Maryland HB 298: State Police Retirement System and Law Enforcement Officers' Pension System - Deferred Retirement Option Program - Alterations

Bill Text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0298*

HOUSE BILL 298
P6 3lr2019
HB 1422/22 – HRU CF SB 139
By: Delegate Bridges
Introduced and read first time: January 25, 2023
Assigned to: Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 26, 2023

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

State Police Retirement System and Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System 2
– Deferred Retirement Option Program – Alterations 3

FOR the purpose of increasing the maximum number of years of eligibility service that 4
certain members of the State Police Retirement System or Law Enforcement Officers’ 5
Pension System may have to participate in the Deferred Retirement Option Program 6
(DROP); increasing the number of years that certain members of the State Police 7
Retirement System or Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System may participate 8
in the DROP; authorizing certain individuals, subject to certain limitations and 9
requirements, to elect to extend their participation in the DROP; and generally 10
relating to certain members of the State Police Retirement System or Law 11
Enforcement Officers’ Pension System and the Deferred Retirement Option 12
Program. 13

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 15
Section 24–401.1(a), (b), and (e) and 26–401.1(a), (b), and (e) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2015 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 18

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 20
Section 24–401.1(c) and (d) and 26–401.1(c) and (d) 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2015 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 23

2 HOUSE BILL 298

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2

Article – State Personnel and Pensions 3

24–401.1. 4

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 5

(2) “DROP” means the Deferred Retirement Option Program established 6
under this section. 7

(3) “DROP member” means a member of the State Police Retirement 8
System who: 9

(i) is eligible to participate in the DROP as provided in subsection 10
(c) of this section; and 11

(ii) elects to participate in the DROP as provided in subsection (e) of 12
this section. 13

(b) There is a DROP for eligible members of the State Police Retirement System. 14

(c) (1) (i) This paragraph applies to an individual who is a member of the 15
State Police Retirement System on or before June 30, 2011. 16

(ii) Except for the Secretary of State Police, a member of the State 17
Police Retirement System is eligible to participate in the DROP if the member: 18

1. has at least 22 and less than [30] 32 years of eligibility 19
service; and 20

2. is less than 60 years old. 21

(iii) The Secretary of State Police is eligible to participate in the 22
DROP if the Secretary has at least 22 years of eligibility service. 23

(2) (i) This paragraph applies to an individual who becomes a member 24
of the State Police Retirement System on or after July 1, 2011. 25

(ii) Except for the Secretary of State Police, a member of the State 26
Police Retirement System is eligible to participate in the DROP if the member: 27

1. has at least 25 years and less than [30] 32 years of 28
eligibility service; and 29

HOUSE BILL 298 3

2. is less than 60 years old. 1

(iii) The Secretary of State Police is eligible to participate in the 2
DROP if the Secretary has at least 25 years of eligibility service. 3

(d) An eligible member may elect to participate in the DROP for a period not to 4
exceed the lesser of: 5

(1) [5] 7 years; 6

(2) the difference between [30] 32 years and the member’s eligibility 7
service as of the date of the member’s election to participate in the DROP and retire from 8
the State Police Retirement System; 9

(3) the difference between age 60 and the member’s age as of the date of 10
the member’s election to participate in the DROP and retire from the State Police 11
Retirement System; or 12

(4) a term selected by the member. 13

(e) (1) An eligible member who elects to participate in the DROP shall: 14

(i) complete and submit a written election form to the Board of 15
Trustees, on the form that the Board of Trustees provides, stating: 16

1. the member’s intention to participate in the DROP; 17

2. the date when the member desires to retire; 18

3. the period that the member desires to participate in the 19
DROP, as provided in subsection (d) of this section; 20

4. the date when the member intends to terminate 21
employment with the Maryland State Police in the form of a binding letter of resignation 22
accepted by the Secretary of State Police or the Secretary’s designee; and 23

5. any other information required by the Bo