Correctional Officers' Retirement System - Membership - Clarifications

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0337*

SENATE BILL 337
P6 6lr2463
CF HB 678
By: Senator Lewis Young (Chair, Joint Committee on Pensions)
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2026
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 20, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Correctional Officers’ Retirement System – Membership – Clarifications 2

FOR the purpose of clarifying the membership in the Correctional Officers’ Retirement 3
System for certain employees of certain Maryland Department of Health facilities; 4
clarifying that certain participating employees who are appointed, promoted, or 5
transferred are members of the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System as a 6
condition of employment; and generally relating to membership in the Correctional 7
Officers’ Retirement System. 8

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 10
Section 20–206(a) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 15
Section 20–206(g), 25–201, and 25–401 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20

Article – State Personnel and Pensions 21
2 SENATE BILL 337

20–206. 1

(a) In this section, “unused sick leave” means sick leave credit that: 2

(1) has not been used before retirement; and 3

(2) was available to the member to be used as sick leave during 4
employment. 5

(g) (1) This subsection applies to a member of the Correctional Officers’ 6
Retirement System who: 7

(i) was a member of the Employees’ Pension System or Employees’ 8
Retirement System and was transferred from the Employees’ Pension System or 9
Employees’ Retirement System to the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System as a result 10
of a change in membership wit hin the several systems that rendered the individual 11
ineligible for membership in the Employees’ Pension System or the Employees’ Retirement 12
System; 13

(ii) did not transfer service credit from the Employees’ Pension 14
System or the Employees’ Retirement Sy stem to the Correctional Officers’ Retirement 15
System; and 16

(iii) 1. retires under § 25–401 of this article, and receives a vested 17
benefit from the Employees’ Pension System or the Employees’ Retirement System; 18

2. retires under §§ 22–401, 22–402, 23–401, or 23–402 of this 19
article, and receives a vested benefit from the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System for 20
service earned on or after July 1, 2016; or 21

3. retires with a vested benefit from the Employees’ Pension 22
System or Employees’ Retirement System, and earned service in the Correctional Officers’ 23
Retirement System on or after July 1, 2016, for which the individual is not eligible for a 24
benefit. 25

(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection, a member is 26
entitled to receive creditable service for the total amount of unused sick leave accrued by 27
the member at the time of retirement. 28

(3) (i) This paragraph applies to an individual described under 29
paragraph (1)(iii)1 or 2 of this subsection. 30

(ii) The creditable service fo r unused sick leave shall be calculated 31
for each of the two State systems by multiplying the total amount of unused sick leave, 32
calculated in accordance with subsection (e) of this section, by a fraction: 33

SENATE BILL 337 3

1. the numerator of which is the creditable service earned in 1
the State system, not including the creditable service for unused sick leave; and 2

2. the denominator of which is the total creditable service 3
earned in both State systems, not including the creditable service for unused sick leave. 4

(4) (i) This paragraph applies to an individual described under 5
paragraph (1)(iii)3 of this subsection. 6

(ii) An individual’s retirement benefit from the Employees’ Pension 7
System or Employees’ Retirement System shall be adjusted to include any credit for unused 8
sick leave that the individual accrued in the Employees’ Pension System or Employees’ 9
Retirement System prior to becoming a member of the Correctional Officers’ Retirement 10
System: 11

1. on or after July 1, 2016, in a position included under § 12
25–201(a)(7) of this article; 13

2. on or after July 1, 2017, in a position included under § 14
25–201(a)(8) or (9) of this article; 15

3. on or after July 1, 2018, in a position included under § 16
25–201(a)(10) or (11) of this article; 17

4. on or afte r July 1, 2022, in a position included under § 18
25–201(a)(12) of this article; 19

5. on or after July 1, 2024, in a position included under § 20
25–201(a)(13) of this article; [or] 21

6. on or after July 1, 2025, in a position included under § 22
25–201(a)(14) of this article; OR 23

7. ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 2026, IN A POSITION INCLUDED 24
UNDER § 25–201(A)(15) OF THIS ARTICLE. 25

25–201. 26

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this subtitle applies only 27
to: 28

(1) correctional officers serving in any of the first six job classifications; 29

(2) security attendants at Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center; 30

4 SENATE BILL 337

(3) a detention center officer employed by a participating governmental 1
unit that on or after July 1, 2006, has elected to participate in the Correctional Officers’ 2
Retirement System; 3

(4) an individual serving as a correctional dietary, maintenance, laundry, 4
or supply officer; 5

(5) an individual serving as a Maryland Correctional Enterprises officer, 6
officer trainee, plant supervisor, plant manager, or regional manager; 7

(6) a correctional officer serving as a security chief, a facility administrator, 8
an assistant warden, or a warden who: 9

(i) begins employment in that position on or after July 1, 2014; or 10

(ii) is serving in that position on June 30, 2014, and elects to transfer 11
to the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System from: 12

1. the Employees’ Pension System on or before December 31, 13
2014; or 14

2. the Employees’ Retirement System on or before December 15
31, 2015; 16

(7) an individual serving as a correctional case management specialist, 17
supervisor, or manager on or after July 1, 2016; 18

(8) an individual serving as a parole and probation agent, supervisor, or 19
regional administrator on or after July 1, 2017; 20

(9) an individual serving as a Department of Public Safety and 21
Correctional Services employee in one of the following positions on or after July 1, 2017: 22

(i) an alcohol and drug: 23

1. associate counselor, counselor lead, counselor provisional, 24
or counselor supervisor; 25

2. professional counselor, counselor provisional, or counselor 26
supervisor; or 27

3. supervised counselor or counselor provisional; 28

(ii) a mental health professional counselor, graduate professional 29
counselor, professional counselor advanced, or professional supervisor; 30

SENATE BILL 337 5

(iii) a psychologist, psychology associate, or psychology associate 1
doctorate; 2

(iv) a social worker, social worker advanced, social worker 3
supervisor, or social work regional supervisor; or 4

(v) a recreation officer or supervisor; 5

(10) an individual serving as a Department of Juvenile Services employee 6
in one of the following positions on or after July 1, 2018: 7

(i) a community detention officer or community detention 8
supervisor; 9

(ii) a youth transportation officer, youth transportation officer lead, 10
youth transportation officer supervisor, or youth transportation officer trainee; 11

(iii) a resident advisor, resident advisor lead, resident advisor 12
supervisor, or resident advisor trainee; or 13

(iv) a youth recreation specialist; 14

(11) an individual serving as a Department of Public Safety and 15
Correctional Services employee in one of the following positions on or after July 1, 2018: 16

(i) a parole and probation assistant regional administrator; 17

(ii) a psychology services chief; 18

(iii) a correctional maintenance officer supervisor; 19

(iv) a correctional maintenance officer manager; 20

(v) a correctional maintenance services officer; 21

(vi) a correctional maintenance services supervisor; 22

(vii) a correctional maintenance services manager; or 23

(viii) a correctional maintenance regional manager; 24

(12) an individual serving as a Department of Juvenile Services employee 25
in one of the following positions on or after July 1, 2022: 26

(i) a case management specialist I, II, or III; 27

(ii) a case management specialist supervisor; 28
6 SENATE BILL 337

(iii) a case management specialist program supervisor; or 1

(iv) a group life manager I or II; 2

(13) an individual serving as a Maryland Department of Health employee 3
on or after July 1, 2024: 4

(i) at one of the following facilities: 5

1. Eastern Shore Hospital Center; 6

2. Thomas B. Finan Center; 7

3. Potomac Center/Secure Evaluation and Therapeutic 8
Treatment Program; 9

4. Spring Grove Hospital Center; 10

5. Springfield Hospital Center; 11

6. Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents – 12
Baltimore; or 13

7. John L. Gildner Regional Institute for Children and 14
Adolescents; and 15

(ii) in one of the following positions: 16

1. a CAMH associate I, II, or lead – CI; 17

2. a developmental disability associate – CI; 18

3. a direct care assistant I or II – CI; 19

4. a direct care trainee – CI; 20

5. a licensed practical nurse I, II, III advance, or III lead – 21
CI; 22

6. a resident associate SETT – CI; 23

7. a security attendant I, II, or III; 24

8. a security attendant manager I or II; or 25

9. a security attendant supervisor; [and] 26
SENATE BILL 337 7

(14) an individual serving as a Maryland Department of Health employee 1
on or after July 1, 2025: 2

(i) at a facility described in item (13)(i) of this subsection; and 3

(ii) in one of the following positions: 4

1. a CAMH associate supervisor – CI; 5

2. a developmental disability associate assistant manager – 6
CI; 7

3. a developmental disability associate manager – CI; and 8

4. a developmental disability associate supervisor – CI; AND 9

(15) AN INDIVIDUAL SERVIN G AS A MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF 10
HEALTH EMPLOYEE ON OR AFTER JULY 1, 2026: 11

(I) AT A FACILITY DESCRI BED IN ITEM (13)(I) OF THIS 12
SUBSECTION; AND 13

(II) IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS: 14

1. A CAMH SPECIALIST I – CI; OR 15

2. A CAMH SPECIALIST II – CI. 16

(b) This subtitle does not apply to: 17

(1) an employee of the Baltimore City Jail as of June 30, 1991, who: 18

(i) became an employee of the Baltimore City Detention Center on 19
July 1, 1991; and 20

(ii) did not elect to become a member of the Correctional Officers’ 21
Retirement System on that date; 22

(2) a detention center officer employed by a partic ipating governmental 23
unit as a local detention center officer on the effective date of participation on or after July 24
1, 2006, who did not elect to become a member of the Correctional Officers’ Retirement 25
System within 6 months of the effective date of participation; or 26

8 SENATE BILL 337

(3) a correctional officer serving as a security chief, a facility administrator, 1
an assistant warden, or a warden who is in that position on June 30, 2014, and does not 2
elect to transfer membership to the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System from: 3

(i) the Employees’ Pension System on or before December 31, 2014; 4
or 5

(ii) the Employees’ Retirement System on or before December 31, 6
2015. 7

25–401. 8

(a) A member may retire with a normal service retirement allowance if: 9

(1) on or before the date of retirement, the member: 10

(i) has at least 20 years of eligibility service; 11

(ii) 1. is a correctional case management specialist, supervisor, 12
or manager on or before June 30, 2016; 13

2. is vested in the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System; 14
and 15

3. has a combined total of at least 20 years of eligibility 16
service from: 17

A. the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System and the 18
Employees’ Retirement System; or 19

B. the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System and the 20
Employees’ Pension System; 21

(iii) 1. is serving in a position specified in: 22

A. § 25–201(a)(8) or (9) of this title on or before June 30, 2017; 23

B. § 25–201(a)(10) or (11) of this title on or before June 30, 24
2018; 25

C. § 25–201(a)(12) of this title on or before June 30, 2022; or 26

D. § 25–201(a)(13) of this title on or before June 30, 2024; 27

E. § 25–201(A)(14) OF THIS TITLE ON OR BEFORE JUNE 28
30, 2025; OR 29

SENATE BILL 337 9

F. § 25–201(A)(15) OF THIS TITLE ON OR BEFORE JUNE 1
30, 2026; 2

2. is vested in the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System; 3
and 4

3. has a combined total of at least 20 years of eligibility 5
service from: 6

A. the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System and the 7
Employees’ Retirement System; or 8

B. the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System and the 9
Employees’ Pension System; or 10

(iv) is at least 55 years old and has: 11

1. at least 5 years of eligibility service credit, if the member 12
is a member on or before June 30, 2011; or 13

2. at least 10 years of eligibility service credit, if the member 14
becomes a member on or after July 1, 2011; and 15

(2) the member completes and submits a written application to the Board 16
of Trustees stating the date when the member desires to retire. 17

(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, on retirement 18
under this section, a member is entitled to receive a normal service retirement allowance 19
that equals one fifty –fifth of the member’s average final compensation multiplied by the 20
number of years of creditable service. 21

(2) On retirement under this section, if a member’s annuity is greater than 22
the member’s normal service retirement allowance calculated under paragraph (1) of this 23
subsection, the member’s normal service retirement allowance shall equal the member’s 24
annuity. 25

(c) (1) This subsection applies only to: 26

(i) a correctional case management specialist, supervisor, or 27
manager who has a combined total of 20 years of eligibility service as provided in subsection 28
(a)(1)(ii) of this section; or 29

(ii) a member serving in a position specified in § 25 –201(a)(8), (9), 30
(10), (11), (12), (13), [or] (14), OR (15) of this title who has a combined total of 20 years of 31
eligibility service as provided in subsection (a)(1)(iii) of this section. 32

10 SENATE BILL 337

(2) A member is entitled to receive a normal service retirement allowance 1
that equals an allowance based on the creditable service the member has in the 2
Correctional Officers’ Retirement System. 3

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 4

(a) This section applies to an individual who: 5

(1) is employed in a position affected by this Act on July 1, 2026; and 6

(2) has creditable service in the Employees’ Pension System before July 1, 7
2008. 8

(b) Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d) of this section, on June 30, 2027, 9
the Board of Trustees for the State Retirement and Pension System shall transfer the 10
service of an individual described in subsection (a) of this section from the Employees’ 11
Retirement System or the Employees’ Pension System to the Correctional Officers’ 12
Retirement System. 13

(c) On or before June 1, 2027, an individual described in subsection (a) of this 14
section who was transferred into the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System under this 15
Act may elect not to transfer the individual’s Employees’ Retirement System or Employees’ 16
Pension System service to the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System by submitting to 17
the Board of Trustees for the State Retirement and Pension System a form provided by the 18
State Retirement Agency for the purpose of electing not to transfer service under this Act. 19

(d) If an individual described in subsection (a) of this section who was transferred 20
into the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System under this Act submits an application for 21
retirement to retire before June 30, 2027, the Board of Trustees for the State Retirement 22
and Pension System shall transfer the individual’s service from the Employees’ Retirement 23
System or the Employees’ Pension System to the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System 24
prior to the effective date of retirement, unless the individual elects not to transfer the 25
individual’s service in accordance with subsection (c) of this section. 26

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 27

(a) This section applies to an individual who: 28

(1) is employed in a position affected by this Act on July 1, 2026; and 29

(2) has no creditable service in the Employees’ Pension System before July 30
1, 2008. 31

(b) An individual described in subsection (a) of this section shall have the 32
individual’s service credit from the Employees’ Pension System transferred and combined 33
with the individual’s service in the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System. 34

SENATE BILL 337 11

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That: 1

(a) This section applies to an individual who has service from the Employees’ 2
Retirement System or the Employees’ Pension System transferred into the Correctional 3
Officers’ Retirement System under this Act. 4

(b) If an individual described under subsection (a) of this section is granted an 5
ordinary disability benefit under Title 29, Subtitle 1 of the State Personnel and Pensions 6
Article, the Board of Trustees for the State Retirement and Pension System shall calculate 7
the ordinary disability benefit under §§ 29 –106 and 29 –108 of the State Personne l and 8
Pensions Article and grant the greater benefit to the individual. 9

SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 10
1, 2026. Section 2 of this Act shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and, at the end of 11
June 30, 20 27, Section 2 of this Act, with no further action required by the General 12
Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no further force and effect. 13

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.