Bill
S 1824
Allows a named individual, Thomas Chiocca, to receive an alternative “Retirement Plus” retirement benefit retroactively, upon paying the required contributions with interest and ha
Note on source materials and inconsistencies
- The bill text provided is a Massachusetts private/petition bill entitled “An Act relative to retirement benefits for Thomas Chiocca” (Senate Docket No. 2200 / Senate No. 1824, filed 1/17/2025).
- Metadata supplied elsewhere (title: “Expands farm brewery, cidery, winery and distillery privileges”; sponsors Rick Scott and Jake Ashby; related federal bills) do not match the Massachusetts bill text and appear to refer to a different measure or to be in error. This summary focuses on the actual bill text you supplied (the retirement/petition bill). If you intended the farm/beverage bill instead, please provide the correct text or clarify.
bill title (from text)
An Act relative to retirement benefits for Thomas Chiocca
Purpose and intent
- To make a one-person, private/petition change to enable Thomas Chiocca to receive the alternative superannuation retirement benefit known as “Retirement Plus” (enacted by Section 2 of Chapter 114 of the Acts of 2000), and to make that benefit effective retroactively to his date of superannuation retirement, subject to payment conditions.
Key provisions
- Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, Thomas Chiocca shall be deemed eligible for the Retirement Plus alternative superannuation benefit.
- Eligibility is conditioned on the member (Chiocca) paying into the applicable retirement system an amount “commensurate with what he would have paid under Retirement Plus,” minus contributions he already paid for that period, plus regular interest.
- After receipt of the required payment, the retirement board must recalculate Chiocca’s superannuation retirement allowance using the Retirement Plus formula.
- If recalculated, Chiocca shall be entitled to the alternative benefit retroactive to his date of superannuation retirement.
- The act takes effect upon its passage.
Who is affected
- Directly: Thomas Chiocca (the bill names a single individual).
- Indirectly: the relevant public retirement system/board (administrative work and benefit recalculation) and potentially actuarial/fiscal accounts of that retirement system (depending on the size of the recalculated benefit and retroactive payments). Because the bill requires the member to pay the commensurate contributions plus interest before recalculation, the fiscal exposure to the system is likely different than if the member were granted the benefit without payment; a fiscal note would clarify net impact.
Procedural/timeline notes
- Bill text shows filing in the Massachusetts Senate docket (filed 1/17/2025, presented by Kelly A. Dooner by request).
- The text states the act is effective upon passage.
- The additional legislative actions and sponsor information you provided contain inconsistencies (references to other committees, dates, and sponsors not matching a Massachusetts private bill). Recommend verifying the correct jurisdiction and the authoritative bill record (state legislative website or bill tracking system) for current status and committee referrals.
Potential issues to consider
- Administrative: the retirement board must accept and process a member payment, calculate interest owed, and recalculate benefits under a different formula.
- Fiscal: although the bill requires member payment, the recalculated benefit and any retroactive payments could affect future retirement payouts; a formal fiscal/actuarial analysis should be requested.
- Precedent: private/petition bills granting benefit formula changes to named individuals may raise policy questions about fairness and precedent for the retirement system.
If you want: I can (a) produce a concise one-paragraph summary for public distribution, (b) draft questions for a fiscal note/actuarial estimate, or (c) summarize the unrelated “farm brewery/cidery/winery/distillery privileges” bill if you provide its text.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
