Bill
S 1867
The bill guarantees a minimum $750 monthly member-survivor allowance for spouses of deceased state teachers and employees starting July 1, 2025, with local systems able to adopt th
Status snapshot
- Bill Number: S 1867
- Filed: January 15, 2025 (Senate Docket No. 1193)
- Introduced/Reported activity: Read twice/referred to Committee on Finance (05/22/2025); hearing scheduled 06/25/2025 (A‑1); also listed as referred to Codes and Public Service in early 2025.
- Note: Some metadata provided with the request (title about an animal control officer, sponsor list, and certain action dates) appears inconsistent with the bill text below. This summary is based on the statutory text of S.1867 as filed in the Massachusetts General Court (2025).
Purpose and intent
- The bill raises the statutory minimum monthly “member‑survivor” allowance paid under Option (d) of G.L. c.32, §12 to provide a larger guaranteed survivor benefit to spouses of deceased public retirees and employees. It establishes an immediate minimum of $750 per month for surviving spouses of members of the State Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement Systems beginning July 1, 2025, and provides a mechanism by which local retirement systems may adopt the same minimum.
Key provisions
- Amends Option (d) of G.L. c.32, §12:
- Replaces the existing reference to “or $500” so the statute recognizes $500 or $750 as minimum values.
- Adds a new paragraph specifying that, beginning July 1, 2025, the normal monthly member‑survivor allowance to a spouse of a deceased member shall not be less than $750 for members of the state teachers’ and state employees’ retirement systems.
- Authorizes other political‑subdivision retirement systems (city, town, county, regional, district, authority systems) to implement the $750 minimum by:
- A majority vote of the local retirement board, and
- Approval by the local legislative body (defined in statute: town meeting, city council consistent with charter, county/regional/district advisory councils, or governing body of an authority).
- Requires filing certification of such local votes with the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (the “commission”) to effect acceptance.
Who is affected
- Directly affected: surviving spouses eligible for the “member‑survivor” allowance under Option (d) of G.L. c.32, §12:
- Immediately: surviving spouses of members of the State Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement Systems, who will have a guaranteed minimum of $750/month starting 7/1/2025.
- Potentially: surviving spouses of members of municipal, county, regional, district, or authority retirement systems, if those systems and their local legislative bodies adopt the change and file certification with the commission.
- Indirectly affected: retirement system administrators and the Commonwealth/local governmental budgets to the extent of increased benefit payments.
Fiscal and administrative impact
- Individual benefit increase: increases the statutory minimum survivor payment from $500 to $750/month (a $250 increase, or 50% higher for those previously receiving the $500 minimum).
- System costs: the state retirement systems will incur higher recurring payments for eligible survivors; aggregate fiscal impact depends on number of surviving spouses receiving minimum benefits. Local systems will only incur costs if they adopt the change via the specified approval process.
- Administrative task: local board and legislative approvals and certification filings required for local systems to opt in.
Procedural notes and timeline
- Effective date for state teachers’ and state employees’ systems: July 1, 2025.
- Local adoption: effective upon majority retirement board vote, approval by the local legislative body, and filing of certification with the commission.
- Current reported actions (per available record): referred to Codes, Public Service, and Finance committees at various times; a hearing was scheduled for 06/25/2025. Given inconsistencies in the procedural data supplied, consult the official Massachusetts legislative website or clerk’s office for the current status and action history.
Related measures
- Companion/related bills listed in the file include HR 1840, A 2612, and prior-session related bills (S‑8956, S‑2563, S‑4387).
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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