Georgia House Bill HB900

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/2/25

Caption

Employees' Retirement System; any member shall be eligible to transfer funds to Judicial Retirement System; provide

Summary

HB 900 amends Georgia law governing transfers from the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia (ERS) to the Georgia Judicial Retirement System (JRS). Under current law, the transfer option is limited to certain judicial officers and prosecutors who were previously active ERS members. This bill broadens that eligibility so that any member of the JRS who was previously an active member of ERS may elect to transfer all contributions made by or on behalf of that member from ERS into JRS, subject to the bill’s notice requirements. The bill also updates the deadline for making the election. A qualifying member must notify the boards of trustees by December 31, 2026, or within 90 days after first becoming a member of JRS or entering a covered position, whichever is later. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, but only if it is determined to be concurrently funded under Georgia’s Public Retirement Systems Standards Law; otherwise it is automatically repealed on that date. It also repeals conflicting laws.

Impact

HB 900 would expand retirement portability within Georgia’s public retirement system by allowing a broader class of Judicial Retirement System members to transfer prior ERS contributions into JRS. In practical terms, this affects retirement crediting and benefit calculations for eligible judges, district attorneys, solicitors general, and other JRS members who previously participated in ERS. The bill amends Code Section 47-23-64 and operates within the framework of the Public Retirement Systems Standards Law, meaning its implementation depends on a funding determination.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears neutral and administrative rather than contentious. The measure is framed as a technical retirement-system adjustment, with no documented opposition or support statements in the available context. Its conditional effective-date language suggests attention to fiscal compliance and actuarial funding requirements.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is fiscal: expanding eligibility to transfer retirement contributions could affect the funding status of the Judicial Retirement System and the Employees' Retirement System, which is why the bill is contingent on a concurrent funding determination. Another possible issue is policy fairness, since the bill broadens a benefit previously limited to specific categories of judicial officers and prosecutors to any JRS member who was formerly in ERS. No specific objections or advocacy positions are included in the provided transcripts or vote history.