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H 3964

Rhuebell Heatley Jones 100th birthday

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Terry Alexander and 121 co-sponsors

Massachusetts bill would allow Edward E. Kivari Jr. to buy back 1997–2011 zoning board service, increasing his retirement credit if he pays contributions plus interest.

Introduced and adopted
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Bill Summary · H 3964

Summary of H 3964 (materials provided)

Note: The materials supplied contain two distinct legislative items that both use the identifier “H 3964” in different jurisdictions and contexts. They are unrelated measures:

  • A South Carolina House Resolution (H. 3964) honoring Rhuebell Heatley Jones on her 100th birthday (ceremonial).
  • A Massachusetts private/individual act (House bill No. 3964 / House Docket No. 803) authorizing Edward E. Kivari Jr. to purchase retirement service credit from the Hampden County Regional Retirement Board.

Both are summarized below.

A. South Carolina — House Resolution: “Rhuebell Heatley Jones 100th birthday”

  • Purpose and intent
    A ceremonial resolution adopted by the South Carolina House of Representatives to congratulate and honor Ms. Rhuebell Heatley Jones of St. Matthews on her 100th birthday and to commemorate her life and contributions.

  • Key provisions

    • Recognizes Rhuebell Heatley Jones (born February 15, 1925) for her dedication to family, friends, and community and her resilience over a century of life.
    • Notes a celebration on February 15, 2025, at the John Ford Center in St. Matthews.
    • Directs that a copy of the resolution be presented to Ms. Jones.

  • Affected parties / impact

    • Primarily symbolic; honors Ms. Jones and provides formal recognition by the State House. No legal, fiscal, or regulatory effects.

  • Timeline / status

    • Introduced and adopted by the South Carolina House on February 12, 2025.
    • Sponsors: Extensive bipartisan list of House members (document lists many sponsors including Reps. Clyburn, Alexander, etc.).

B. Massachusetts — An Act authorizing Edward E. Kivari Jr. to purchase creditable service

(House Docket No. 803 / House No. 3964)

  • Purpose and intent
    To authorize Edward E. Kivari Jr., a member of the Hampden County Regional Retirement System, to receive and purchase creditable service for time he served on the Wilbraham Zoning Board of Appeals (1997–2011), for retirement calculation purposes.

  • Key provisions / changes

    • Section 1: Notwithstanding chapter 32 (general laws governing public employee retirement), the Hampden County Regional Retirement Board shall credit Edward E. Kivari Jr. with creditable service for the period 1997 through 2011 inclusive, as determined by the board based on the amount of actual time worked, consistent with section 4 of chapter 32.
    • Section 2: The crediting is conditioned upon payment by Mr. Kivari to the retirement system of an amount equal to the regular employee retirement deductions that would have been withheld for that service, plus buyback interest. Payment may be made in one lump sum or in installments as prescribed by the Board.

  • Who is affected

    • Directly: Edward E. Kivari Jr. (would gain retirement service credit which can increase pension eligibility/benefit).
    • Administratively: Hampden County Regional Retirement Board (responsible for calculating and crediting service, and for accepting payments).
    • Financial/actuarial: Because the member must pay the amounts due plus buyback interest, the act is designed to avoid unfunded liability for the retirement system; broader fiscal impact is expected to be minimal.

  • Timeline / procedural status (as provided)

    • Filed/added: January 13, 2025 (petition by Rep. Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.; Rep. Jacob R. Oliveira added).
    • Referred to Committee on Public Service: March 31, 2025.
    • Senate concurred: April 3, 2025 (per provided actions).
    • Hearing scheduled: May 12, 2025 (A-1, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM).
    • Note: Because this is a private/individual retirement bill, it follows committee review and the usual legislative process for special acts.

  • Practical effect / implications

    • If enacted, Mr. Kivari would be able to “buy back” service for the specified years, potentially increasing his credited service length and affecting his retirement benefit calculation.
    • Requiring payment of contributions plus interest minimizes cost to the retirement system and avoids creating an unfunded liability.

If you want, I can:
- Produce a one-page printable summary for distribution, or
- Pull and compare the official bill texts and current status from the Massachusetts General Court and the South Carolina General Assembly websites to confirm the latest actions.

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

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