a valid election pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code40
63	63	section shall be eligible for the enhanced benefits plan provided for in this article.41
64	64	(d) In no event shall an electing officer be eligible to retire under this article at any point42
65	65	prior to July 1, 2031. If such an officer seeks to retire before July 1, 2031, he or she shall43
66	66	not be entitled to any of the enhanced benefits provided in this article, and the retirement44
67	67	system shall treat such officer as if he or she had not made the irrevocable election under45
68	68	this Code section.46
69	69	47-2-402.47
70	70	Each electing officer shall be entitled to all of the same benefits provided otherwise for48
71	71	similarly situated members of this retirement system, except that:49
72	72	(1) Each electing officer shall contribute 5 percent of his or her earnable compensation50
73	73	to the retirement system;51
74	74	(2) Each electing officer shall be eligible for retirement benefits to be determined in52
75	75	accordance with the following schedule:53
76	76	(A) An electing officer shall receive a monthly retirement benefit equal to 10 percent54
77	77	of his or her average final compensation if he or she earns ten years of creditable55
78	78	service;56
79	79	(B) For each of the years of creditable service from year 11 through year 15, an57
80	80	electing officer shall receive a monthly retirement benefit equal to 3 percent of his or58
81	81	her average final compensation;59
82	82	H. B. 337
83	83	- 3 - 25 LC 56 0216
84	84	(C) For each of the years of creditable service from year 16 through year 20, an60
85	85	electing officer shall receive a monthly retirement benefit equal to 5 percent of his or61
86	86	her average final compensation; and62
87	87	(D) For each of the years of creditable service from year 21 through year 25, an63
88	88	electing officer shall receive a monthly retirement benefit equal to 6 percent of his or64
89	89	her average final compensation; and65
90	90	(3)(A) After an electing officer obtains 25 years of creditable service in the SLEO66
91	91	Plan, his or her contributions pursuant to paragraph (1) of this Code section shall cease,67
92	92	and such officer's retirement benefit amount shall be calculated based upon his or her68
93	93	average final compensation at such time.69
94	94	(B) On and after the date on which an electing officer's contributions cease pursuant70
95	95	to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, if the officer does not elect to retire under the71
96	96	plan, his or her monthly retirement benefits shall be paid into such officer's DROP72
97	97	Account provided for in subsection (a) of Code Section 47-2-403 until he or she elects73
98	98	to retire. Such monthly payments shall accrue any postretirement benefit adjustments74
99	99	granted to other members of this retirement system.75
100	100	47-2-403.76
101	101	(a) The board of trustees shall establish a Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP)77
102	102	Account for each eligible electing officer to deposit such officer's monthly benefit78
103	103	payments. The amounts in each account shall earn interest at a market rate to be79
104	104	determined by the board of trustees.80
105	105	(b) Upon an electing officer's retirement, he or she shall be entitled to receive a lump sum,81
106	106	a partial lump sum, or an annuity payment from the funds in his or her DROP Account,82
107	107	including any interest therein. The board of trustees may also make available options to83
108	108	roll such funds into certain tax advantaged retirement accounts."84
109	109	H. B. 337
110	110	- 4 - 25 LC 56 0216
111	111	SECTION 3.
112	112	85
113	113	This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2026, only if it is determined to have been86
114	114	concurrently funded as provided in Chapter 20 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia87
115	115	Annotated, the "Public Retirement Systems Standards Law"; otherwise, this Act shall not88
116	116	become effective and shall be automatically repealed in its entirety on July 1, 2026, as89
117	117	required by subsection (a) of Code Section 47-20-50.90
118	118	SECTION 4.91
119	119	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.92
120	120	H. B. 337
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