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S 1839

Relates to amending sex offenses and consent involving members of the clergy

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Brad Hoylman-Sigal and 1 co-sponsor

The bill removes specific annual and aggregate hour caps for public retirees working after retirement, effectively allowing more hours of post‑retirement public employment.

REFERRED TO CODES
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Bill Summary · S 1839

Summary — S.1839 (An Act relative to post‑retirement earnings of public retirees)

Status: Introduced (S.1839); Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance (5/21/2025). Filed 1/14/2025. Hearing(s) scheduled for 9/17/2025.
Primary petitioner/sponsor on filing: Senator Ryan C. Fattman (petition also lists Michael J. Soter and Steven George Xiarhos).

Purpose / Intent

The bill would change Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 32 (public employee retirement), by removing specific statutory hour‑limits that currently govern how much a public retiree may work for a public employer after retirement without affecting certain employment/retirement-status rules. Its stated aim is to modify post‑retirement employment restrictions for public retirees.

Key provisions

  • Amends Chapter 32, Section 91:
    • Section 1: Strikes the words “for not more than nine hundred and sixty hours in the aggregate, in any calendar year” from paragraph (b).
    • Section 2: Strikes the words “the number of days or hours which he has been employed in any calendar year and” from paragraph (c).
    • Section 3: Further strikes the words “if the number of hours exceeds 1,200, in the aggregate, he shall not be employed, or” from paragraph (c).
  • Effect: The bill removes two explicit hour‑based caps referenced in current §91 (the 960‑hour annual cap and a 1,200‑hour aggregate threshold language), rather than replacing them with new numeric limits.

Who would be affected

  • Public retirees in Massachusetts who receive retirement allowances under Chapter 32 and who seek post‑retirement employment with public employers.
  • Municipalities, state agencies, school districts and other public employers that hire retired public employees.
  • Public retirement systems (e.g., the state and local pension systems), because changes to re‑employment rules can affect pension payment status and administrative oversight.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Removing explicit hour caps could allow retirees to work more hours for public employers while continuing to receive retirement benefits unless other statutory or regulatory provisions apply.
  • Possible fiscal effects: increased re‑employment of retirees may change payroll/benefit dynamics for employers and could affect retirement system costs or administrative workload; however, the bill text does not include fiscal estimates or offset provisions.
  • Legal/administrative interpretation: Outcomes depend on how other parts of §91 and related regulations are construed; regulators would likely need guidance to implement the change.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Filed 1/14/2025 (Senate Docket No. 707 / S.1839).
  • Referred to Senate Rules/Codes on filing; later referred to Public Service (2/27/2025) and recorded as read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance (5/21/2025).
  • Hearings scheduled for 09/17/2025 (committee session information included in docket).

Sponsors / related measures

  • Petition sponsors listed on the filing: Ryan C. Fattman (primary petitioner), Michael J. Soter, Steven G. Xiarhos.
  • Related/companion measures listed in the docket: HR 2089 (companion), SD 707 (replaces), prior‑session bills S.5745 and S.557.

Note: The bill text as filed focuses narrowly on striking specific hour‑limit language from §91; it does not add alternative numeric limits or explicit new re‑employment rules.

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

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