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HB204 • 2026

Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System; extends membership to emergency dispatchers.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 51.1-212 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System; emergency dispatchers.

Labor
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Cherry
Last action
2026-02-18
Official status
Failed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System; Emergency Dispatchers

This bill adds emergency dispatchers employed by certain agencies to the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System (VaLORS) and sets a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds full-time salaried emergency dispatchers working for specific agencies to VaLORS membership.
  • Specifies that these dispatchers must work for the Department of State Police, Capitol Police, or other agencies whose law-enforcement officers are eligible for VaLORS.
  • Sets a start date of July 1, 2027, for when emergency dispatchers can join VaLORS and earn retirement benefits.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Emergency dispatchers employed by the Department of State Police.
  • Emergency dispatchers working for Capitol Police.
  • Emergency dispatchers at agencies whose law-enforcement officers are eligible for VaLORS.

Terms To Know

Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System (VaLORS)
A retirement system that provides benefits to certain law enforcement and public safety employees in Virginia.
Emergency dispatchers
People who work for emergency services, answering calls and directing help during emergencies.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only applies to service earned on or after July 1, 2027.
  • It does not specify what happens to dispatchers hired before this date.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-18 House

    Left in Committee Appropriations

  2. 2026-01-25 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Virginia Retirement System (HB204)

  3. 2026-01-07 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101759D

  4. 2026-01-07 Appropriations

    Referred to Committee on Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System; emergency dispatchers.
Extends membership in the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System (VaLORS) to emergency dispatchers who are employed by the Department of State Police, Capitol Police, and agencies whose law-enforcement officers are eligible for membership in VaLORS. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027, and provides that such membership applies only to service earned on or after July 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
51.1-212
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
51.1-212
. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
"Employee" means any (i) member
or full-time salaried dispatcher
of the Capitol Police Force as described in §
30-34.2:1
, (ii) campus police officer appointed under the provisions of Article 3 (§
23.1-809
et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 23.1, (iii) conservation police officer in the Department of Wildlife Resources appointed under the provisions of Chapter 2 (§
29.1-200
et seq.) of Title 29.1, (iv) special agent of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority appointed under the provisions of Chapter 1 (§
4.1-100
et seq.) of Title 4.1, (v) law-enforcement officer employed by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission as described in §
9.1-101
, (vi) correctional officer as the term is defined in §
53.1-1
, and including correctional officers employed at a juvenile correction facility as the term is defined in §
66-25.3
, (vii) parole officer appointed pursuant to §
53.1-143
, (viii) commercial vehicle enforcement officer
or full-time salaried dispatcher
employed by the Department of State Police, (ix) full-time firefighter employed by the Department of Military Affairs,
and
(x) conservation officer of the Department of Conservation and Recreation appointed under the provisions of Article 4 (§
10.1-115
et seq.) of Chapter 1 of Title 10.1
, and (xi) full-time salaried dispatcher for a public safety answering point, as defined in §
56-484.12
, who is employed by an agency described in clauses (ii) through (vii) or clause (ix) of this definition
.
"Member" means any person included in the membership of the Retirement System as provided in this chapter.
"Normal retirement date" means a member's sixtieth birthday.
"Retirement System" means the Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System.
2. That the provisions of this act shall become effective on July 1, 2027.
3. That the provisions of this act providing enhanced retirement benefits to positions as full-time salaried dispatchers for a public safety answering point, the Department of State Police, or the Capitol Police Force shall apply only to service earned as a full-time salaried dispatcher for a public safety answering point, the Department of State Police, or the Capitol Police Force on or after July 1, 2027.