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Bill

S 1918

Establishes a specialized health home program to serve certain individuals with physical disabilities

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Cordell Cleare and 6 co-sponsors

Allows local retirement systems to opt into higher veteran pension allowances, increasing annual benefits up to $1,000 per retiree, with automatic inclusion for state systems.

REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
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Bill Summary · S 1918

Summary — S.1918 (Senate No. 1918, 194th General Court, MA)

Status: Reported and committed to Finance (filed 1/15/2025; introduced/read 5/22/2025; committee hearing 6/25/2025; reported favorably 11/13/2025 and referred to Senate Ways & Means)

Purpose

S.1918 would amend Massachusetts General Laws chapter 32 (public retirement) to expand the veteran allowance available to certain public retirees who are veterans. The bill raises per‑year veteran allowance rates and the overall cap, and makes enhanced allowances available to local retirement systems that opt in. The state teachers’ and state employees’ retirement systems are treated as having accepted the enhancement.

Key provisions

  • Adds a new optional paragraph (b 1/2) to section 5(2) of chapter 32:
    • If a local retirement system accepts this provision, any member of Group 1, Group 2, or Group 4 who is a veteran (as defined in section 1) would receive, in lieu of the existing paragraph (b), an additional yearly allowance of $50 for each year of creditable service (or fraction thereof).
    • The additional allowance would be capped at $1,000 per year in total.
  • Adds a new optional paragraph (f) to section 7(2) with similar mechanics:
    • Upon local system acceptance, a veteran in Group 1, 2, or 4 would receive an additional $45 per year of creditable service (or fraction) in lieu of the existing paragraph (b), subject to a $1,000 cap.
  • Amends existing statutory references that currently show $15 per year and $300 caps, replacing them (where applicable upon acceptance) with $50 per year and $1,000 caps (see sections 4 and 6).
  • Acceptance mechanism:
    • A retirement system may adopt the new optional paragraph by majority vote of its board and approval by the applicable legislative body (city council, town meeting, county or regional advisory council, district members, or governing body of an authority).
    • Adoption is effective upon filing certification of the votes with the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC).
    • The state teachers’ and state employees’ retirement systems are deemed to have accepted the provisions automatically.
  • Prospective only: benefits apply starting from the date of acceptance and are explicitly non‑retroactive.

Who is affected

  • Eligible public retirees: members of retirement Groups 1, 2, and 4 who qualify as veterans under state law.
  • Local retirement systems (cities, towns, counties, regional/district systems, authorities) — adoption is optional and requires local approval.
  • State teachers’ and state employees’ retirement systems — treated as having accepted the increase.
  • Fiscal impact: increased pension expenditures for systems that adopt the option (up to an additional $1,000 per eligible retiree annually). Exact cost depends on number of eligible retirees and local adoption decisions.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • The bill is currently reported and committed to the Finance Committee (as of the latest docketed actions). Local adoption is required for most municipal/other systems; state systems are automatically included. Benefits begin only after a system’s acceptance (or immediately for state systems).

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

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