Bill > HB597

This bill modifies retirement system rules for school employees in Missouri, allowing retired teachers and non-certificated staff to return to work full-time without losing their retirement benefits under specific conditions. For retired certificated teachers, they can teach full-time for up to four years in a school district experiencing a certified teacher shortage, with a limit of either one percent of total staff or five teachers at any given time. Similarly, retired non-certificated employees can work full-time for up to four years in a school district with a shortage of non-certificated staff, with a limit of either one percent of total staff or five employees. To hire these retired workers, school districts must demonstrate a good faith effort to recruit non-retired employees, including posting vacancies for at least one month, not having offered early retirement incentives in the previous two years, advertising through local media and education programs, determining an insufficient number of eligible applicants, and declaring a critical shortage. The hiring school district must pay the employer's contribution rate, and hired employees will be included in the State Directory of New Hires for income and eligibility verification purposes.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB597&year=2025&code=R