Amendment #1482 to H5500

Covid credit to public health and safety officials

Mrs. Sullivan-Almeida of Abington moves to amend the bill by inserting the following section:

"SECTION XXXX. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

“COVID-19 essential employee retirement credit bonus” or “COVID-19 credit”, an amount of credit equivalent to the duration of the governor’s COVID-19 state of emergency from March 10, 2020 to June 15, 2021, inclusive, to be added to an employee’s age or years of service or a combination thereof, for the purpose of calculating a retirement benefit pursuant to chapter 32 of the General Laws.

“Essential employee”, all state, county and municipal public health and safety officials, including, but not limited to, police officers, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, emergency dispatchers, court officers, corrections officers and public health officials who provided direct patient care, emergency response, or supervision and were required to work in person during the COVID-19 state of emergency.

(b) The secretary of administration and finance shall identify all essential employees of the commonwealth who, during the period covered by the governor’s state of emergency declared on March 10, 2020 until June 15, 2021, inclusive, were: (i) required to work at their respective worksite or any other worksite outside of their personal residence; and (ii) public-facing.

(c) The secretary shall work with the appropriate heads of departments of the commonwealth to identify and provide a list of essential employees and their home mailing

addresses to the state retirement board documenting the employees’ eligibility for the COVID-19 essential employee retirement credit bonus. Upon identification of eligible essential employees, such employees shall be credited with a COVID-19 credit as defined in subsection (a). The state retirement board shall notify each eligible essential employee in writing of their receipt of the credit.

(d) A municipality, district or authority may elect to adopt the COVID-19 essential employee retirement credit established in this section. This section shall take effect in a municipality upon its acceptance in the following manner: in a city, by vote of the city council in accordance with its charter; in a town, whether it maintains its own contributory retirement system or participates in a county or regional retirement system, by vote of town meeting; in a district, by vote of the district meeting; and, in the case of an authority, by vote of its governing body. For the purposes of this section, the state employees’ retirement system shall be deemed to have accepted the provisions of this section.

(e) Upon local acceptance of this section, the chief executive officer of a municipality shall identify all essential employees eligible for the COVID-19 credit pursuant to subsection (a). Upon identification of eligible essential employees, such employees shall be credited with a COVID-19 credit as defined in subsection (a). The retirement board of which the municipality’s employees are members shall notify each eligible employee in writing of their receipt of the credit.

(f) The chief executive officer for a quasi-public agency whose retirement board established under chapter 32 has accepted the COVID-19 credit pursuant to subsection (d) shall work with the agency’s director of human resources to identify employees eligible for the COVID-19 credit pursuant to subsection (a). Upon identification of eligible employees, such employees shall be credited with a COVID-19 credit as defined in subsection (a). The retirement board of which the agency’s employees are members shall notify each eligible employee in writing of their receipt of the credit."

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #1482 to H5500

Covid credit to public health and safety officials