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H 7254Veterans & Military

Public Officers and Employees - Retirement System - Membership and Service Credits

Allows police and firefighters to purchase state retirement credits for prior service in the National Guard or Reserves.

Held for study
Population
Affected
8
Email Legislator
Introduced Jan 21, 2026Committee House Finance

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends the state retirement system rules to allow specific public employees to purchase additional retirement service credits. Specifically, it permits active members of the retirement system who are police officers or firefighters to buy credit for time served in the National Guard or Reserves. To qualify, the member must be a veteran with an honorable discharge. The bill establishes a ratio where five years of Guard or Reserve service equals one year of creditable retirement service, up to a maximum of four years of credit.

For younger readers

This bill helps police officers and firefighters save for their retirement. Retirement is the time when people get older and stop working. If these workers also served in the National Guard or Reserves—groups that help protect the country—they can use that past service to reach their retirement goals faster. For every five years they spent in the Guard or Reserves, they can add one year to their work record. They have to pay some money to add this time, but it helps them earn better benefits for when they are done working.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Police OfficersFirefightersNational Guard VeteransReserve VeteransState Retirement System Administrators
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
10% of the member’s first year’s earnings

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Strengthens the social safety net and retirement security for public sector workers, ensuring they have adequate support after their service years.
  • Recognizes and rewards the service of National Guard and Reserve members, who often come from working-class backgrounds and provide essential disaster relief and community support.
  • Encourages the retention of experienced personnel in public safety roles by enhancing their long-term benefits package.
  • Expands benefits specifically for police officers, which may be viewed negatively by those advocating for divestment from policing and reallocation of funds to social services.
  • Potentially increases the state's long-term unfunded pension liabilities, which could divert future budget resources away from education, healthcare, or housing programs.
  • Creates a tiered benefit system where specific uniformed professions receive preferential treatment regarding service credit ratios compared to other public servants or teachers.
For Conservatives
  • Demonstrates strong support for veterans, the military, and first responders (police and fire), aligning with values of patriotism and law and order.
  • Requires the individual to purchase the credits using their own funds rather than receiving a free government handout, promoting personal responsibility.
  • May help recruit and retain high-quality candidates for police and fire departments by acknowledging their prior military service.
  • Expands the scope of government obligations and increases the complexity of the state pension system.
  • Risks exposing taxpayers to future financial burdens if the purchase price paid by the employee does not fully cover the actuarial cost of the increased lifetime benefits.
  • Could set a precedent for other public employee unions to demand similar buy-back privileges, further growing government bureaucracy.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 9 additions · 2 deletions

SECTION 1. Section 36-9-31 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-9 entitled "Retirement System — Membership and Service Credits" is hereby amended to read as follows: 36-9-31. Armed service credit.

(a) Any active member of the retirement system, who served on active duty in the armed service of the United States or in the Merchant Marine service of the United States as defined in P.L. 1946, ch. 1721, § 2 may purchase credit for that service up to a maximum of four (4) years provided that he or she has received an honorable discharge. Provided further that any employee on an official leave of absence for illness or injury shall be eligible to purchase military credits as defined herein while on the leave of absence.

(b) Members of the retirement system who are police officers or firefighters, and who served in the national guard or reserves, and qualify as veterans, may purchase creditable service at a ratio of five (5) years of guard or reserve service to one year of creditable service, up to a maximum of four (4) years; provided that, they have received an honorable discharge. Provided further, that any police officer or firefighter on an official leave of absence for illness or injury shall be eligible to purchase military credits as defined in this section while on their leave of absence. (b)(c) The cost to purchase these credits shall be ten percent (10%) of the member’s first year’s earnings as a state employee as defined in chapter 9 of this title, multiplied by the number of years and fraction thereof of the armed service or Merchant Marine service up to a maximum of four (4) years. (c)(d) There will be no interest charge provided the member makes that purchase during his or her first five (5) years of membership in the retirement system, but will be charged regular interest to date of purchase from date of enrollment into membership if purchased after completing five (5) years of membership; provided, however, any member who was in the retirement system prior to July 1, 1980, would not be charged interest whenever he or she purchases the armed services credit.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.