State-by-State Dispatcher Retirement Legislation
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Since about 2000, public safety dispatchers in several states have begun state legislative efforts to recognize the stressful nature of their job by improving retirement benefits for dispatchers. This generally has focused on allowing dispatchers to retire earlier at the same rate of pay. For example, it's common to provide a retiree 2% of their highest salary for each year of service if they retire at 55 years old. In this case, the improved benefits would be to allow a 2% retirement at 50 years old. Because of on-going budget shortages, all of the proposed and passed legislation would be optional at the local level, and would not provide any state-level funding for the increased retirement benefit. Therefore, even an improved retirement law passed by the legislature would face another hurdle--convincing local government officials to actually implement and fund the improved benefit. We began a survey of retirement information below in 2001 and have tried to keep it updated. Check this private Web site for a list of on-line state retirement resources. Help us compile retirement information by e-mail us with information about your state's retirement legislative efforst.
Status codes: planning, introduced, pending, killed/not signed by gov.
Louisiana--For municipal workers: 75% of your base pay at 50 years old and 20 years of service or at 55 years old, whichever is first. You can also scale up to 100% base pay at 30 years service. You are vested at 12 years but can't draw until either 50 or 55 years-old, whichever one you would have been able to do if you had stayed. This is the system for all Louisiana Employees in the State Municipal Police Employees Retirement System (MPERS), which includes dispatchers. For state and workers in larger cities: current retirement benefit is: 100% at 30 years. You are vested at 10 years and can draw at anytime pending that which is earned. A 20-year 100% benefit was researched but due to a low income earned, a 20-year would not be beneficial; it would allow earlier retirement but would drastically limit benefit income. Vermont--The Vermont State Police dispatchers are in the very early stages of making changes to a much antiquated retirement system. Any help appreciated--contact: lmoulton@dps.state.vt.us Washington--If you retire before 65, the payments are reduced actuarially, cutting the retirement check a great deal. The proposed system will affect new employees; employees under the old system will have the option of joining the new retirement system. Arizona--Previously, dispatchers could retire at 66-2/3% when their age and years of service total 80. The new S.B. 1129 Bill passed the state Senate (24 yes, 6 no) on 2-7-2001, then passed by the House (55-0) on 4-24-2001. The bill would have added dispatchers to list of enhanced benefit recipients; reduce minimum years from 25 to 20 years, with benefit of 50% of monthly pay; over 20 years retiree receives 2% per year of service additional, with a maximum of 80%. Gov. Jane Hull had objections, passed the bill in May 3, 2001 but moved the section about dispatchers to pending S.B. 1295, which ended up giving dispatchers 62.5% after 25 years, with 2.5% for every year of service over 25 years. Dispatchers plan another future legislative attempt on a 20-year retirement. Lastly, check their Web page for more information on a 20-year retirement. New York--Signed by Gov. Patki on Oct 21, 2003. This was the fourth attempt to pass an optional 25-year police dispatcher retirement bill--it was killed in committee two years, and pocket-vetoed by the governor in 2002. The bill (A04895) provides an optional 25-year retirement plan for certain communications specialists, public safety dispatchers, public safety telecommunicators and communications officers employed by the state, or a county or municipal 911 departments, and certain public safety dispatchers, public safety telecommunicators, communications officers, police communications technicians and supervisory police technicians employed by the city of New York. 10-28-2003 In 2001, legislation passed to allow FDNY Fire Alarm Dispatchers and Supervisors to retire (55% pension) with 25 years of service (total city time, not only FDNY) with no age limit. To fund the bill, the employee pension contribution was increased to 6% per pay check. California--Gov. Davis signed into law (AB 616) optional legislation to allow local jurisdictions to offer an improved benefit for employees, including public safety dispatchers. Since the bill carries no state funding, it's unclear if any local agencies will enact the improved benefits. Kansas--Kansas Public Employees Retirment System (KPERS). You can retire when you have reached 85 points (age + years of service). Your retirement is based on your last three highest years and you get 1.75 % of that for each year of participation. Alaska-There is a move to introduce legislation during 2003 that would reclassify public safety dispatchers as "public safety" employees instead of "other." This would improve their retirement benefits (see the Web page highlighted in the Alaska listing above). |
