This page is to keep you, as a Massachusetts teacher, a retired Massachusetts teacher, or a senior citizen informed as to filed legislation that affects you personally and professionally. More importantly, it is my intent to let you know what you can and should be doing at a given stage to help to pass or to defeat a piece of legislation.

H2487 Would increase the COLA Base to $16,000 and then every four years would continue to raise the COLA Base based on a percentage of what the maximum Social Security allowance is at the time. Filed by Rep. Jay Kaufman  Public Hearing Oct. 26, 2009 11 a.m.  Room A-1 State House

The maximum Social Security benefit today is approximately $24,000.
What this means is that we will not have to file for a COLA increase but it will be automatic every four years until we reach the Social Security Maximum that is presently the $24,000. We will then always get a COLA increase in the base to stay equal to the Social Security maximum.
In addition, the Public Service Committee recommended that COLAs be based on Consumer Price Index changes as determined by the Social Security
Administration or 3 percent, whichever is greater. This is a very good clause.
Please contact your legislator and urge quick action on H2487.

H2535 Retirement Security Bill would be a one time attachment to the pensions of those who retired prior to January 1, 1990. It would take the number of years of public service times the number of years retired times two and add that amount of dollars to their pension.  Filed by Rep. David Nangle.  We feel this bill is fairer than the Minimum Pension as it gives an amount based on years of service plus years retired to  ALL and does not lump all who have 25 years of service or more into the same  group while ignoring those with less service but have paltry pensions.  Hearing at State House Nov. 16, 2009 11 a.m.

S1060 (Maternity Bill) Will allow those who were retired as of Sept.  2000 and are eligible because they had a child prior to 1975 to receive up to 4 years of maternity benefits similar to what those still teaching received in 2000. Filed by Sen. Susan Fargo. If the original maternity bill was the correction of an act of discrimination--- this bill completes the correction by giving to those who retired by the Sept. date the same benefit as long as they do not exceed the 80%.  Public Hearing State House Nov. 9, 2009 Room A-2 11 a.m.

Applies to those Retired Prior to September 2000
Follows Criteria of Active Teachers' Maternity Bill
Has No Buy-In as IRS will not allow us to contribute to our pension fund once retired. We are not asking that the bill be made retroactive to Sept. 2000, as retirees amply paid for the benefit.

In 2007 there were between 1,460 and 1,750 retirees who would benefit
In 2000 there were between 2,000 - 2,400 who would benefit

In 2001 the potential cost was 3.3 M
In 2005 the potential cost 2.825 M
In 2007 the potential cost 2.5 to 2.6 M
Cost will decrease at the rate of $100,000 per year.

In a survey which was conducted eight years ago the average percent at which these people retired was 56%. The MTRS said that the Maternity Bill attached to Retirement + was the correction of an act of discrimination. Yet they compounded the discrimination by neglecting those who had been asked to leave the classroom because they were pregnant and were retired by Sept. 2000

H2359 Would allow those retired prior to April 1996 and were veterans to receive up to 4 years toward their creditable service providing they do not exceed 80% Filed by Rep. Paul Donato. If the original bill was to acknowledge the service one rendered for one’s country how could those who rendered the service but  were retired be ignored? Public Hearing Oct. 19, 2009 Room A-1 11 a.m.

S1043   Reinstates the payment by the State of a portion of the  Medicare B premiums for those under the Group Insurance Commission plan.  Filed by Senator Kenneth Donnelly. This was a contract that the GIC had with retirees and was broken in the name of budget balancing. Hearing at State House June 22, 2009 11 a.m. A-1

 Request that the State pay the amount of the Medicare B premiums that they formally paid for those under The Group Insurance Commission (GIC).

There are some 75 communities of teachers and all those who retired under the State Retirement System that are affected by this. Because GIC forced people to go on Medicare B they paid part (or all) of the premium until Jane Swift took it away to balance her budget with the promise that it would be reinstated when times were better.

H2448 Reduction of the Option B and Option C penalties for those retired prior to July 2004. Those retired prior to that date and selected Option B had their pension decreased by 3% instead of the 1% of those retiring after July 2004. This bill would reduce the penalty to 1%. This bill would reduce the Option C penalty to the lower rate of that enjoyed by those retiring after July 2004. Filed by Rep. Thomas A. Golden, Jr. We feel this is a justice issue. Many of the older retirees have nothing left in their fund under Option B and still receive 2% less in pension than those retiring after 2004. Also the Option C penalty of those prior to 2004 is almost twice that of those retiring on larger pensions after that date.  Hearing at the State House Nov. 16, 2009 A-2 11 a.m.

It allows those who retired prior to July 1, 2004 and took Option B to have the penalty rate reduced to 1% instead of the 3% they had to take.
Those who took Option C will have the penalty rate reduced to the new rate, which is approximately half the penalty that they took.

In July 2004, PERAC, with Legislative approval, decreased the 3 - 5% penalty
of Option B to 1 - 2%. Most frequently it is a 1% decrease.

In July 2004, PERAC, with Legislative approval, decreased the Option C penalty based on new actuarial assumptions.
The decrease made the penalty half or less of what it had been previously.

Number of Retirees Affected

State - 13, 637 - Option B
State - 6,194 - Option C
Teachers - 6, 312 - Option B
Teachers - 3, 334 - Option C
(figures for above accurate as of July 2006)

H3734 filed by Representative Michael J. Rodrigues would allow retirees returning to public sector work in Massachusetts to make $15,000 additional dollars to what they currently are allowed to make in a year without affecting their pension. This bill has a public hearing in Hearing Room A-1 at the State House on October 26, 2009 at 11 a.m.

Back to Legislation Page