Bill > S1802

This bill provides a special retirement credit for essential public health and safety employees who worked during the COVID-19 state of emergency from March 10, 2020 to June 15, 2021. The bill defines "COVID-19 essential employee retirement credit bonus" or "COVID-19 credit" as additional time that can be added to an employee's age or years of service for retirement benefit calculations. Essential employees include state, county, and municipal workers in public health and safety roles such as police, fire, EMS, court officers, corrections officers, and public health officials who were required to work on-site and in public-facing positions during the emergency period. The secretary of administration and finance will identify these employees and provide their information to the state retirement board. Municipalities and quasi-public agencies can choose to adopt this credit by vote of their governing bodies, and once adopted, their respective retirement boards will notify eligible employees in writing about receiving the credit. The purpose of this bill is to recognize and provide additional retirement benefits to essential workers who continued to provide critical services during the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Budget and Finance, Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1802