House votes to protect educator's retirement

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 30, 2025

House Votes to Protect Educator’s Retirement Benefits

BOSTON, MA – On Wednesday, the Massachusetts House of Representative passed bill H.4361, An Act Relative to Benefits for Teachers. After failing to pass during the last three sessions, a new draft of the bill passed 158-0.

H.4361 protects retirement benefits for educators who move to work for the Executive Office of Education (EOE) or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). When teachers move to these agencies, they are typically taken off the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) and put into the State Employees' Retirement System (SERS). H.4361 stops this shift, keeping teachers on their original retirement plan. 

The change that this bill makes applies to teachers who are vested in the Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System, or in the Boston Retirement System, and are subsequently employed by EOE or DESE. Employees of EOE or DESE who are members of the state employees’ retirement system, and who are reinstated in the Teachers Retirement System or the Boston Retirement System because of the passage of this bill, would not be deemed to have had an interruption of membership or service. Upon reinstatement, the member must pay into the annuity savings fund of the Teachers Retirement System or the Boston Retirement System. The bill also mandates that a reinstated member be entered into the state employees’ retirement system as a Group 1 state employee upon retirement. The bill passed today also establishes a new one-time opportunity to elect to participate in the alternative superannuation retirement benefit program for active or inactive members of the Teachers Retirement System who: are a teacher or school nurse; became eligible for membership before July 1, 2001; began contributing to the Teachers Retirement System before July 1, 2001; and did not provide a written election to participate or held a good faith belief that they elected to participate in the alternative superannuation retirement benefit program to the Teachers Retirement System before July 1, 2001 nor at any other time prior to September 1, 2025.

“As a former public school teacher, I know the incredible impact that teachers can have on our students’ lives, and the value that they can bring to administrative positions given their experience as educators. That’s why it’s so important that we ensure that former teachers who choose to serve in administrative roles at EOE and DESE remain in the Teachers Retirement System, ensuring that they do not experience an interruption in their membership or service,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I

want to thank Leader Peisch, Chairman Ryan, and Representative Consalvo for their work on this issue, as well as all my colleagues in the House for recognizing the importance of these reforms.”

“I’m incredibly proud and relieved to see this bill passed. It’s a long-overdue and much-needed step that will provide real support to educators who were unintentionally impacted by this confusion. Our teachers and school nurses deserve more than our gratitude—they deserve the full benefits they’ve earned. This measure helps ensure just that,” said Representative Arriaga (D-Chicopee).

The bill was sponsored by 105 state representatives, as well as the House Ways and Means Committee. Having been passed in the House of Representatives, the bill now moves to the Senate to be voted on.