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Bill

S 1846

Requires utility companies to reimburse consumers in the event of a prolonged power outage

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Addabbo and 3 co-sponsors

Adds probation and court officer roles to Group 4 of MA public retirement (Chapter 32), reclassifying their pension rules for affected employees.

COMMITTED TO RULES
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 1846

Summary — S.1846 (2025): "An Act relative to further defining employees classified in Group 4"

Status: Committed to Rules (6/13/2025)
Filed: 01/17/2025 (Senate Docket No. 2069) — Introduced in Senate: 05/21/2025
Sponsor (as presented): Senator Paul R. Feeney

Note on metadata: Some header information supplied with the request (title about utility reimbursements and a separate list of sponsors) conflicts with the bill text. This summary focuses on the bill text filed with the Massachusetts Senate (S.1846) amending Chapter 32 (public employee retirement law).

Purpose / Intent

The bill seeks to explicitly add several probation and court officer job titles to the list of positions categorized as "Group 4" under Section 3 of Chapter 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws (the Contributory Retirement System for public employees). The intent is to change the statutory classification of these positions so they are governed by the Group 4 rules and benefits under the public pension law.

Key Provisions

  • Amends Section 3 of Chapter 32 by inserting, after the word “supervisor,” the following titles as members of Group 4:

    • associate probation officers
    • probation officer
    • assistant chief probation officer
    • first assistant chief probation officer
    • senior community corrections probation officer
    • day reporting center probation officer
    • court officer I, court officer II, court officer III
    • assistant court officer and chief court officer
    • associate court officer
    • court officer-in-charge

  • No other changes (e.g., benefit formulas, effective date, or retroactivity language) are included in the text provided.

Who is Affected

  • Directly affected: employees holding the specified probation and court officer titles in Massachusetts state or participating municipal retirement systems.
  • Employers / agencies: state courts, probation departments, and municipal entities that employ these classifications — because classification affects employer contribution obligations and pension administration.
  • Retirement system administrators: will need to process changed classifications and update payroll/contribution records if the bill becomes law.

Potential Impacts

  • Pension/benefit effects: Moving positions into Group 4 changes which statutory retirement rules (eligibility, benefit formula, disability and death benefits, and contribution rates) apply to those employees. The specific impact depends on the existing differences between their current group(s) and Group 4.
  • Financial impacts: Potential increases or shifts in employer pension contribution costs and long-term liabilities for the state or affected municipalities depending on Group 4 benefit parameters and the number of employees reclassified.
  • Administrative impacts: Human resources and retirement boards would need to implement reclassification, update records, and communicate changes to affected employees.

Procedural / Timeline Notes

  • Filed in the Senate 01/17/2025 (Docket No. 2069); introduced/reads recorded 05/21/2025.
  • Reported actions in 2025 include referrals to committees (Public Service; records also show other committee entries), advancement to third reading (Feb. 2025 records), and multiple calendar/report entries.
  • Status as recorded: COMMITTED TO RULES (06/13/2025).
  • A hearing is listed as scheduled for 10/06/2025 (per the legislative actions provided).

Limitations / Open Questions

  • The bill text does not specify an effective date or whether reclassification applies retroactively to service already rendered.
  • The bill does not amend benefit formulas or contribution rates directly — it only changes statutory classification; the real-world effect depends on existing differences between groups.
  • Some metadata supplied with the file (title, sponsors) appears inconsistent with the bill text; this summary treats the bill text as controlling.

If you want, I can: (a) compare Group 4 statutory provisions to the current groups that these employees likely occupy to estimate precise benefit changes, or (b) draft a short memo on likely fiscal implications for state and municipal retirement systems.

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

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