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Bill

HB 1986

Virginia Retirement System; return to work for law-enforcement officers, effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Ian Lovejoy

HB 1986 allows retired Virginia law enforcement officers to return to work with modified pension treatment, affecting VRS costs and retirement system equity.

Left in Appropriations
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Bill Summary · HB 1986

Legislative bill overview

HB 1986 modifies Virginia's retirement system rules to allow law enforcement officers to return to work after retirement with adjusted pension considerations. The bill establishes specific effective date provisions for how these return-to-work arrangements are treated under the Virginia Retirement System (VRS).

Why is this important

This directly affects law enforcement recruitment and retention by creating pathway flexibility for retired officers to re-enter service without forfeiting retirement benefits entirely. It also has fiscal implications for the VRS, as the January 2025 Fiscal Impact Statement indicates the state budget will be affected by changing how officer pensions are calculated.

Potential points of contention

  • Pension cost implications: Allowing officers to return while collecting pensions may increase overall VRS liability and state pension obligations
  • Equity concerns: Creates potentially different treatment for law enforcement versus other public employees in the VRS system
  • Recruitment fairness: May disadvantage younger officers or those entering the system under different rules, creating two-tier compensation structures

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

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