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Bill

Bill

SB 218

Retirement system; animal control officers to receive benefits.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mamie Locke

Virginia bill extends state retirement system benefits to animal control officers, creating new pension eligibility and increasing long-term government costs.

Left in Appropriations
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 218

Legislative bill overview

SB 218 would extend Virginia's retirement system benefits to animal control officers, making them eligible for the same pension and retirement protections as other state and local government employees. The bill addresses a gap where animal control officers currently lack access to these retirement benefits despite performing public safety functions.

Why is this important

Animal control officers perform dangerous work managing aggressive animals and enforcing animal welfare laws, yet historically have been excluded from standard government retirement benefits. This creates recruitment and retention challenges for local governments and leaves officers without pension security after careers of public service.

Potential points of contention

  • Cost implications: Expanding retirement benefits increases long-term pension liabilities for local governments and the state, requiring actuarial analysis of unfunded obligations
  • Fairness across occupations: Determining which occupations qualify for government retirement benefits raises questions about consistency—why animal control officers but not other public safety support roles
  • Retroactive benefits: Whether officers hired before this bill's passage receive retroactive credit for prior service years, which significantly increases costs
  • Local government burden: Whether costs fall primarily on already-strained local budgets versus shared with state contributions

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

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