Employees’ Pension System – Sheriff of Anne Arundel County – Vesting

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1122*

HOUSE BILL 1122
P6 6lr3509

By: Delegate Simmons
Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2026
Assigned to: Appropriations

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Employees’ Pension System – Sheriff of Anne Arundel County – Vesting 2

FOR the purpose of establishing for a Sheriff of Anne Arundel County vesting rights and a 3
retirement allowance in the Employees’ Pension System after accruing a certain 4
period of eligibility service; establishing that a Sheriff of Anne Arundel County 5
elected or appointed on or after a certain date may retire with a normal retirement 6
allowance after a certain period of eligibility service; and generally relating to the 7
vesting and retirement allowance of a Sheriff of Anne Arundel County in the 8
Employees’ Pension System. 9

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 11
Section 23–401(f) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

BY adding to 15
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 16
Section 29–306 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21

Article – State Personnel and Pensions 22

23–401. 23

(f) (1) (I) [A] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF THIS 24
2 HOUSE BILL 1122

PARAGRAPH, A member who begins membership on or after July 1, 2011, may retire with 1
a normal service retirement allowance if: 2

[(i)] 1. the member completes and submits a written application 3
to the Board of Trustees stating the date when the member desires to retire; and 4

[(ii)] 2. on or before the date of retirement, the member: 5

[1.] A. has at least 90 years of combined age and years of 6
eligibility service; or 7

[2.] B. is at least 65 years old and has at least 10 years of 8
eligibility service. 9

(II) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS ELECTED OR APPOINTED AS THE 10
SHERIFF OF ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 2026, AND IS A 11
MEMBER, MAY RETIRE WITH A NORMAL SERVICE RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE IF: 12

1. THE MEMBER COMPLETES AND SUBMITS A WRITTE N 13
APPLICATION TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES STATING THE DATE WHEN THE MEMBER 14
DESIRES TO RETIRE; AND 15

2. ON OR BEFORE THE DATE O F RETIREMENT , THE 16
MEMBER: 17

A. HAS AT LEAST 90 YEARS OF COMBINED AG E AND 18
YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY SERVICE; OR 19

B. IS AT LEAST 65 YEARS OLD AND HAS AT LEAST 8 YEARS 20
OF ELIGIBILITY SERVICE. 21

(2) Except as provided in subsection (g) of this section, a member who is 22
subject to the reformed contributory pension benefit under Subtitle 2, Part IV of this title 23
is entitled to receive a normal service retirement that equals the number of years of the 24
member’s creditable service multiplied b y 1.5% of the member’s average final 25
compensation. 26

29–306. 27

(A) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO THE SHERIFF OF ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY. 28

(B) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS SERVING AS THE SHERIFF OF ANNE ARUNDEL 29
COUNTY WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE EMPLOYEES’ PENSION SYSTEM: 30

(1) HAS VESTING RIGHTS A FTER ACCRUING AT LEA ST 8 YEARS OF 31
HOUSE BILL 1122 3

ELIGIBILITY SERVICE; AND 1

(2) IS ENTITLED TO A RET IREMENT ALLOWANCE AS PROVIDED IN 2
TITLE 23, SUBTITLE 4 OF THIS ARTICLE. 3

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, in accordance with Article 4
III, § 35 of the Maryland Constitution, this Act may not be construed to extend or apply to 5
the salary or compensation of the Sheriff of Anne Arundel County while serving in a term 6
of office beginning before the effective date of this Act, but the provisions of this Act 7
concerning the salary or compensation of the Sheriff of Anne Arundel County shall take 8
effect at the beginning of the next following term of office. This limitation does not apply to 9
an individual appointed or elected after the effective date of this Act to fill out an unexpired 10
term. 11

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 12
1, 2026. 13