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H4361 • 2025

An Act relative to benefits for teachers

An Act relative to benefits for teachers

Education Labor
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Ways and Means (H)
Last action
2026-06-08
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide specific details on how many teachers will be affected by reinstatement opportunities.

Benefits for Teachers Act

This bill modifies rules about retirement benefits for teachers in Massachusetts, ensuring they can remain in their current system if they move to work at certain state agencies.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends the definition of 'Teacher' to include individuals who worked as teachers and are now employed by the executive office of education or the department of elementary and secondary education, allowing them to retain teacher status and benefits.
  • Requires that a teacher moving to work at the executive office of education or the department of elementary and secondary education remains in their current retirement system.
  • Specifies that employees switching from state employee retirement systems to teachers' retirement systems do not have an interruption in service and must make up missed contributions.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Teachers who are currently working or have worked in Massachusetts and may change jobs within state agencies.
  • Employees moving between different state retirement systems, such as from the state employees' system to the teachers' system.

Terms To Know

Superannuation
A benefit or pension plan for retired public workers.
Reinstatement
The process of bringing someone back into a previous position or status, like joining a retirement system again after leaving it.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is not clear how many teachers will be affected by the new opportunities for superannuation benefit programs.
  • The bill does not specify when these changes would take effect.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-08 House

    Referred to the committee on Bills in the Third Reading

  2. 2026-06-04 Senate

    Committee recommended ought to pass with an amendments by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in place thereof the text of S3109 ; and by inserting before the enacting clause an emergence preamble

  3. 2026-06-04 Senate

    Also based on S1884

  4. 2026-06-04 Senate

    Rules suspended

  5. 2026-06-04 Senate

    Read second

  6. 2026-06-04 Senate

    Amended by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in place thereof the text of S3109 ; and by inserting before the enacting clause an emergence preamble

  7. 2026-06-04 Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  8. 2026-06-04 Senate

    Read third

  9. 2026-06-04 Senate

    Passed to be engrossed -see Roll Call #187 (Yeas 39 to Nays 0)

  10. 2025-08-04 Senate

    Read; and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means

  11. 2025-07-30 House

    Reported from the committee on House Ways and Means

  12. 2025-07-30 House

    Pending new draft of H2932

  13. 2025-07-30 House

    New draft of H2932

  14. 2025-07-30 House

    Ordered to a third reading

  15. 2025-07-30 House

    Rules supended

  16. 2025-07-30 House

    Read third

  17. 2025-07-30 House

    Passed to be engrossed - 158 YEAS to 0 NAYS ( See YEA and NAY No. 67 )

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to benefits for teachers
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill H.4361

SECTION 1. The definition of “Teacher” in section 1 of chapter 32 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following sentence:- Any person who served in a position described above who is vested in the teacher’s retirement system or the Boston retirement system and is subsequently employed by the executive office of education or the department of elementary and secondary education shall retain the status of teacher and be considered as remaining in service in that capacity.

SECTION 2. Paragraph (a) of subdivision (8) of section 3 of said chapter 32, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following sentence:- A teacher who becomes employed at the executive office of education or the department of elementary and secondary education shall remain in the teacher’s retirement system or the Boston retirement system.

SECTION 3. Said subdivision (8) of said section 3 of said chapter 32, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by adding the following 2 paragraphs:-

(e) An employee of the executive office of education or the department of elementary and secondary education who is a member of the state employees’ retirement system and who is reinstated in the teachers’ retirement system or the Boston retirement system pursuant to paragraph (a) shall not be deemed to have had an interruption of membership or service. Upon reinstatement, the member shall pay into the annuity savings fund of the teachers’ retirement system or the Boston retirement system in 1 sum, or in installments as the board may prescribe, makeup payments equal to the difference between the contributions paid to the state employees retirement system and the required contributions of the teachers’ retirement system or the Boston retirement system on all regular compensation received during the period of membership in the state employees’ retirement system.

(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter or any other general or special law to the contrary, a member who is reinstated in the teachers’ retirement system or the Boston retirement system pursuant to paragraph (a) shall be entered into the state employees’ retirement system as a group 1 state employee upon retirement.

SECTION 4. (a) Notwithstanding paragraph (i) of subdivision (4) of section 5 of chapter 32 of the General Laws, an active or inactive member of the teachers’ retirement system or the Boston retirement system who: (i) is a teacher or school nurse; (ii) became eligible for membership in the teachers’ retirement system before July 1, 2001; (iii) began contributing to the teachers’ retirement system before July 1, 2001; and (iv) did not provide a written election to participate in the alternative superannuation retirement benefit program provided under said subdivision (4) to the teachers’ retirement system or the Boston retirement system before July 1, 2001 or at any other time prior to September 1, 2025 or declined to participate in the alternative superannuation retirement benefit program before July 1, 2001 or at any other time prior to September 1, 2025, shall have a new 1-time opportunity to elect to participate in the alternative superannuation retirement benefit program. A member entitled to make an election under this section shall have 180 days from the effective date of this act to make such election.

(b) A member who participates in the alternative superannuation retirement benefit program under this section shall make contributions at the rate of 11 per cent pursuant to section 22 of chapter 32 of the General Laws and may be required to provide make-up contributions at the rate of 11 per cent, upon such terms and conditions as the relevant retirement system may require, from the date that such member established membership in the teachers’ retirement system or the Boston retirement system.

(c) The teachers’ retirement system and the Boston retirement system shall notify eligible active or inactive members of the teachers’ retirement system and the Boston retirement system and shall provide information to school districts concerning the 1-time opportunity pursuant to subsection (a); provided, that the teachers’ retirement system and the Boston retirement system shall provide sufficient information pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) not later than 90 days after the effective date of this act.

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