An Act to Remove Certain Cost-of-living Adjustment Restrictions for Retired Members of the Law Enforcement Bargaining Unit Who Are 65 Years of Age or Older

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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1021
S.P. 439 In Senate, March 13, 2025
An Act to Remove Certain Cost-of-living Adjustment Restrictions
for Retired Members of the Law Enforcement Bargaining Unit Who
Are 65 Years of Age or Older
(EMERGENCY)
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on March 12, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Labor pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator BRENNER of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative MURPHY of Scarborough and
Senators: CYRWAY of Kennebec, HARRINGTON of York, Representatives: ARDELL of
Monticello, PERKINS of Dover-Foxcroft.

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1Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not
2 become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
3Whereas, cost-of-living adjustments are applied to the applicable portion of an
4 eligible retiree’s benefit amount beginning in September of each year; and
5Whereas, this legislation may affect the percentage increase to be applied to the
6 applicable portion of an eligible law enforcement officer's retirement benefit amount
7 beginning in September 2025; and
8Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within
9 the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as
10 immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now,
11 therefore,
12Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
13Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §17806, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 2021, c. 635, Pt. NN, §1,
14 is further amended to read:
15 A. Except as provided in paragraphs A‑1, A‑2 and , A‑3 and A-4, whenever there is a
16 percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index from July 1st to June 30th, the board
17 shall automatically make an equal percentage increase in retirement benefits, beginning
18 in September, up to a maximum annual increase of 3%. Effective July 1, 2011, the
19 increase applies to that portion of the retirement benefit up to $20,000, which amount
20 must be indexed in subsequent years by the same percentage adjustments granted under
21 this section. Effective July 1, 2022, the increase applies to that portion of the retirement
22 benefit up to $24,186.25, which amount must be indexed in subsequent years by the
23 same percentage adjustments granted under this section.
24Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §17806, sub-§1, ¶A-4 is enacted to read:
25 A-4. Beginning in 2025, whenever there is a percentage increase in the Consumer Price
26 Index from July 1st to June 30th, the board shall automatically make an equal
27 percentage increase in retirement benefits, beginning in September, up to a maximum
28 annual increase of 3% for retirement benefits paid to individuals who are 65 years of
29 age or older and who qualify for a service retirement benefit for one of the following
30 positions:
31 (1) A game warden, game warden investigator, game warden pilot and game
32 warden specialist in the employment of the Department of Inland Fisheries and
33 Wildlife;
34 (2) A marine patrol officer and marine patrol specialist in the employment of the
35 Department of Marine Resources;
36 (3) A correctional detective and corrections resource coordinator of the
37 Department of Corrections employed in a correctional facility, as defined in Title
38 34-A, section 1001, subsection 6, or whose duties involve contact with prisoners,
39 probationers, parolees or juvenile offenders;
40 (4) A state fire marshal investigator and a state fire marshal senior investigator in
41 the Department of Public Safety;
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1 (5) A detective in the employment of the office of investigations within the
2 Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles;
3 (6) A Baxter Park Ranger I in the employment of the Baxter State Park Authority;
4 (7) A deputy judicial marshal, corporal judicial marshal and sergeant judicial
5 marshal as defined in Title 25, section 2801-A, subsection 2-A;
6 (8) A detective in the employment of the Office of the Attorney General;
7 (9) A capitol police officer in the employment of the Department of Public Safety;
8 (10) A Forest Ranger I, Forest Ranger II, Forest Ranger III and Ranger Pilot in the
9 employment of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry;
10 (11) A probation officer in the employment of the Department of Corrections;
11 (12) A juvenile community corrections officer in the employment of the
12 Department of Corrections; and
13 (13) A military security police officer in the employment of the Department of
14 Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management.
15Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation
16 takes effect when approved.
17SUMMARY
18 This bill provides that, for certain law enforcement officers and certain retired state
19 employees who retire at 65 years of age or older, the cost-of-living increases apply to that
20 retiree’s entire retirement benefit instead of only to the amount specified under current law.
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