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Bill

HD 204

An Act relative to veterans' buyback

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Adam Scanlon

Allows Massachusetts veterans to purchase military service time toward their public employee pension, combining service periods to enhance retirement benefits and eligibility.

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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HD 204

Legislative bill overview

HD 204 allows Massachusetts veterans to buy back service time into the state's public employee retirement system, crediting their military service toward pension eligibility and benefits calculations. This enables veterans to combine their military service with civilian public employment for retirement purposes, a common provision in many state pension systems.

Why is this important

Veterans often lose retirement credit during military service breaks in civilian employment. This bill recognizes military service as creditable time, potentially allowing veterans to retire earlier with higher benefits and reducing the financial penalty for their service gap. It affects both the veterans' retirement security and the long-term liability of the state pension fund.

Potential points of contention

  • Cost to state pension system: Buyback provisions increase unfunded liabilities and require actuarial analysis to determine the true fiscal impact on taxpayers
  • Eligibility and funding mechanism: Questions about which veterans qualify, how much buyback costs, and whether veterans or the state funds the purchase
  • Precedent and fairness: Determining how this applies to different service periods and whether similar provisions should extend to other public employees with service gaps

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

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