Bill

H 2883

An Act clarifying call firefighter rights

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Meg Kilcoyne and 1 co-sponsor

Includes call firefighters in Massachusetts public retirement law, clarifying their retirement rights and eligibility.

Hearing scheduled for 09/15/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1

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Bill Summary · H 2883

Summary of H 2883 — An Act clarifying call firefighter rights

Overview

H 2883, introduced February 27, 2025 by Representative Meghan K. Kilcoyne, is proposed legislation in the Massachusetts General Court titled “An Act clarifying call firefighter rights.” The bill seeks to clarify rights related to call firefighters within public employee retirement law. It has advanced to a committee stage, with a hearing scheduled for September 15, 2025 (1:00 PM–5:00 PM, in hearing room A-1). The bill is linked to House Docket No. 2339 and is described as including call firefighters in the public employee retirement framework.

What the bill would do

The primary textual change is contained in Section 1, amending Section 4(2)(b) of Chapter 32 of the General Laws (Public Retirement System). The amendment rewrites the phrase at the end of the second sentence, changing the third-to-last word from “the” to “any.”
The accompanying narrative and petition indicate the bill’s intent to include call firefighters within the scope of the public employee retirement law, thereby clarifying their retirement rights. However, the actual enacted change is a specific word replacement within the retirement statute, and the practical effect depends on the surrounding statutory language in Section 4(2)(b).

Key provisions (as currently stated)

Section 1: Modify Chapter 32, Section 4(2)(b) by changing the third-to-last word in the end of the second sentence from “the” to “any.”
This precise wording change is intended to clarify rights under the public employee retirement system for call firefighters, aligning them with the broader intent of including call firefighters in retirement protections.

Affected parties

Call firefighters (on-call/volunteer-style responders) and their employers.
Public retirement system participants in Massachusetts.
Municipalities and other employers that employ call firefighters and participate in state public retirement programs.

Procedural and timeline notes

Introduced: February 27, 2025.
Referred to the Committee on Public Service: February 27, 2025.
Senate concurrence: Noted as having occurred in the legislative actions, with progress reflected in the docket.
Hearing: Scheduled for September 15, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Room A-1.

Potential impact

If enacted, call firefighters would be explicitly covered under Massachusetts public employee retirement law, potentially affecting eligibility, benefits, or administration of retirement rights for on-call fire personnel.
Fiscal and administrative effects would depend on how the change interacts with existing retirement provisions and any associated benefit calculations for call firefighters.

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