Georgia House Bill HB905

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/2/25
• Report Pass: 2/25/26

Caption

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

Summary

HB 905 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. The 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 timing requirements. The measure also updates the deadline for making the election. Instead of the prior fixed date of December 31, 2002, eligible members would have until December 31, 2026, or 90 days after first becoming a member of the JRS or entering a covered position, whichever is later, to notify the boards of trustees. The bill 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to be concurrently funded under Georgia’s Public Retirement Systems Standards Law; otherwise, it is automatically repealed on that date.

Impact

HB 905 would amend Code Section 47-23-64 to expand who may transfer retirement contributions from the Employees' Retirement System to the Georgia Judicial Retirement System, affecting retirement benefits for judges, state court judges, solicitors general, and district attorneys who qualify under the revised language. It would also change the statutory election deadline and preserve the requirement that the change be concurrently funded before becoming effective, meaning the bill has no operative effect unless the funding condition is satisfied.

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 procedural. The bill is framed as a technical retirement-system adjustment rather than a controversial policy change, and the substitute language suggests committee refinement focused on eligibility and timing. No opposition or support was documented in the supplied transcripts or voting history.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is fiscal: because the bill only becomes effective if it is concurrently funded, lawmakers may be concerned about the cost of allowing additional retirement contribution transfers into the Judicial Retirement System. Another possible issue is the expansion of eligibility beyond the narrower group referenced in prior law, which could raise questions about who should receive this retirement benefit and whether the revised deadline is appropriate. However, no specific objections or competing viewpoints were included in the provided discussion materials.