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SB28 • 2026

Retired state employees; work as law enforcement officer or assistant district attorney authorized

Retired state employees; work as law enforcement officer or assistant district attorney authorized

Education Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Elliott
Last action
2026-02-19
Official status
Read Second Time in Second House
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does include adjustments to the minimum years of service required, but this information was removed due to formatting issues and unclear presentation in the candidate explanation.

Retired State Employees Can Work as Law Enforcement Officers or Assistant District Attorneys

This bill allows retired state employees to work in certain law enforcement roles and as assistant district attorneys without losing their retirement benefits, provided they meet specific conditions.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows retired state employees who have at least 25 years of service to work as school resource officers, correctional officers with the Department of Corrections, or police officers at state colleges and universities without suspending their retirement benefits if their earnings do not exceed $52,000 per year.
  • Requires retirees working in these roles to have the necessary Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training certification.
  • Permits retired employees who are licensed lawyers to work as assistant district attorneys without losing their retirement benefits if they earn no more than $52,000 annually.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Retired state employees who have at least 25 years of service.
  • School districts, the Department of Corrections, state colleges and universities, and local law enforcement agencies hiring retired officers.
  • District attorney offices hiring retired lawyers as assistant district attorneys.

Terms To Know

Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training certification
A required certification for individuals working in certain law enforcement roles in Alabama.
Employees' Retirement System
The retirement system that state employees participate in to receive benefits after retiring.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact effective date.
  • It is unclear how this legislation will be enforced or monitored by employing authorities.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

2J7JHKS-1

Ways and Means General Fund

Reported Out of Committee Second House

Plain English: 2J7JHKS-1 02/18/2026 THR (H) HSE 2025-3119 House Ways and Means General Fund Reported Substitute for SB28 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to retired state employees; to amend Section 36-27-8.2, as last amended by Act 2025-409, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for employment authorized for certain retirees of the Employees' Retirement System or Teachers' Retirement System.

  • 2J7JHKS-1 02/18/2026 THR (H) HSE 2025-3119 House Ways and Means General Fund Reported Substitute for SB28 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to retired state employees; to amend Section 36-27-8.2, as last amended by Act 2025-409, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for employment authorized for certain retirees of the Employees' Retirement System or Teachers' Retirement System.
  • BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1.
  • Section 36-27-8.2, as last amended by Act 2025-409, 2025 Regular Session, Code of Alabama 1975, is amended to read as follows: "§36-27-8.2 (a) Any individual who is retired under the Employees' Retirement System may perform duties in any capacity, including as an independent contractor, with any employer participating in the Employees' Retirement System or the Teachers' Retirement System without suspension of his or her retirement allowance provided that: (i) the individual is not employed in a permanent full-time capacity; and (ii) the individual's compensation from the employer in calendar year 2016 does not exceed thirty thousand dollars ($30,000).
  • Beginning in calendar year 2017, and each calendar year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2J7JHKS-1 02/18/2026 THR (H) HSE 2025-3119 House Ways and Means General Fund Reported Substitute for SB28 Page 2 Beginning in calendar year 2017, and each calendar year thereafter, the annual earning limit shall be increased by the same percentage increase as the increase in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers as published by the U.S.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
3P7IIEE-1

R 24 • Elliott

Adopted

Plain English: 3P7IIEE-1 : 1/7/2026 : THR 1ST COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT AMENDMENT TO SB28 OFFERED BY SENATOR ELLIOTT Page 1 Remove line 113 on page 5 Replace lines 147 through 148 on page 6 with the following: exceed fifty-two thousand dollars ($52,000) per year.

  • 3P7IIEE-1 : 1/7/2026 : THR 1ST COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT AMENDMENT TO SB28 OFFERED BY SENATOR ELLIOTT Page 1 Remove line 113 on page 5 Replace lines 147 through 148 on page 6 with the following: exceed fifty-two thousand dollars ($52,000) per year.
  • (5)a.
  • Any individual who is retired under the Employee's Retirement System or Teachers' Retirement System may perform duties as a permanent full-time bus driver without suspension of his or her retirement allowance, provided the compensation does not exceed the earnings limit established in subsection (a) and the individual has drawn his or her retirement benefit for 12 consecutive months.
  • b.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
9JFATMB-1

R 321 • Orr

Adopted

Plain English: 9JFATMB-1 : 2/10/2026 : KHF 1ST ORR AMENDMENT TO SB28 OFFERED BY SENATOR ORR Page 1 Replace line 12 on page 1 with the following: Teachers' Retirement System with a minimum of 25 years of service, has the applicable Alabama Replace line 22 on page 1 with the following: or the Teachers' Retirement System with a minimum of 25 years of service and is licensed to Replace line 94 on page 4 with the following: System with a minimum of 25 years of service on the effective date of this act , has the applicable Alabama Peace Officers' Standards Replace lines 114 through 116 on page 5 with the following: (2) Any individual who is retired under the Employees' Retirement System, has the applicable Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training certification, and meets any all of the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 9JFATMB-1 : 2/10/2026 : KHF 1ST ORR AMENDMENT TO SB28 OFFERED BY SENATOR ORR Page 2 Replace line 124 on page 5 with the following: under the Employees' Retirement System with a minimum of 25 years of service on the effective date of this act .

  • 9JFATMB-1 : 2/10/2026 : KHF 1ST ORR AMENDMENT TO SB28 OFFERED BY SENATOR ORR Page 1 Replace line 12 on page 1 with the following: Teachers' Retirement System with a minimum of 25 years of service, has the applicable Alabama Replace line 22 on page 1 with the following: or the Teachers' Retirement System with a minimum of 25 years of service and is licensed to Replace line 94 on page 4 with the following: System with a minimum of 25 years of service on the effective date of this act , has the applicable Alabama Peace Officers' Standards Replace lines 114 through 116 on page 5 with the following: (2) Any individual who is retired under the Employees' Retirement System, has the applicable Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training certification, and meets any all of the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 9JFATMB-1 : 2/10/2026 : KHF 1ST ORR AMENDMENT TO SB28 OFFERED BY SENATOR ORR Page 2 Replace line 124 on page 5 with the following: under the Employees' Retirement System with a minimum of 25 years of service on the effective date of this act .
  • Replace lines 130 through 131 on page 5 with the following: to Section 36-27-16(a)(1)c.
  • (3) The minimum number of years of service required to qualify to perform duties without suspension of retirement benefits under subdivisions (d)(1) and (2) shall be adjusted as follows: a.
  • A minimum of 26 years of service on October 1, 2027.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-19 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  2. 2026-02-18 House

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  3. 2026-02-12 House

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  4. 2026-02-12 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means General Fund

  5. 2026-02-11 Senate

    Engrossed

  6. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 322 (Yeas 32, Nays 0)

  7. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Orr motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 321 (Yeas 32, Nays 0)

  8. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Orr 1st Amendment Offered

  9. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Elliott motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 24 (Yeas 35, Nays 0)

  10. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 35, Nays 0)

  11. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Carried Over

  12. 2026-01-15 Senate

    County and Municipal Government 1st Amendment Offered

  13. 2026-01-14 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  14. 2026-01-14 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  15. 2026-01-14 Senate

    County and Municipal Government 1st Amendment

  16. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  17. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on County and Municipal Government

Official Summary Text

Retired state employees; work as law enforcement officer or assistant district attorney authorized

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SB28 ENGROSSED
Page 0
SB28
W1JSNE9-2
By Senator Elliott
RFD: County and Municipal Government
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 04-Dec-25
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SB28 Engrossed
Page 1
PFD: 04-Dec-25
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to retired state employees; to amend Section
36-27-8.2, as last amended by Act 2025-409, Code of Alabama
1975, to further provide for employment authorized for certain
retired state employees.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 36-27-8.2, as last amended by Act
2025-409, 2025 Regular Session, Code of Alabama 1975, is
amended to read as follows:
"§36-27-8.2
(a) Any individual who is retired under the Employees'
Retirement System may perform duties in any capacity,
including as an independent contractor, with any employer
participating in the Employees' Retirement System or the
Teachers' Retirement System without suspension of his or her
retirement allowance provided that: (i) the individual is not
employed in a permanent full-time capacity; and (ii) the
individual's compensation from the employer in calendar year
2016 does not exceed thirty thousand dollars ($30,000).
Beginning in calendar year 2017, and each calendar year
thereafter, the annual earning limit shall be increased by the
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SB28 Engrossed
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thereafter, the annual earning limit shall be increased by the
same percentage increase as the increase in the Consumer Price
Index for all urban consumers as published by the U.S.
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Any increase
in the annual earning limit shall be rounded to the next
lowest multiple of one thousand dollars ($1,000) with any
amount in excess of the one thousand dollar ($1,000) multiple
considered in determining the increase for the following year.
Each adjustment shall be based on the increase in the index
for the preceding 12-month period ending on September 30 and
the increase shall be effective for the following calendar
year.
(b) Any individual serving as an elected official who
has retired from the Employees' Retirement System may serve
for his or her full compensation in an elected public office
with the state, a county, or an incorporated municipality
without suspension of retirement benefits; provided, that
under no circumstances shall such an individual participate in
or accrue additional benefits under the Teachers' Retirement
System or the Employees' Retirement System for that service,
and provided that under no circumstances shall an individual
whose retirement is based upon service as an elected official
continue in or return to the office and receive both pension
benefits and salary. Any provision of this subsection to the
contrary notwithstanding, a retiree serving as a local elected
superintendent of education shall not receive both pension
benefits and salary unless his or her compensation as a local
elected superintendent of education does not exceed the annual
earning limits provided in subsection (a).
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SB28 Engrossed
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earning limits provided in subsection (a).
(c) The responsibility for compliance with this section
is placed upon the employing authority, and each retiree
performing duties under this section shall certify to the
employer any information required in order to carry out this
section. The retiree shall provide written notice of the
postretirement employment under this section to the Employees'
Retirement System and employing authority within 30 days after
the date the retiree knows or should know that he or she will
be performing duties on a full-time or permanent basis or will
earn an amount in excess of the annual earning limit under
this section.
(d)(1) Any individual who is retired under the
Employees' Retirement System or the Teachers' Retirement
System with a minimum of 25 years of service on the effective
date of this act , has the applicable Alabama Peace Officers'
Standards and Training certification, and was classified as
either a law enforcement officer, as defined in Section
36-27-59, or a state policeman, as defined in Section 36-27-1,
prior to retirement, may perform duties as any of the
following a school resource officer, as defined in Section
16-1-44.1, a correctional officer with the Department of
Corrections, or a police officer at any state college or
university pursuant to Section 16-22-1 without suspension of
his or her retirement allowance, provided that the
compensation earned does not exceed fifty-two thousand dollars
($52,000) per year :
a. A school resource officer, as defined in Section
16-1-44.1.
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SB28 Engrossed
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16-1-44.1.
b. A correctional officer with the Department of
Corrections.
c. A police officer at any state college or university
pursuant to Section 16-22-1.
d. A sheriff's deputy.
e. A municipal police officer .
(2) Any individual who is retired under the Employees'
Retirement System, has the applicable Alabama Peace Officers'
Standards and Training certification, and meets any all of the
following criteria may perform duties as a correctional
officer with the Department of Corrections without suspension
of his or her retirement allowance, provided that the
compensation earned does not exceed fifty-two thousand dollars
($52,000) per year:
a. Was classified as a law enforcement officer, as
defined in Section 36-27-59, prior to retirement Is retired
under the Employees' Retirement System with a minimum of 25
years of service on the effective date of this act .
b. Was classified as a state policeman, as defined in
Section 36-27-1, prior to retirement Has the applicable Alabama
Peace Officers' Standards and Training Certification .
c. Was classified as a correctional officer, as defined
in Section 36-27-59, prior to retirement, and retired pursuant
to Section 36-27-16(a)(1)c.
(3) The minimum number of years of service required to
qualify to perform duties without suspension of retirement
benefits under subdivisions (d)(1) and (2) shall be adjusted
as follows:
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SB28 Engrossed
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as follows:
a. A minimum of 26 years of service on October 1, 2027.
b. A minimum of 27 years of service on October 1, 2028.
c. A minimum of 28 years of service on October 1, 2029.
d. A minimum of 29 years of service on October 1, 2030.
e. A minimum of 30 years of service on October 1, 2031,
and each year thereafter.
(3)(4) Any individual who is retired under the
Employees' Retirement System, who has both the applicable
Alabama Firefighters' Personnel Standards and Education
Commission certification and the applicable State Board of
Health certification as a firefighter and an emergency medical
services personnel, as defined in Section 36-27-59, prior to
retirement, may perform duties as a firemedic without
suspension of his or her retirement allowance provided that
the compensation earned does not exceed fifty-two thousand
dollars ($52,000) per year, commensurate with the work
actually performed.
(5) Any individual who is retired under the Employees'
Retirement System or Teachers' Retirement System with a
minimum of 25 years of service and is licensed to practice law
in this state may perform duties as an assistant district
attorney without suspension of his or her retirement
allowance, provided the compensation does not exceed fifty-two
thousand dollars ($52,000) per year.
(5)a. Any individual who is retired under the
Employee's Retirement System or Teachers' Retirement System
may perform duties as a permanent full-time bus driver without
suspension of his or her retirement allowance, provided the
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SB28 Engrossed
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suspension of his or her retirement allowance, provided the
compensation does not exceed the earnings limit established in
subsection (a) and the individual has drawn his or her
retirement benefit for 12 consecutive months.
b. Notwithstanding paragraph a., an individual who
retired under the Employees' Retirement System or the
Teachers' Retirement System on or before January 1, 2026, may
be hired and perform duties as a full-time bus driver even if
he or she has not drawn his or her retirement benefit for 12
consecutive months, provided all other conditions of this
subsection are met.
(6) The minimum number of years of service required to
qualify to perform duties without suspension of retirement
benefits under subdivision (d)(5) shall be adjusted as
follows:
a. A minimum of 26 years of service on October 1, 2027.
b. A minimum of 27 years of service on October 1, 2028.
c. A minimum of 28 years of service on October 1, 2029.
d. A minimum of 29 years of service on October 1, 2030.
e. A minimum of 30 years of service on October 1, 2031,
and each year thereafter.
(4) (7) This subsection shall have retroactive
application to January 1, 2023, and no No individual may be
employed pursuant to this subsection after December 31,
20302032."
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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SB28 Engrossed
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1, 2026.
Senate
Read for the first time and referred
to the Senate committee on County
and Municipal Government
................13-Jan-26
Read for the second time and placed
on the calendar:
1 amendment
................14-Jan-26
Read for the third time and passed
as amended
Yeas 32
Nays 0
Abstains 0
................10-Feb-26
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
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