BillTrack50 logo
Free Signup Login
Bill

Bill > AB36

WI AB36

Law enforcement and firefighter annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System who are rehired by a participating employer. (FE)

summary

Introduced
02/17/2025
In Committee
05/29/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2025-2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

Under current law, certain persons who receive a retirement or disability annuity from the Wisconsin Retirement System and who are hired by an employer that participates in the WRS must suspend that annuity and may not receive a WRS annuity payment until the employee is no longer in a WRS-covered position. This suspension applies to a person who 1) has reached his or her normal retirement date; 2) is appointed to a position with a WRS-participating employer or provides employee services to a WRS-participating employer; and 3) is expected to work at least two-thirds of what is considered full-time employment by the Department of Employee Trust Funds. This bill creates an exception to this suspension for an annuitant who retired from employment with a participating employer and who is subsequently rehired or provides employee services after retirement if 1) the annuitant is a retired law enforcement officer or firefighter; 2) at the time the annuitant initially retires from covered employment with a participating employer, the annuitant does not have an agreement with any participating employer to return to employment; and 3) the annuitant elects to not become a participating employee at the time the annuitant is rehired or enters into a contract after retirement. In other words, the bill allows an annuitant who was a law enforcement officer or firefighter to return to work with an employer that participates in the WRS and elect to not become a participating employee for purposes of the WRS but instead continue to receive an annuity from the WRS. For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

AI Summary

This bill modifies the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) to create a specific exception for retired law enforcement officers and firefighters who are rehired by a participating employer. Under current law, annuitants (retirement benefit recipients) must suspend their annuity when returning to work in a WRS-covered position if they meet certain employment conditions. The bill allows retired law enforcement officers and firefighters to be rehired under specific circumstances without suspending their annuity: first, there must be at least 75 days between their previous job termination and rehiring; second, they must not have had a pre-arranged agreement to return to work when they initially retired; and third, they must explicitly elect on a departmental form to not become a participating employee again. Specifically, this means these workers can continue receiving their retirement annuity while working in a new position, providing more flexibility for retired first responders who wish to return to work. The law defines a "law enforcement officer" using an existing statutory definition and applies to participants who terminate employment on the act's effective date, offering a targeted exception to the standard WRS rehirement rules.

Committee Categories

Labor and Employment

Sponsors (12)

Last Action

Referred to committee on Rules (on 05/29/2025)

bill text

bill summary

Loading...

bill summary

Loading...
Loading...