West Virginia Senate Bill SB 113

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/14/26
• Refer: 1/14/26

Caption

Providing cost-of-living provision for certain retirees under PERS and TRS

Summary

SB 113 would provide a cost-of-living provision for certain retirees under the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) and the Teachers Retirement System (TRS). Based on the bill caption, the measure appears aimed at adjusting retirement benefits for a subset of public retirees, likely by creating or modifying an annual COLA or similar post-retirement benefit increase mechanism. Because the bill text is not available in the provided materials, the exact eligibility rules, benefit formula, and funding mechanism cannot be confirmed from the record here. However, the bill clearly concerns state retirement policy and would affect how retirement benefits are calculated or increased for qualifying PERS and TRS retirees.

Impact

If enacted, SB 113 would amend state retirement law governing PERS and TRS by adding or changing a cost-of-living adjustment provision for certain retirees. The practical effect would be to increase retirement benefits for eligible public employees and teachers, while potentially affecting employer contribution rates, system liabilities, or long-term funding obligations for the retirement systems.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or vote history was provided, so there is no direct record of debate or recorded support/opposition in the materials. The bill’s subject matter suggests it is likely intended as a retiree benefit enhancement, which often draws support from retiree advocates and public employee groups, while fiscal concerns may be raised by budget officials or retirement system administrators.

Contention

The main likely point of contention is fiscal impact: whether the proposed cost-of-living provision is affordable and how it would affect the solvency or actuarial status of PERS and TRS. Another likely issue is scope—specifically which retirees qualify, whether the increase is automatic or conditional, and whether the benefit applies to all retirees or only certain classes of beneficiaries. Without transcripts, the positions of specific stakeholders cannot be identified from the provided record.