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S 1841

Relates to the Empire Station Complex project and the Empire Penn Expansion

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Brad Hoylman-Sigal and 2 co-sponsors

Creates a special-act for Michael Palmer: boosts his accidental disability retirement to full active-duty pay (until death/retirement age) plus medical indemnification.

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Bill Summary · S 1841

Summary — S.1841 (Massachusetts): “An Act regarding the disability pension for Michael Palmer”

Status and procedural notes
- Filed as Senate Docket No. 861 and presented by Senator Ryan C. Fattman (petition dated 1/14/2025).
- Referred to Cities (noted in bill text) and to committees on Public Service / Environment & Public Works in later actions. A hearing was scheduled for 05/12/2025.
- Effective no later than 60 days after enactment.
- Note: some external metadata supplied with the request (title, sponsors) conflicts with the bill text. The text itself is a Massachusetts special-act petition to provide specified retirement and medical indemnification benefits to a particular retired Massachusetts state police officer, Michael Palmer.

Purpose
- To provide enhanced accidental disability retirement benefits and related protections to Michael Palmer, a retired Massachusetts state police officer who, due to injuries sustained in the line of duty on December 31, 2020, is totally and permanently incapacitated from performing police duties.

Key provisions
1. Increased pension amount
- The Massachusetts State Retirement Board (MSRB) shall increase Palmer’s accidental disability retirement allowance so that the annual pension equals the regular rate of compensation he would have received had he continued in state police service at his grade until death or mandatory retirement age (whichever comes first).
- All amounts paid under the act are non‑taxable to the extent allowed by state and federal law.

  1. Employment earnings while receiving the pension

    • Palmer may earn up to one-half of his retirement allowance from employment with the Commonwealth or its political subdivisions (including consultant/independent contractor roles) without “refund” penalty (i.e., without affecting pension).
    • Private-sector employment is also permitted without refund penalty.

  2. Mandatory retirement transition

    • Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age for state police officers, Palmer shall receive a pension equal to 80% of the annual compensation he was receiving immediately prior to that date (per section 7 of chapter 32).

  3. Administration and funding

    • Benefits are to be funded and administered by the MSRB, consistent with chapter 32, notwithstanding other laws.

  4. Medical indemnification

    • Palmer is entitled to indemnification for all hospital, medical, and related expenses incurred after retirement arising from the December 31, 2020 injuries, under sections 100 and 100B of chapter 41.

  5. Return of accumulated deductions

    • The MSRB must immediately pay Palmer the amount credited to him as accumulated total deductions in the annuity savings fund as of the act’s effective date.

  6. Survivor/children benefits

    • If Palmer was married at retirement and remains married at death, the surviving spouse receives an annuity equal to 75% of Palmer’s pension until the spouse’s death (subject to statutory offsets).
    • If both Palmer and that spouse die while children are under 18, payments are payable per stirpes to surviving children under 18. Payments may continue for a child 18+ who is permanently incapacitated or a full‑time student under age 22.

Who is affected
- Primary beneficiary: Michael Palmer.
- Secondary beneficiaries: Palmer’s surviving spouse and eligible children (as described).
- Administrative impact: Massachusetts State Retirement Board (benefit administration) and the Commonwealth’s financial position (additional pension and medical indemnification obligations).

Fiscal/administrative implications
- The act creates a special (individual) benefit that will increase pension and medical indemnification obligations borne by the MSRB and potentially the Commonwealth or relevant local employers under chapter 41 — the bill does not specify dollar amounts; actual cost would depend on Palmer’s final salary grade and medical expenses.
- Because the bill overrides certain statutory limits (e.g., earnings restrictions, standard disability calculation), it establishes an exception to general retirement rules for a named individual.

Effective date
- The act is to take effect no later than 60 days after its passage.

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

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