[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6605541,"mediaKeyId","2986138-a114a91951ab0ea3cbde36f5fa12689f","parentId",2986138,"title","Committee hears wide array of retirement and pension bills, from SMART Plan auto-enroll to pension reporting and divestment proposals","audioSeconds",1927,"startMs",218000,"endMs",2145000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2986138-a114a91951ab0ea3cbde36f5fa12689f&start=218&end=2145","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2986138-a114a91951ab0ea3cbde36f5fa12689f/thumbnail_218000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6605541/Massachusetts/Committee-hears-wide-array-of-retirement-and-pension-bills-from-SMART-Plan-auto-enroll-to-pension-reporting-and-divestment-proposals","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605541-78547c98c781dd2003174790b61bd186/orig.mp4?Expires=1770870326&Signature=AQ3g9K~1-BRYnPr6C925msiLF~RtTSLILF7vK2R-E7BdZcVmxtXjJvO6Uv-pEMOBbL6nfvQl~6FZs46A3HDYzO0epMslLsXagaeLhTEfg~ySN1Q1rOAkZKnU5udSqRQvVPP6cIsqUM7MrIr3d6Ua9D-H2rzIgL9xd6LOCjavP4VkYVzQ6fE2Cm5dZAPcxp1MTaBUI-u~tyVkOiCEelAR2grzLYDuvVitthaCDuFi6klvKuvl-TLoUrgiYCiFkigng2sSu8kzdgN-m5J2vqEk1S3Y2YD0kyrFJzzmqW3CTI0CfzFqo45tFEWVIu~iFs-STnimR9GH7OJi9ibOrSLW6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Massachusetts State Legislature","date","2025-04-14T00:00:00Z","article","Lawmakers and retirement-system officials used a Joint Committee on Public Service hearing to present several separate bills aimed at changing retirement benefits, employer rules, reporting and investment policies for state and municipal employees.

Supporters of automatic enrollment testified in favor of expanding the SMART Plan, the state's low-cost deferred compensation program. Senator Lovely, testifying remotely, described the SMART Plan as a \"high quality low cost retirement savings program available to Massachusetts state and municipal employees\" and said auto-enrollment with an opt-out would improve retirement outcomes. Edward Boynton, a Braintree middle-school teacher and president of his local MTA chapter, urged support for House Bill 39, calling automatic enrollment a way to protect educators from high-fee private supplemental plans.

Several agency witnesses described administrative and statutory fixes to existing public-retirement law. Bill Keefe, executive director of the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC), asked for favorable reports on H.22 through H.25 and outlined H.22 as a measure to provide \"statement of financial interest\" (SFI) filing flexibility for retirement board members; among other changes it would allow exemptions for members serving less than 30 days in a calendar year and permit the PERAC commissioner to grant waivers for late filers under extenuating circumstances. Keefe also described H.23, addressing the purchase of credible service and requiring employees of entities that recently joined the state system to buy prior service rather than receive it for free, and H.24, clarifying the definition of wages in chapter 32 to include sick, vacation and personal time going forward.

The Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System (MTRS) executive director, Jonathan Osmo, urged support for House Bill 31, which would impose monetary penalties on employers who are noncompliant with pension data reporting requirements, saying delayed reporting harms members' records and the system's ability to process retirements and refunds. MTRS also asked the committee to consider a study of the costs and benefits of all service-purchase categories under chapter 32 to evaluate whether purchase rules should be standardized to better align member costs with benefit increases.

A separate witness, Matthew Nugent of Beverly, testified in favor of House Bill 49, which would require public pension funds to divest from ammunition and firearms manufacturers. Nugent cited examples from other states and urged the committee to advance the bill on financial and ethical grounds.

What was not decided: No formal votes occurred. Committee chairs asked clarifying questions and thanked witnesses; some committee members asked technical follow-ups (for example, on how regional transit authorities join the state retirement system), but no bills were voted on during the hearing.

Why it matters: The package of bills addresses multiple policy levers — default enrollment, broadened access to deferred compensation, administrative relief for board members, employer reporting enforcement, purchase-of-service costs, and pension investment standards — that collectively could affect retirement security for thousands of public employees and the fiscal health of the Commonwealth's retirement systems.

Next steps: Witnesses said they would submit written testimony on specific bills and are seeking favorable reports; the committee did not set votes during this session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee on Public Service - 4-14-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Lawmakers and retirement-system officials used a Joint Committee on Public Service hearing to present several separate bills aimed at changing retirement benefits, employer rules, reporting and investment policies for state and municipal employees.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MA, Massachusetts","taxId",77682,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6605546,"Regional planning agencies urge lawmakers to block retroactive state retirement payments that could force closures",1255,411000,1666000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2986138-a114a91951ab0ea3cbde36f5fa12689f&start=411&end=1666","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2986138-a114a91951ab0ea3cbde36f5fa12689f/thumbnail_411000.jpg","/articles/6605546/Massachusetts/Regional-planning-agencies-urge-lawmakers-to-block-retroactive-state-retirement-payments-that-could-force-closures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605546-4594a479e5f77b09265c67b4b62b782a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770870326&Signature=DVTYaFIVyyQsaAKUZ8j9mjgkqXLaGP0-a1aFdwDFpT8sItieC2J~yv5b1GHj5fOPzr74bz5xsgG8E13DhJgFm8ygOiYV41itoFomW25xOQBIqMSit6C8sfK5JskP34Ef9taX2H9PEggb-shOjz7YiUNu0wdVEvVp8j6mYNbKNW6wQAggHZjYS3t2t85ZUq-t2iaah9oE2l5xCOWo7GmMWu5w24EzrTZeNo5vAnml0mzn6MRNeEsCOr8xpi1iQIIF9bW2qh1u-EGqSd6XFkB3E9XvCItqSYMjzmSLzUa2W6X6Org-FIChCfLVOosG7ciN~zfMKsyF8uY07CUsvqkuSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Executive directors from Massachusetts regional planning agencies told the Joint Committee on Public Service that a proposed interpretation requiring retroactive employer contributions to the Massachusetts State Retirement Board would create overwhelming costs and risk the agencies’ survival.

\"The payments to the state retirement board would be unsustainable and certainly would lead to large scale layoffs, termination of services to our communities and force many regional planning agencies to shut down,\" Mary Waldron, executive director of the Old Colony Planning Council, said. Waldron said her agency’s annual municipal assessment totals about $160,000 and that regional planning agencies are heavily constrained in their ability to raise new revenue.

Jeff Walker, executive director of the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District and co-chair of the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA), told the committee the agencies were created in the 1960s and have long provided regional planning services to municipalities that lack capacity. \"If suddenly obligated 50 plus years in to pick up those employer contributions,\" Walker said, \"it could require quite a number of us to close our doors and no longer be able to provide the important work on behalf of the communities that we serve.\"

Both Waldron and Walker asked the committee to favorably report legislation filed as Senate 1805 and House 2889, described by witnesses as measures to protect regional planning agencies from retroactive liability to the state retirement board. Waldron and Walker said the agencies rely on a mix of federal, state, foundation and municipal funding and that federal overhead caps limit how much indirect cost recovery they can claim, meaning an employer-contribution mandate could render them ineligible for federal grants.

Why it matters: Regional planning agencies provide transportation, economic development, housing and other technical assistance across dozens of municipalities. Witnesses warned that an unanticipated retroactive funding obligation could reduce regional planning capacity across affected districts and interrupt federally funded work.

What was not decided: The committee did not take a vote. The witnesses urged support for the pending bills; committee members acknowledged the testimony and moved to the next panel.","Executive directors of Massachusetts regional planning agencies told the Joint Committee on Public Service that retroactive employer contributions to the Massachusetts State Retirement Board would be unsustainable and could force layoffs or closures of multiple regional planning agencies.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6605549,"Taunton delegation asks committee to approve home-rule petition to ease police chief transition during move to new public safety facility",131,63000,194000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2986138-a114a91951ab0ea3cbde36f5fa12689f&start=63&end=194","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2986138-a114a91951ab0ea3cbde36f5fa12689f/thumbnail_63000.jpg","/articles/6605549/Massachusetts/Taunton-delegation-asks-committee-to-approve-home-rule-petition-to-ease-police-chief-transition-during-move-to-new-public-safety-facility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6605549-c35b570ab122e1248c8fbd805e1cb105/orig.mp4?Expires=1770870326&Signature=Ipp2xodsgT9ddtRa1kDu~4vysa2QkE91izAFq3niW0btv07JDB8c9FkQwwcua0wl0csJtImUjjI9Z5MSP3Og8k6pkkFqBA95Erql4DH4nkh7o71f-~i4H-RbfaqyXkv-PQeZEWOQBCbeW64M3345-4HdOFU7Thap-kfzvK5F9okVtTwXXWCVFh3w34Me-0pfFzoGfhtLvp~yGhaG6FBUfR-N81c~2YQDDdlLQvo-H0xWOCtIzOR1rTP-Lrb5oA7j16ETTZFwEnha1Mh9VvZPB14oFGDj-aYLdwlc8tingBj2XXppq8-pyBEBrkKebp3Bl6QyHbiJDpVlDv68W2Ed6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","State lawmakers representing Taunton told the Joint Committee on Public Service that a Taunton-filed home-rule petition would smooth a planned transition as the city moves into a new public safety facility and as its longtime police chief approaches mandatory retirement.

\"Just to give a little background, the city of Taunton is in the process of building a new public safety facility,\" said Kelly Dooner, \"and with that transition period is the reason we filed this home rule petition. Just so that Chief Walsh could help with that transition period of everybody moving into the new public safety facility, working with new equipment, new cameras, new 9-1-1 systems, just to be able to keep a smooth transition for the sake of public safety, and the safety of the residents in the city of Taunton.\" Dooner identified herself as the senator for the Third Bristol and Plymouth District and said she previously voted for the petition while serving on the Taunton City Council.

Representative Orr, appearing with Dooner, said the petition mirrors a House filing by the late Representative Carol Doherty and argued the extra time is needed to complete the transition and reforms in the police department. \"We reiterate the fact that this is very important to the city, to be able to carry this transition on. I believe we have till October of 2025, or 2026 before our chief ages out,\" Orr said, adding that the chief has led work on the new facility and reforms including body-worn cameras.

Committee co-chairs did not ask follow-up questions during the witnesses' appearances. The Taunton delegation said the city’s mayor’s office planned to testify later in the hearing.

Why it matters: The petition seeks a local, statutory accommodation during a complex operational transition — including new facilities and communications systems — and is framed as a public-safety measure to avoid gaps or disruption while staff and equipment are moved and integrated.

What was not decided: The committee did not vote on the petition during this hearing; lawmakers asked the committee to consider the filing and indicated additional testimony would follow from the mayor’s office. Details about the petition’s precise text, including whether it would extend service, change retirement timing, or the effective dates, were not presented on the record and therefore are not specified.

Context and next steps: Dooner said she checked with Senate legal counsel and found no conflict of interest for her participation. The delegation asked committee members for a favorable report; committee chairs thanked the witnesses and moved on to subsequent testimony.","State lawmakers representing Taunton urged the Joint Committee on Public Service to favor a Taunton-filed home-rule petition designed to give the city flexibility during the transition into a new public safety facility and to support outgoing Chief Walsh through the move.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears wide array of retirement and pension bills, from SMART Plan auto-enroll to pension reporting and divestment proposals

Regional planning agencies urge lawmakers to block retroactive state retirement payments that could force closures

Taunton delegation asks committee to approve home-rule petition to ease police chief transition during move to new public safety facility