WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

S 2613

An Act authorizing the retirement board of the city of Salem to retire Kathleen Rocheville, a police officer of the city of Salem

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Massachusetts bill authorizes Salem Retirement Board to retire police officer Kathleen Rocheville outside standard procedures, affecting her pension access and potentially the municipal pension fund.

Hearing scheduled for 10/15/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 2613

Legislative bill overview

S 2613 is a special legislation bill that authorizes the Salem Retirement Board to retire Kathleen Rocheville, a Salem police officer, outside of standard retirement procedures. The bill grants her specific authorization to access retirement benefits through board action rather than through the usual statutory channels.

Why is this important

Special retirement bills allow municipalities to address individual circumstances that may not fit standard retirement eligibility criteria—such as medical conditions, length of service exceptions, or other hardship cases. This directly affects the officer's financial security and pension access, and may set precedent for how the Salem Retirement Board handles similar requests.

Potential points of contention

  • Transparency and equity concerns: Special legislation for individual retirement creates questions about whether similar officers in comparable situations receive equal treatment or whether the process is sufficiently transparent.
  • Fiscal impact on pension fund: Authorizing early or non-standard retirements may affect the long-term sustainability of the municipal pension system, depending on Rocheville's age, service record, and benefit calculation.
  • Limited legislative information: The bill provides no public details about why Rocheville requires special authorization, making it difficult for stakeholders to assess whether the exception is justified.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.