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Bill

S 1887

Eliminates ability of legislators to earn certain perks

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jake Ashby

The act provides surviving spouses and children of fallen public safety officers with defined annual pensions based on the officer’s salary, with specific child benefits and durati

REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
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Bill Summary · S 1887

Summary — S.1887 (Massachusetts): "An Act relative to pensions for children of public safety officers killed in the line of duty"

Note: the bill text provided is an amendment to Chapter 32 (Massachusetts public retirement law) addressing death benefits for firefighters, police officers, and corrections officers. Some accompanying metadata (short title, sponsor list, and procedural entries) appear inconsistent or mixed with other records; this summary relies on the bill text itself and flags those inconsistencies below.

Purpose

To revise and restate the statutory accidental-death pension provisions for surviving spouses and children of Massachusetts firefighters, police officers, and corrections officers who are killed (or die from injuries sustained) in the performance of duties. The bill clarifies benefit amounts, payment sources, duration, and certain definitions (e.g., “full-time student”).

Key provisions

  • Surviving spouse benefit: If a covered public safety officer dies as described, the surviving spouse receives an annual pension equal to the salary the deceased would have received in the position at time of death. The initial pension amount is set at the maximum salary for that position, even if the officer had not yet reached that maximum.
  • Child benefits after spouse’s death: If the spouse later dies and there are surviving children, each child’s legal guardian receives:
    • $312 per year, plus
    • an amount equal to 72% of the pension the surviving spouse was receiving at the spouse’s death,
    • paid in proportionate shares to the guardian for each child.
  • Direct child benefits (no surviving spouse): If there is no surviving spouse at the officer’s death, surviving children receive annual pension payments equal to the salary the officer would have been paid (with the initial amount equal to the maximum salary for the position). Payments shift from guardian to the child when the child turns 18.
  • Duration: Child payments continue until age 18, or until age 22 if the child is a “full-time student” (defined as full-time attendance at an accredited institution). Payments continue beyond age 18 for children who are physically or mentally incapacitated from earning.
  • Alternative/coordination rule: Benefits under this section are alternative to other Chapter 32 benefits. Accumulated annuity deductions (if any) are paid in a lump sum to entitled beneficiaries in accordance with existing annuity rules.
  • Funding and payment mechanics:
    • If the decedent was in a contributory retirement system (state, county, city/town, MassPort, or similar), benefits are paid from the same appropriation and in the same manner as accidental death benefits under section 9.
    • If not in such a system, payments are made from appropriations used for dependent annuities under sections 89/89A.
  • Reimbursement for mutual aid: If the deceased officer was assisting another governmental unit under statutory mutual-aid provisions, the unit that requested assistance must reimburse the employing governmental unit annually (on or before January 15) for the benefits paid.

Who is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: surviving spouses, children, and legal guardians of Massachusetts firefighters, police officers, and corrections officers who die in specified duty-related circumstances.
  • Employers/governmental units: state agencies, municipalities, and other governmental employers who pay and may be reimbursed for benefits; appropriations that fund retirement/accidental-death benefits.
  • Retirement systems: state and local contributory retirement systems administering benefits.

Procedural status and timeline (as provided)

  • Bill text filed: January 9, 2025 (Senate Docket No. 196).
  • Introduced/recorded actions include referrals (Investigation & Government Operations; Public Service), a hearing scheduled 05/28/2025 (1:00–4:00 PM), and a reading/referal to Rules and Administration on 05/22/2025.
  • Status entry lists: REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS.

Note: The metadata includes conflicting or likely erroneous entries (e.g., an initial short title about legislators’ perks and a sponsor list containing U.S. Senators). Those items do not match the Massachusetts Chapter 32 text above; verify official legislative records (Massachusetts Legislature website or bill tracking) for the authoritative status and sponsorship.

Related legislation

  • Companion/related entries cited: HR 2847 (companion), SD 196 (replaces), S 4258 (prior-session).

If you want, I can: (1) pull the official Massachusetts legislative history/status from the State Legislature website to reconcile procedural inconsistencies, or (2) produce a plain‑language handout for affected families and municipal finance officers summarizing benefit rules and funding implications.

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

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