Creates the medical professionals across rural New York state student loan repayment fund pilot program

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mark Walczyk

Veterans with firefighting or police creditable service may buy prior active U.S. military service at the same reduced rate used for firefighter/police buybacks.

REFERRED TO HEALTH

Summary — S.1875 (as introduced)

Note: Submitted materials contain conflicting metadata (a New York student‑loan pilot program title, U.S. Senator names, and multiple committee referrals) but the attached bill text and docket number correspond to a Massachusetts Senate bill (Senate Docket No. 2219 / Senate No. 1875) titled “An Act relative to the active service buy‑back program for firefighters and police officers.” This summary focuses on the enacted text in that bill filing.

Purpose / Intent

The bill amends Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 32 (public employee retirement), to allow certain veterans who have qualifying creditable service as firefighters or police officers to purchase credit for prior active military service at the same (reduced) buy‑back rate that applies to firefighters and police officers. The intent is to make it easier and less costly for such veterans to convert military service into additional pensionable service under the public employee retirement system.

Key provision (exact change)

Amends clause (h) of subsection 1 of section 4 of chapter 32 by inserting the following language:

“…provided further that a veteran who has creditable service as a fire fighter or police officer may purchase creditable service for active services in the armed forces of the United States at the same rate as a fire fighter or police officer pursuant to this section;”

In short: veterans who later obtain creditable firefighter or police officer service may purchase their prior active military service on the same terms (rate) used for buy‑backs by firefighters/police.

Who is affected

Primary beneficiaries: Veterans who also have creditable service as a firefighter or police officer in Massachusetts and who seek to purchase their prior active U.S. military service as pensionable service under chapter 32.

Secondary: Massachusetts public retirement system administrators and local retirement boards (must apply the buy‑back rate to these purchases).

Fiscal impact: Likely increases pensionable years for participating members and thus may modestly increase long‑term retirement liabilities for the Commonwealth or affected public retirement systems; net fiscal effect depends on uptake, actuarial assumptions, and the difference between prior veteran buy‑back rates and the firefighter/police buy‑back rate.

Procedural status & timeline (as provided; records contain inconsistencies)

Bill filed in Massachusetts Senate (Senate Docket No. 2219 / Senate No. 1875) — filed 1/17/2025 (bill text).

Legislative action entries provided include multiple committee referrals and dates (some contradictory across jurisdictions). A hearing was scheduled for 09/15/2025 per supplied actions.

Because the supplied metadata mixes jurisdictions and sponsors, verify the correct bill number and legislative body (Massachusetts Senate) and consult the official Massachusetts legislative website for the current status, fiscal note, and any amendments.

Notes & recommended next steps

Confirm jurisdiction and official bill tracking (Massachusetts Legislature) due to conflicting metadata (New York title and U.S. Senator names appear elsewhere in the packet).

Request the bill’s fiscal note or actuarial analysis to estimate the pension liability impact and any implementation requirements for retirement boards.