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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3082 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2805
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
David F. DeCoste
_________________
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 authorizing the South Shore Charter School to join the State Employees Retirement
System.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David F. DeCoste5th Plymouth1/16/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3082 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2805
By Representative DeCoste of Norwell, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2805) of
David F. DeCoste for legislation to authorize employees of the South Shore Charter School to
join the state employees retirement system. Public Service.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2499 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act authorizing the South Shore Charter School to join the State Employees Retirement
System.
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. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the South Shore
2Charter School, a charter school established pursuant to section 89 of chapter 71 of the general
3laws, upon a vote of its board of directors, may accept the applicable provisions of chapter 32 of
4the General Laws and thereby cause all eligible employees of the school, who are not eligible to
5join the teachers retirement system pursuant to chapter . 32 of the general laws, to become Group
61 members of the state employees retirement system, effective January 1, 2017.
7 SECTION 2. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the state
8employees retirement system shall grant creditable service to employees of the South Shore
9Charter School who become members as provided for in section 1 of this act. Eligible members 2 of 3
10shall have 1 opportunity to purchase creditable service for any service time to the South Shore
11Charter School immediately prior to the implementation of this Act.
12 (b) Eligibility for creditable service for any such time shall be conditioned upon the
13payment, in 1 lump sum or in installments upon such terms as the state employees retirement
14system may provide, an amount equal to the contributions such employee would have otherwise
15paid into the state employees retirement system had they been a member, at the contribution rate
16when such members joined the system, plus actuarial-assumed interest.
17 SECTION 3. Within 60 days after the effective date of this act, the state employees
18retirement system shall submit a request to the Internal Revenue Service seeking a letter of
19determination or a ruling on whether this act may be implemented without impairing the
20compliance of the state employees retirement system or the public employee retirement
21administration commission with the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as qualified pension
22systems. The state employees retirement system shall submit all relevant and necessary
23documentation to the Internal Revenue Service to assist in responding to the request.
24 SECTION 4. (a) Section 2 shall not take effect unless the Internal Revenue Service issues
25a favorable letter of determination or a ruling, as the case may be, which states that the purchase
26of service time described in this section shall not result in noncompliance of the state employees
27retirement system or the public employee retirement administration commission with the Internal
28Revenue Code of 1986.
29 (b) Within 60 days after receiving a favorable letter of determination or ruling from the
30Internal Revenue Service, the state employees retirement system shall notify the members of
31their eligibility for and the costs associated with this purchase of service. Within 120 days after 3 of 3
32receiving notification of eligibility, members shall purchase the service in 1 lump sum or enter
33into an installment agreement to pay for the service.