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HB 1067

Retirement; persons convicted of certain felonies shall forfeit benefits from PERS, SLRP and MHSPRS.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Greg Haney

Mississippi bill would strip PERS, SLRP, and MHSPRS pension benefits from state workers convicted of specified felonies, creating additional financial penalties beyond criminal sentences.

Died In Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 1067

Legislative bill overview

HB 1067 would require individuals convicted of certain felonies to forfeit their retirement benefits from three Mississippi public pension systems: the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), the State and Local Retirement Plan (SLRP), and the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Retirement System (MHSPRS). The bill essentially creates a penalty mechanism stripping pension rights from convicted felons across these state retirement programs.

Why is this important

Pension forfeiture directly affects financial security for convicted individuals and their families, potentially removing decades of accumulated retirement savings. This intersects with criminal justice policy, government employee protections, and questions about whether additional punishment beyond incarceration serves public interest or constitutes excessive penalties.

Potential points of contention

  • Constitutional concerns: Courts have scrutinized pension forfeiture laws under ex post facto and due process clauses; unclear which specific felonies trigger forfeiture or whether this applies retroactively
  • Scope ambiguity: The bill references "certain felonies" without specifying which crimes qualify, raising questions about arbitrary application and fairness
  • Fiscal and practical implications: Forfeited benefits may shift costs to families or social services; administrative burden of identifying and processing forfeitures across three separate systems
  • Deterrent effectiveness: Limited evidence that pension forfeiture deters crime more than existing criminal penalties like incarceration

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

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