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Read. Follow. Verify.Massachusetts House Bill 41 Authorizes Automatic Retirement Plan Enrollment for New State and Local Employees
Last action · March 9, 2026: Accompanied a study order, see H5193
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What This Bill Would Do
Massachusetts House Bill 41 permits the state treasurer and local governmental bodies to establish an automatic enrollment feature in their s for new employees hired on or after June 1, 2024. The measure exempts this automatic enrollment from state laws requiring employee authorization for payroll deductions, establishes annual contribution increases, provides a 90-day opt-out window with a full refund, and allows the state treasurer to seek private donations or grants to reduce plan operating expenses.
New state and municipal employees hired after June 1, 2024, will be automatically enrolled in public deferred compensation retirement plans unless they actively opt out within 90 days, overriding prior state wage laws that prohibited payroll deductions without advance employee authorization.
- The Massachusetts State Treasurer oversees state financial operations, including public employee retirement and deferred compensation programs. context
- This bill originates from recommendations made by the Department of the State Treasurer regarding retirement savings access. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
New commonwealth and local government employees
New employees hired on or after June 1, 2024, are subject to automatic enrollment in deferred compensation retirement programs with annual contribution increases unless they opt out within 90 days.
State Treasurer and municipal chief financial officers
State and local financial officials are authorized to establish automatic enrollment features, manage default investment options, and seek private grants or donations to reduce plan operating expenses.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is affected by the automatic retirement plan enrollment?
Can an employee opt out of the automatic retirement plan enrollment?
Does automatic enrollment require employee permission under state wage laws?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
4 actions- Mar 9, 2026HouseAccompanied a study order, see H5193
- Apr 9, 2025JointHearing scheduled for 04/14/2025 from 01:00 PM-04:00 PM in A-1
- Feb 27, 2025SenateSenate concurred
- Feb 27, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to the committee on Public Service
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Exception to Massachusetts Wage Act
The bill establishes a formal statutory exception to existing state wage laws that previously mandated advance employee authorization for any payroll deduction.
Connected Entities
Sources
malegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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