Massachusetts House Bill H2487

Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/16/23
• Refer: 2/16/23

Caption

Relative to enhancing cost of living adjustment for certain long term career public retirees

Impact

If enacted, this bill will directly impact the financial landscape of retirement benefits for public employees. The enhancements aim to support those who are most in need—the retirees with lower-than-average benefits—by providing an additional one hundred dollars for those with fifteen years of service and an additional two hundred dollars for those with twenty years of service. Furthermore, the bill also includes provisions for beneficiaries of deceased members, extending additional benefits to them under similar eligibility criteria and ensuring comprehensive support for public service families.

Summary

House Bill 2487 aims to enhance the cost of living adjustment benefits for certain long-term career public retirees in Massachusetts. Specifically, the bill stipulates that members of the state employee retirement system and the teacher’s retirement system who meet certain criteria will receive additional financial benefits alongside their cost of living adjustments. This is intended to support retirees who have served in public roles for at least fifteen years and whose benefits are below the average determined by the retirement system's actuarial analysis.

Contention

The discussions around H2487 may touch on various points of contention, particularly regarding funding and the prioritization of budget allocations for these enhancements. Some stakeholders may argue about the sustainability of increasing benefits within existing budget constraints, while others will emphasize the moral obligation to support retired public servants. The distinction between those receiving benefits under disabilities and those who retired with full service will also be a focal point, weighing the equity of benefit distribution among diverse retiree backgrounds.