Bill > HB05609

This bill addresses how workers' compensation benefits are treated when calculating municipal employee retirement pensions. Specifically, the bill requires municipalities and special taxing districts with defined benefit pension systems to calculate an employee's retirement benefits using the higher of two wage calculations: either the traditional method used to determine the employee's final average salary, or a method that includes temporary total and partial disability benefits received through workers' compensation during the same salary calculation period. This means that if an employee receives workers' compensation benefits, those benefits cannot reduce their eventual pension amount. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and explicitly states that it will not interfere with any collective bargaining agreements that are already in place before that date. The goal of the legislation is to protect workers from potential financial disadvantages that might arise from receiving workers' compensation benefits by ensuring their retirement income remains consistent.

Labor and Employment

Labor and Public Employees Committee (J)

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB05609&which_year=2025