Pennsylvania Senate Bill SB782

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/27/25
• Refer: 5/27/25
• Refer: 6/26/25
• Report Pass: 2/3/26
• Engrossed: 3/16/26
• Refer: 3/18/26

Caption

In membership, contributions and benefits, further providing for termination of annuities; in membership, credited service, classes of service, and eligibility for benefits relating to retirement for State employees and officers, further providing for mandatory and optional membership in the system and participation in the plan; and, in benefits, further providing for termination of annuities.

Summary

SB 782 amends Pennsylvania retirement statutes governing the Public School Employees’ Retirement System and the State Employees’ Retirement System to expand the circumstances under which retirees, or annuitants, may return to work without losing their annuities. The bill specifically authorizes retired school-system annuitants to serve as part-time police instructors or emergency medical services instructors for school employers, and retired state-system annuitants to serve as part-time fire instructors, police instructors, or emergency medical services instructors for certain state-related educational employers and state agencies. It also updates cross-references and age/service conditions tied to federal retirement rules and existing state return-to-service provisions. The bill’s practical effect is to create targeted exceptions to the general rule that returning to covered public employment can suspend or terminate retirement benefits. Under SB 782, these instructor roles are carved out so the retiree may be paid for the work while continuing to receive an annuity, but the service does not count as creditable service and does not trigger employee or employer retirement contributions to the applicable defined benefit or defined contribution plans. The bill applies prospectively to service performed after its effective date, regardless of whether the retiree’s annuity began before or after enactment. The overall sentiment reflected in the voting history is strongly favorable and noncontroversial. The Senate State Government Committee reported the bill unanimously, the Senate Appropriations Committee later re-reported it unanimously, and the full Senate passed it 50-0. No committee transcripts were provided, but the unanimous votes suggest broad agreement that the measure addresses workforce needs in public safety and training without materially expanding retirement benefits beyond the specified exceptions. The main point of policy contention, to the extent one exists, is the balance between allowing retirees to fill hard-to-staff instructional roles and preserving the integrity of public pension systems. The bill limits the exception to part-time, specialized instruction and expressly bars additional retirement credit or contributions, which appears designed to reduce concerns about “double-dipping” or added pension costs. Supporters are likely those interested in public safety training capacity, while any skeptics would be focused on pension administration, precedent for return-to-work exceptions, and potential fiscal effects. Overall, SB 782 is a narrow pension and employment-law adjustment aimed at helping schools, fire training programs, and public agencies retain experienced retired instructors in police, fire, and EMS training roles while keeping those assignments outside the normal retirement reemployment rules.

Impact

SB 782 amends Titles 24 and 71 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, specifically the provisions governing termination of annuities, return to service, and membership/participation rules in the school and state retirement systems. It creates explicit exceptions allowing certain retired public employees to work as part-time fire, police, or emergency medical services instructors without losing retirement benefits, while also clarifying that such service is not creditable and does not generate retirement contributions or plan participation. The bill affects annuitants, school employers, State Employees’ Retirement System participants, Public School Employees’ Retirement System participants, and the agencies or institutions that employ these instructors.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been received positively and without significant opposition. Committee and floor votes were unanimous or near-unanimous, culminating in a 50-0 Senate passage. That voting pattern suggests broad bipartisan support for the measure’s limited, workforce-oriented purpose and little visible controversy in the legislative record provided.

Contention

The principal policy tension is between expanding post-retirement employment opportunities for experienced public safety instructors and avoiding erosion of pension rules or added retirement costs. The bill addresses that concern by narrowly defining eligible roles, limiting them to part-time instructional positions, and prohibiting additional retirement credit or contributions. Any concerns would likely come from lawmakers or stakeholders focused on pension integrity, fiscal exposure, or precedent for additional return-to-work exceptions, while supporters would emphasize training needs, staffing shortages, and the value of retaining experienced retirees in police, fire, and EMS education.