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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 634 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1629
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Brendan P. Crighton
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to enhancing cost of living adjustment for certain long term career public
retirees.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Brendan P. CrightonThird Essex 1 of 4
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 634 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1629
By Mr. Crighton, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1629) of Brendan P. Crighton for
legislation relative to enhance cost of living adjustment for certain long term career public
retirees. Public Service.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to enhancing cost of living adjustment for certain long term career public
retirees.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 102 of Chapter 32 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following:- (h) Every
3member of the state employee retirement system and the teacher’s retirement system who
4qualifies and has attained fifteen full years of retirement as of June 30 of the prior fiscal year
5who receive a cost of living increase shall receive an additional one hundred dollar benefit to
6said increase. Said one hundred dollar benefit shall be granted only to members of the state
7retirement system and the teacher’s retirement system whose total annual retirement benefit is
8less than the average annual retirement benefit as determined by the retirement system’s most
9recent actuarial valuation and retired with twenty or more years of creditable service, provided
10however, those members who retired with a disability benefit under sections 6, 7 or 26 shall be
11eligible with less than twenty years of creditable service. Any surviving beneficiary of a
12deceased member who would otherwise be eligible for aforesaid additional benefit under this 2 of 4
13paragraph, including those beneficiaries receiving a benefit under sections 9, 12 or 101, shall
14receive said additional benefit if it is determined they are eligible by the retirement board in
15which they are a participant.
16 Every member of the state employee retirement system and the teacher’s retirement
17system who has attained twenty full years of retirement as of June 30 of the prior fiscal year who
18receive a cost of living increase shall receive an additional two hundred dollar benefit to said
19increase. Said two hundred dollar benefit shall be granted only to members of the state retirement
20system and the teacher’s retirement system whose total annual retirement benefit is less than the
21average annual retirement benefit as determined by the retirement system’s most recent actuarial
22valuation and retired with twenty or more years of creditable service. Any surviving beneficiary
23of a deceased member who would otherwise be eligible for aforesaid additional benefit under
24this paragraph, including those beneficiaries receiving a benefit under section 9, 12 or 101, shall
25receive said additional benefit if it is determined they are eligible by the retirement board in
26which they are a participant.
27 SECTION 2. Section 103 of Chapter 32 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
28Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following:- (k) Upon
29acceptance of the provisions of this paragraph as provided in paragraph (n), every member of a
30retirement system other than the state employees retirement system and the teachers’ retirement
31system, who has attained fifteen full years of retirement as of June 30 of the prior fiscal year and
32receives a cost of living increase pursuant to this section, shall receive an additional one hundred
33dollar benefit to said increase. Said one hundred dollar benefit shall be granted only to members
34of a retirement system, other than the state employees retirement system and the teachers’
35retirement system, whose total annual retirement benefit is less than the average annual 3 of 4
36retirement benefit as determined by their retirement system’s most recent actuarial valuation and
37retired with twenty or more years of creditable service, provided however, those members who
38retired with a disability benefit under sections 6, 7 or 26 shall be eligible with less than twenty
39years of creditable service. Any surviving beneficiary of a deceased member who would
40otherwise be eligible for aforesaid additional benefit under this paragraph, including those
41beneficiaries receiving a benefit under sections 9, 12 or 101, shall receive said additional benefit
42if it is determined they are eligible by the retirement board in which they are a participant.
43 (l) Upon acceptance of the provisions of this paragraph as provided in paragraph (n),
44every member of a retirement system other than the state employees retirement system and the
45teachers’ retirement system, who has attained twenty full years of retirement as of June 30 of the
46prior fiscal year and receives a cost of living increase pursuant to this section, shall receive an
47additional two hundred dollar benefit to said increase. Said two hundred dollar benefit shall be
48granted only to members of a retirement system other than the state employees retirement system
49and the teachers’ retirement system whose total annual retirement benefit is less than the average
50annual retirement benefit as determined by their retirement system’s most recent actuarial
51valuation and retired with twenty or more years of creditable service, provided however, those
52members who retired with a disability benefit under sections 6, 7 or 26 shall be eligible with less
53than twenty years of creditable service. Any surviving beneficiary of a deceased member who
54would otherwise be eligible for aforesaid additional benefit under this paragraph, including those
55beneficiaries receiving a benefit under sections 9, 12 or 101, shall receive said additional benefit
56if it is determined they are eligible by the retirement board in which they participate.
57 (m) Upon acceptance of the provisions of this paragraph as provided in paragraph (n),
58every member of a retirement system other than the state employees retirement system and the 4 of 4
59teachers’ retirement system, who has attained fifteen but not more than twenty full years of
60retirement as of June 30 of the prior fiscal year and receives a cost of living increase pursuant to
61this section, shall receive an additional one hundred dollar benefit and for those who has attained
62more than twenty years of retirement as of June 30 of the prior fiscal year, shall receive an
63additional two hundred dollar benefit to said increase. Such additional benefits shall be granted
64only to members of a retirement system, other than the state employees retirement system and
65the teachers’ retirement system, whose total annual retirement benefit is less than the average
66annual retirement benefit as determined by their retirement system’s most recent actuarial
67valuation and retired with twenty or more years of creditable service, provided however, those
68members who retired with a disability benefit under sections 6, 7 or 26 shall be eligible with less
69than twenty years of creditable service. Any surviving beneficiary of a deceased member who
70would otherwise be eligible for aforesaid additional benefit under this paragraph, including those
71beneficiaries receiving a benefit under sections 9, 12 or 101, shall receive said additional benefit
72if it is determined they are eligible by the retirement board in which they are a participant.
73 (n) Acceptance of the provisions of paragraphs (k). (l) or (m) shall be by a majority vote
74of the board of such system, subject to the approval of the legislative body. For the purpose of
75this section, ''legislative body'' shall mean, in the case of a city, the city council in accordance
76with its charter, in the case of a town, the town meeting, in the case of a district, the district
77members, and, in the case of an authority, the governing body. In the case of a county or region,
78acceptance shall be by the county or regional retirement board advisory council at a meeting
79called for that purpose by the county or regional retirement board, Acceptance of this paragraph
80shall be deemed to have occurred upon the filing of the certification of such vote with the
81commission. A decision to accept the provisions of this paragraph may not be revoked.