SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1598        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1543

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Adam G. Hinds

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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 resolve:

Resolve establishing a study on alternative retirement benefits of public employees.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1598        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1543

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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Resolve establishing a study on alternative retirement benefits of public employees.

Resolved, notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Massachusetts state retirement board, hereinafter “the board”, shall conduct a study relative to employees who are members of the state’s public retirement system, and their spouses or beneficiaries, who are or may be subject to the federal elimination provision, “WEP”, and the federal governmental pension offset provision, “GPO”.  The purpose of the study is to identify how the commonwealth can improve and provide financial support to public employee retirees whose social security benefit amounts have been or are reduced by the effects of WEP and GPO.  The study shall identify alternative public and private retirement programs and resources of the commonwealth that are available to said employees and their spouses and beneficiaries, as well as identify the barriers, including relative laws, policies and procedures, to accessing such programs and resources.  The study shall make recommendations that include, but not limited to: improving access to such alternative retirement programs and resources; improving existing programs and resources of the commonwealth; establishing new programs and resources, funding, and policies that ensure public employees and their spouses and beneficiaries have sufficient access to retirement programs and resources that may supplement for the loss of social security amount incurred from the effects of WEP and GPO.

The board shall work in collaboration with, but not limited to: the public employee retirement administration commission; the Massachusetts teachers’ retirement board; other offices, departments and agencies of the commonwealth, as appropriate.

The board shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on revenue, the joint committee on labor and workforce development, joint committee on municipalities and regional government, and the joint committee on public service, not later than December 31, 2020.