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H 4977

An Act relative to a transfer of retirement benefits for Valeria D'Orazio an associate professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Michelle Badger and 1 co-sponsor

Special legislation authorizes transfer of retirement benefits for Massachusetts Maritime Academy associate professor Valeria D'Orazio between public employee pension systems.

Accompanied a study order, see H5423 (under House Rule 27)
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Bill Summary · H 4977

Legislative bill overview

H 4977 is a special legislation bill that authorizes the transfer of retirement benefits for Valeria D'Orazio, an associate professor at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The bill allows her to move accumulated retirement contributions between public employee retirement systems, likely to preserve benefits earned during her tenure at the Academy.

Why is this important

Retirement benefit transfers can significantly impact individual employees' financial security in retirement. This legislation affects the administration of public employee pension systems and sets precedent for how Massachusetts handles benefit portability between state institutions. The bill's passage also reflects legislative action on individual employment matters.

Potential points of contention

  • Fairness and precedent: Special legislation benefiting individual employees raises questions about whether similar accommodations should be available to other public employees in comparable situations, or if this represents preferential treatment
  • Pension system costs: Transferring benefits between retirement systems may have actuarial implications for both systems involved, potentially affecting long-term public pension liabilities
  • Legislative efficiency: Using legislative time for individual retirement matters (rather than systemic reform) may be questioned as an inefficient use of the legislative process

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

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