State Law Enforcement Officer Plan or 'SLEO Plan'; establish
Summary
House Bill 808 would create a new retirement option within Georgia’s Employees’ Retirement System called the State Law Enforcement Officer Plan, or SLEO Plan. The plan is designed for certain state law enforcement officers, including peace officers and sworn police officers employed by a defined list of state agencies and boards. Eligible officers who join on or after July 1, 2026 would have to make an irrevocable election to participate in the new plan within 90 days of becoming eligible, and only those who make a valid election could receive the enhanced benefits.
The bill sets out a benefit structure that differs from the standard retirement system. Participating officers would contribute 5 percent of earnable compensation, receive enhanced retirement benefits based on years of creditable service, stop contributing after 25 years of service, and have their monthly retirement payments deposited into a Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) account if they continue working instead of retiring. The DROP account would earn interest at a market rate set by the board of trustees, and retirees could take the balance as a lump sum, partial lump sum, annuity, or potentially roll it into tax-advantaged accounts. The bill would take effect only if it is concurrently funded under Georgia’s public retirement funding rules; otherwise it would automatically repeal on July 1, 2026.
Impact
HB808 would amend Title 47 of the Georgia Code by expanding the Employees’ Retirement System definitions and adding a new article establishing a specialized retirement plan for state law enforcement officers. It would affect retirement eligibility, contribution rates, benefit calculations, and post-service payout options for officers in the listed agencies, while also creating new administrative duties for the board of trustees to manage elections and DROP accounts. Because the bill is contingent on concurrent funding, its legal effect would depend on whether the legislature appropriates the necessary funding under the Public Retirement Systems Standards Law.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears intended as a benefit enhancement for a defined public-safety workforce, suggesting a generally favorable policy posture toward recruitment, retention, and retirement security for state law enforcement personnel.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are fiscal and structural rather than definitional. The bill creates enhanced retirement benefits and a DROP feature, which could raise concerns about long-term system costs, funding adequacy, and whether the plan is sustainable without concurrent appropriations. Another possible issue is the irrevocable election requirement, which limits flexibility for officers and excludes anyone who misses the election window from the enhanced benefits. The bill also draws a fairly specific line around which agencies’ officers qualify, which could prompt questions about fairness or consistency across state law enforcement roles.
Establishes Office of Citizen Involvement, Land Use, and Planning Advocate and transfers basic course in land use law and Office of Planning Advocacy to newly established office.