SB1597 • 2026

Modifies provisions relating to working after retirement for certain local governments

Labor

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Carter, Jill; House handler: N/A
Last action: 2026-02-05
Official status: Second Read and Referred S Local Government, Elections and Pensions Committee
Effective date: 2026-08-28

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Modifies provisions relating to working after retirement for certain local governments

The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1597 - Currently, a person who has retired from employment with a political subdivision covered by the Local Government Employees Retirement System ("LAGERS") will have his or her monthly benefit suspended if the person reemploys with the employer who he or she is receiving the benefit from.

What This Bill Does

The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1597 - Currently, a person who has retired from employment with a political subdivision covered by the Local Government Employees Retirement System ("LAGERS") will have his or her monthly benefit suspended if the person reemploys with the employer who he or she is receiving the benefit from.
Upon a year of reemployment, the person would be vested and eligible for an additional monthly benefit upon a second retirement.
This act instead provides that a person may retire and be reemployed without losing his or her retirement benefit if the political subdivision is a city with less than 25,000 inhabitants.
The employee shall not contribute nor earn additional membership service for the period of reemployment.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-05 S310
Second Read and Referred S Local Government, Elections and Pensions Committee
2026-01-28 S252
S First Read

Official Summary Text

The following summaries of this bill are available:

Print All Summaries

Introduced

Print

SB 1597 - Currently, a person who has retired from employment with a political subdivision covered by the Local Government Employees Retirement System ("LAGERS") will have his or her monthly benefit suspended if the person reemploys with the employer who he or she is receiving the benefit from. Upon a year of reemployment, the person would be vested and eligible for an additional monthly benefit upon a second retirement. This act instead provides that a person may retire and be reemployed without losing his or her retirement benefit if the political subdivision is a city with less than 25,000 inhabitants. The employee shall not contribute nor earn additional membership service for the period of reemployment. However, the employer shall contribute to the retirement system for such employee. Additionally, the employer shall compensate the person in accordance with the salary schedule for such political subdivision or at a salary in accordance with the qualifications of such position and approved by the Board of LAGERS. However, the salary of such retiree may be reduced by an amount equal to the percentage of the member contribution rate.
KATIE O'BRIEN

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1597
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR CARTER.
6663S.02I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To repeal section 70.686, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to working
after retirement for employees of certain political subdivisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 70.686, RSMo, is repealed and one new 1
section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 70.686, 2
to read as follows:3
70.686. 1. (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) 1
of this subsection, if a retirant becomes reemployed in a 2
position covered by the system by a political subdivision 3
from which he or she is receiving a retirement allowance, 4
such retirant shall forfeit one monthly benefit allowance 5
for each calendar month in which the retirant renders 6
service in connection with such reemployment. 7
(2) For all fiscal years beginning on or after the 8
July first immediately following compliance with section 9
105.684, but no earlier than July 1, 2027, if a retirant 10
becomes reemployed in a position covered by the system by a 11
political subdivision from which he or she is receiving a 12
retirement allowance and such political subdivision is a 13
city with less than twenty-five thousand inhabitants, the 14
retirant may continue to receive his or her retirement 15
allowance during such period of employment, provided that: 16
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(a) Such retirant shall not contribute to the system 17
for compensation earned during such period of reemployment 18
and shall not earn any additional membership service for 19
such reemployment. The employer's contribution rate for 20
such person shall be paid by the hiring political 21
subdivision into the system; and 22
(b) The employer shall compensate a person hired under 23
the provisions of this subdivision: 24
a. At the salary commensurate with the salary of a 25
person with similar years of experience and level of 26
education on such political subdivision's salary schedule 27
for such position filled by the retiree or comparable 28
position if the position did not exist; or 29
b. If the employer does not utilize a salary schedule 30
or if the position in question is not subject to the 31
employer's salary schedule, then at the salary that the 32
political subdivision set for the position that has been 33
submitted and approved by the board of the system and that 34
is commensurate with the salary of a person with similar 35
years of experience and level of education; 36
without a discontinuance of the person's retirement 37
allowance, provided that such salary may be reduced by an 38
amount equal to the percentage of the member contribution 39
rate for such individual. 40
2. If a retirant becomes employed in a position 41
covered by the system by a political subdivision from which 42
he or she is not receiving a retirement allowance, such 43
retirant shall continue to receive his or her retirement 44
allowance during such period of employment. 45
3. A retirant who becomes employed by any 46
participating political subdivision shall be considered a 47
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reemployed member with contributions due immediately in 48
accordance with sections 70.705, 70.710, and 70.720. Such 49
period of employment shall be for a minimum of one year of 50
continuous membership service before the retirant shall 51
receive any additional allowance. 52
4. Any reemployed member who has one or more years of 53
membership service after reemployment and later retires 54
shall receive an additional allowance calculated to include 55
only the membership service and the average compensation 56
earned by the reemployed member since reemployment, if such 57
employment is less than the period described in section 58
70.656. In either event, the original allowance and the 59
additional allowance, if any, shall become effective after a 60
written application is submitted in accordance with section 61
70.645. 62
5. Notwithstanding any provision of this section to 63
the contrary, if the retirant retired pursuant to section 64
70.680, the provisions of section 70.680 shall apply. 65
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