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HB1441 • 2026

Optional Retirement Programs for Public Postsecondary Employees

Optional Retirement Programs for Public Postsecondary Employees

Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Dunkley
Last action
2026-03-13
Official status
House - Died in Government Operations Subcommittee
Effective date
2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass all stages in the legislature and died in committee, so it is uncertain if the changes will be implemented as described.

Optional Retirement Programs for Public Postsecondary Employees

This bill revises contribution amounts and payment methods for optional retirement programs in Florida's State University System and Community College System.

What This Bill Does

  • Revises the contribution amounts and how contributions are paid for specified optional retirement programs starting from July 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public postsecondary employees in Florida's State University System and Community College System.

Terms To Know

Optional Retirement Program
A retirement plan that public postsecondary employees can choose to join, separate from the main state retirement system.
Employer Contribution
The part of a retirement program's funding that comes directly from an employer, not the employee.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass all stages in the legislature and died in committee.
  • Details about how contributions will be managed after July 1, 2026 are specified but may require further clarification or implementation details.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-13 House

    • Died in Government Operations Subcommittee

  2. 2026-01-15 House

    • Referred to Government Operations Subcommittee • Referred to Budget Committee • Referred to State Affairs Committee • Now in Government Operations Subcommittee

  3. 2026-01-13 House

    • 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)

  4. 2026-01-09 House

    • Filed

Official Summary Text

Optional Retirement Programs for Public Postsecondary Employees; Revises contribution amounts & how contributions are paid for specified optional retirement programs.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB 1441 2026

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hb1441-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to optional retirement programs for 2
public postsecondary employees; amending ss. 121.35 3
and 1012.875, F.S.; revising contribution amounts and 4
how contributions are paid for specified optional 5
retirement programs; providing an effective date. 6
7
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8
9
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section 10
121.35, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 11
121.35 Optional retirement program for the State 12
University System.— 13
(4) CONTRIBUTIONS.— 14
(a)1. Through June 30, 2001, each employer shall 15
contribute on behalf of each member of the optional retirement 16
program an amount equal to the normal cost portion of the 17
employer retirement contribution which would be required if the 18
employee were a regular member of the Florida Retirement System 19
Pension Plan, plus the portion of the contribution rate required 20
in s. 112.363(8) that would otherwise be assigned to the Retiree 21
Health Insurance Subsidy Trust Fund. 22
2. Effective July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2011, each 23
employer shall contribute on behalf of each member of the 24
optional retirement program an amount equal to 10.43 percent of 25

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

the employee's gross monthly compensation. 26
3. Effective July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012, each 27
member of the optional retirement program shall contribute an 28
amount equal to the employee contribution required in s. 29
121.71(3). The employer shall contribute on behalf of each such 30
member an amount equal to the difference between 10.43 percent 31
of the employee's gross monthly compensation and the amount 32
equal to the employee's required contribution based on the 33
employee's gross monthly compensation. 34
4. Effective July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2026, each 35
member of the optional retirement program shall contribute an 36
amount equal to the employee contribution required in s. 37
121.71(3). The employer shall contribute on behalf of each such 38
member an amount equal to the difference between 8.15 percent of 39
the employee's gross monthly compensation and the amount equal 40
to the employee's required contribution based on the employee's 41
gross monthly compensation. 42
5. Effective July 1, 2026, each member of the optional 43
retirement program shall contribute an amount equal to the 44
employee contribution required in s. 121.71(3). The employer 45
shall contribute an amount equal to the employer contribution 46
required in s. 121.71(4) and (5). 47
6.5. The payment of the contributions, including 48
contributions by the employee, shall be made by the employer to 49
the department, which shall forward the contributions to the 50

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

designated company or companies contracting for payment of 51
benefits for members of the program in the same manner as other 52
retirement contributions. However, such contributions paid on 53
behalf of an employee described in paragraph (3)(c) may not be 54
forwarded to a company and do not begin to accrue interest until 55
the employee has executed a contract and notified the 56
department. The department shall deduct an amount from the 57
contributions to provide for the administration of this program. 58
Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section 59
1012.875, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 60
1012.875 State Community College System Optional 61
Retirement Program.—Each Florida College System institution may 62
implement an optional retirement program, if such program is 63
established therefor pursuant to s. 1001.64(20), under which 64
annuity or other contracts providing retirement and death 65
benefits may be purchased by, and on behalf of, eligible 66
employees who participate in the program, in accordance with s. 67
403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Except as otherwise 68
provided herein, this retirement program, which shall be known 69
as the State Community College System Optional Retirement 70
Program, may be implemented and administered only by an 71
individual Florida College System institution or by a consortium 72
of Florida College System institutions. 73
(4)(a)1. Through June 30, 2011, each college must 74
contribute on behalf of each program member an amount equal to 75

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10.43 percent of the employee's gross monthly compensation. 76
2. Effective July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012, each 77
member shall contribute an amount equal to the employee 78
contribution required under s. 121.71(3). The employer shall 79
contribute on behalf of each program member an amount equal to 80
the difference between 10.43 percent of the employee's gross 81
monthly compensation and the employee's required contribution 82
based on the employee's gross monthly compensation. 83
3. Effective July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2026, each 84
member shall contribute an amount equal to the employee 85
contribution required under s. 121.71(3). The employer shall 86
contribute on behalf of each program member an amount equal to 87
the difference between 8.15 percent of the employee's gross 88
monthly compensation and the employee's required contribution 89
based on the employee's gross monthly compensation. 90
4. Effective July 1, 2026, each member shall contribute an 91
amount equal to the employee contribution required in s. 92
121.71(3). The employer shall contribute an amount equal to the 93
employer contribution required in s. 121.71(4) and (5). 94
5.4. The college shall deduct an amount approved by the 95
district board of trustees of the college to provide for the 96
administration of the optional retirement program. Payment of 97
this contribution must be made in the same manner as other 98
retirement contributions directly by the college or through the 99
program administrator to the designated company contracting for 100

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payment of benefits to the program member. 101
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 102