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S 2461

Authorizes the New York state and local employees' retirement system to accept an application for disability retirement benefits from Andrew Reilly, Jr.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Steve Rhoads

Sets a 31-year age cap for original police/fire appointments in opt-in towns; veterans meeting federal enlistment ages can bypass the cap with a veteran exemption.

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Bill Summary · S 2461

Summary — S.2461 (Massachusetts)

An Act relative to age restrictions for veterans applying to be police officers and firefighters

Bill at a glance

  • Bill number: S.2461 (Senate Docket No. 1829)
  • Jurisdiction: Commonwealth of Massachusetts (amendment to Chapter 31, Section 58A of the General Laws)
  • Introduced/Filed: January 16, 2025 (presented by Sen. Sal N. DiDomenico)
  • Short title in text: “An Act relative to age restrictions for veterans applying to be police officers and firefighters”
  • Committee referrals / actions: Referred to Civil Service & Pensions; hearings and multiple committee actions through mid‑2025; passed Senate (6/12/2025) and delivered to the House; referred to Governmental Employees. (Procedural record in the provided materials contains some duplicate and inconsistent entries.)

Note: The metadata supplied with the request contains conflicting items (an unrelated New York retirement authorization and a federal sponsor list). This summary focuses on the Massachusetts bill text provided (amendment to Chapter 31, §58A).

Purpose / intent

To clarify and limit municipal age restrictions for original appointments to police officer and firefighter positions while creating an explicit exemption for certain veterans. The intent is to allow veterans who meet federal enlistment-age criteria to be exempt from municipal age caps.

Key provisions

  • Replaces current Section 58A of Chapter 31 in full with the following rules:
    • Municipal opt-in: In any city, town, or district that accepts the section, a person shall not be eligible to have their name certified for original appointment as a police officer or firefighter if the person has reached their 32nd birthday on the date of the entrance examination. (Effectively a maximum eligible age of 31 at test date.)
    • Veteran exemption: A veteran who has not exceeded the maximum age set forth in 10 U.S.C. §505(a) for original enlistment in the U.S. Armed Forces is exempt from the age restriction in this section.

Who is affected

  • Primary: Applicants for original appointment as municipal police officers or firefighters in municipalities that adopt this section. Non‑veteran applicants who are 32 or older at the exam date would be ineligible under the section.
  • Veterans: Those whose ages satisfy federal enlistment‑age limits under 10 U.S.C. §505(a) may be exempted from the municipal age cutoff and remain eligible despite being 32+ at exam date.
  • Municipalities: Must “accept” this section for it to apply locally; adoption determines whether the amended rule governs local hiring.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Filed in the Senate Jan 16, 2025; committee referrals and hearings occurred in 2025. The bill was reported favorably in committee, passed the Senate (June 12, 2025) and was sent to the House where it was referred to a House committee (Governmental Employees) for further consideration. Additional steps depend on House committee action and final enactment.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Expands eligibility for veterans beyond a single municipal age cap, potentially increasing veteran hiring into first‑responder roles.
  • Sets a uniform maximum age (31) for original appointment in participating municipalities, which may restrict older non‑veteran applicants.
  • The veteran exemption ties eligibility to federal enlistment‑age rules (10 U.S.C. §505(a)); municipalities and applicants will need to consult that federal statute to determine exact age thresholds for exemption.
  • Because the section applies only in jurisdictions that accept it, its practical effect will vary by municipality.

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

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