Correctional Officers' Retirement System - Allegany County
Summary
HB1102 amends the State Personnel and Pensions Article to change when certain members of the State Retirement and Pension System may receive credit for military service. Under current law, a member generally cannot receive military service credit if that service has already been credited in another retirement system for which the person has or will receive retirement benefits, with limited exceptions. This bill adds an exception for members or former members of the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System, the Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System, and the State Police Retirement System, allowing those individuals to receive the credit even if they also receive military service credit from another retirement system.
The bill also preserves the existing limits on military service credit, including the five-year cap and the special rules for National Guard, reserve service, and service academy attendance. It clarifies that an individual may not receive service credit under this section more than once. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies to the retirement credit calculation rules for affected members and former members of the state systems covered by the statute.
Impact
HB1102 would amend § 38-104 of the State Personnel and Pensions Article, expanding eligibility for military service credit within the State Retirement and Pension System for certain public safety retirement groups. Specifically, it creates a new exception to the prohibition on receiving duplicate military service credit for members or former members of the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System, the Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System, and the State Police Retirement System. The bill does not change the overall maximum amount of military service credit available, but it does affect how and when that credit may be claimed and applied to retirement allowances.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the bill appears to be a targeted retirement benefit adjustment rather than a broadly controversial measure. The amendment is framed as a technical eligibility expansion for certain state public safety employees with military backgrounds, suggesting generally favorable treatment for affected members. No opposing arguments, amendments, or recorded vote splits are included in the provided context.
Contention
The main policy issue is whether members of the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System, the Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System, and the State Police Retirement System should be allowed to receive military service credit even when that service has already been credited in another retirement system. Supporters would likely view the change as a fairness measure for public safety employees with prior military service, while any concern would center on the fiscal cost to the retirement system and the possibility of duplicative credit. The bill also retains the rule that service credit may not be received more than once, which limits the scope of the expansion.