AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- OPTIONAL RETIREMENT FOR MEMBERS OF POLICE FORCE AND FIREFIGHTERS (Authorizes an annual two and one-half percent (2.5%) escalation for all active and retired police and firefighter's retirement pension allowance, compounded each year on January 1 following the year of retirement and continuing yearly, on that date.)

H7443

2026 -- H 7443
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LC003865
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- OPTIONAL RETIREMENT FOR MEMBERS OF
POLICE FORCE AND FIREFIGHTERS

Introduced By:
Representatives O'Brien, Read, Furtado, Noret, Messier, Azzinaro,
Corvese, McNamara, Hull, and Biah

Date Introduced:
January 30, 2026

Referred To:
House Municipal Government & Housing
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 45-21.2-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-21.2 entitled "Optional
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Retirement for Members of Police Force and Firefighters" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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45-21.2-5. Retirement on service allowance.
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(a) Retirement of a member on a service retirement allowance for members eligible to retire
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on or before June 30, 2012, shall be made, subject to paragraph (a)(11) below, by the retirement
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board as follows:
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(1) Any member who has attained or attains age seventy (70) shall be retired as stated in §
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45-21-16 subject to the discretions contained in that section; provided, that any member who is a
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member of the Woonsocket fire department who has attained or attains an age of sixty-five (65)
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years shall be retired. Retirement occurs on the first day of the next succeeding calendar month in
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which the member has attained the age of sixty-five (65) years.
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(2) Any member may retire pursuant to this subdivision upon written application to the
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board stating at what time the member desires to retire; provided, that the member at the specified
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time for retirement has attained an age of fifty-five (55) years and has completed at least ten (10)
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years of total service, and notwithstanding that the member may have separated from service.
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(3) Any member may retire pursuant to this subdivision upon written application to the
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board stating at what time the member desires to retire; provided, that the member at the specified
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time for retirement has completed at least twenty-five (25) years of total service, and

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notwithstanding that the member may have separated from service.
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(4) Any member may retire pursuant to this subdivision upon written application to the
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board stating at what time the member desires to retire; provided, that the member at the specified
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time for retirement has attained an age of fifty (50) years and has completed at least twenty (20)
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years of total service, notwithstanding that the member may have separated from service; provided,
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that the service retirement allowance, as determined according to the formula provided in § 45-
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21.2-6, is reduced one-half of one percent (1/2%) for each month that the age of the member is less
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than fifty-five (55) years.
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(5) Any member of the South Kingstown police department may retire pursuant to this
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subdivision upon written application to the board stating at what time the member desires to retire;
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provided, that the member at the specified time for retirement has earned a service retirement
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allowance of fifty percent (50%) of final compensation pursuant to § 45-21.2-6.1.
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(6) Any member of the Johnston police department may retire pursuant to this subdivision
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upon written application to the board stating at what time the member desires to retire; provided,
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that the member at the specified time for retirement has earned a service retirement allowance of
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fifty percent (50%) of final compensation pursuant to § 45-21.2-6.2.
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(7) Any member of the Cranston fire department hired after July 1, 1995, or any member
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of the Cranston fire department with five (5) years or less of service effective July 1, 1995, may
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retire pursuant to this subdivision upon written application to the board stating at what time the
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member desires to retire; provided, that the member at the specified time for retirement has earned
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a service retirement allowance of fifty percent (50%) of final compensation for at least twenty (20)
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years service; final compensation for Cranston fire department members is based on the
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compensation components of weekly salary, longevity and holidays with longevity of the members
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highest year of earnings and members shall receive a three percent (3%) escalation of their pension
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payment compounded each year on January 1st following the year of retirement and continuing on
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an annual basis on that date; further, any illness or injury not covered in title 45 relating to the
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presumption of disability is governed by the collective bargaining agreement between the City of
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Cranston and members of the Cranston fire department.
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(8) Any member of the Cranston police department hired after July 1, 1995, or any member
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of the Cranston police department with five (5) years or less of service effective July 1, 1995, may
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retire pursuant to this subdivision upon written application to the board stating at what time the
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member desires to retire; provided, that the member at the specified time for retirement has earned
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a service retirement allowance of fifty percent (50%) of final compensation for at least twenty (20)
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years service; final compensation for Cranston police department members is based on the

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compensation components of weekly salary, longevity and holidays with longevity of the members
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highest year of earnings and members shall receive a three percent (3%) escalation of their pension
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payment compounded each year on January 1st following the year of retirement and continuing on
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an annual basis on that date; further, any illness or injury not covered in title 45 relating to the
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presumption of disability is governed by the collective bargaining agreement between the City of
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Cranston and members of the Cranston police department.
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(9) Any member of the Hopkinton police department may retire pursuant to this subdivision
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upon written application to the board stating at what time the member desires to retire; provided,
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that the member at the specified time for retirement has earned a service retirement allowance of
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fifty percent (50%) of final compensation for at least twenty (20) years service; final compensation
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for Hopkinton police department members is based on the compensation components of weekly
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salary, longevity and holidays with longevity of the members highest year of earnings and members
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shall receive a three percent (3%) escalation of their pension payment compounded each year on
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January 1st following the year of retirement and continuing on an annual basis on that date.
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(10) Any member of the Richmond police department may retire pursuant to this
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subdivision upon written application to the board stating at what time the member desires to retire;
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provided, that the member at the specified time for retirement has earned a service retirement
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allowance of fifty percent (50%) of final compensation for at least twenty-two (22) years’ service
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pursuant to § 45-21.2-6.3.
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(11) Notwithstanding any provision in this section to the contrary, for any service on or
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after July 1, 2012, final compensation shall be defined in accordance with § 45-21.2-2
, and no
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benefit adjustments shall be provided except as set forth in § 45-21-52(c)
.
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(12) Notwithstanding any provision in this section or in § 45-21-52(c) or (d), active and
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retired members, and the beneficiaries receiving any retirement allowance or benefit of any kind,
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shall also receive a two and one-half percent (2.5%) escalation of their pension payment,
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compounded each year on January 1 following the year of retirement and continuing on an annual
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basis thereafter on that date.
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(12)
(13)
Notwithstanding any provisions of this section to the contrary, with respect to
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police officers employed by the town of Johnston, only those police officers hired on or after July
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1, 2010, shall be eligible to be members of the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System of the
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state of Rhode Island in accordance with this chapter.
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(b) Retirement of a member on a service retirement allowance eligible to retire on and after
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July 1, 2012, shall be made by the retirement board as follows:
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(1) Any member may retire pursuant to this subdivision upon written application to the

LC003865 - Page 3 of 6
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board stating at what time the member desires to retire; provided, that the member at the specified
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time for retirement attained the age of at least fifty-five (55) years and has completed at least
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twenty-five (25) years of total service, and notwithstanding that the member may have separated
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from service; or
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(2) Effective July 1, 2015, the member makes contributions to the plan effective July 1,
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2015, in accordance with § 45-21.2-14, and (i) The member at the specified time for retirement
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attained the age of at least fifty (50) years and has completed at least twenty-five (25) years of total
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service; or (ii) The member has completed at least twenty-seven (27) years of total service
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regardless of the member’s attained age, and notwithstanding that the member may have separated
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from service.
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(3) Any member with contributory service on or after July 1, 2012, who has completed at
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least five (5) years of contributory service but who has not completed twenty-five (25) years of
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service, shall be eligible to retire upon the attainment of the member’s Social Security retirement
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age.
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(4) If a member had ten (10) or more years of contributory service and attained age forty-
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five (45) prior to July 1, 2012, and would have been eligible to retire at or prior to age fifty-two
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(52) in accordance with the rules in effect prior to July 1, 2012, the member may retire upon
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attainment of age fifty-two (52).
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(5) Effective July 1, 2015, a member who has completed twenty (20) or more years of total
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service who has attained an age within five (5) years of the eligible retirement age under
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subparagraphs (b)(1) or (b)(2) or (b)(3) or (b)(4) above, may elect to retire provided that the
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retirement allowance shall be reduced actuarially for each month that the age of the member is less
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than the eligible retirement age under subparagraphs (b)(1) or (b)(2) or (b)(3) or (b)(4) above in
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accordance with the following table:
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Year Preceding Retirement Cumulative Annual Reduction Cumulative Monthly
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Reduction
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For Year 1 9% .75%
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For Year 2 8% .667%
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For Year 3 7% .583%
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For Year 4 7% .583%
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For Year 5 7% .583%
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(6) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, a member on June 30, 2012, may
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elect to retire at his or her eligible retirement date as determined under the rules in effect on June
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30, 2012, provided that a member making an election under this paragraph shall receive the

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member’s retirement benefit determined and calculated based on the member’s service and final
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compensation as of June 30, 2012. This provision shall be interpreted and administered in a manner
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to protect a member’s accrued benefit on June 30, 2012.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- OPTIONAL RETIREMENT FOR MEMBERS OF
POLICE FORCE AND FIREFIGHTERS
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This act would authorize an annual two and one-half percent (2.5%) escalation for all active
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and retired police and firefighter's retirement pension allowance, compounded each year on January
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1 following the year of retirement and continuing yearly, on that date.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC003865
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