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Read. Follow. Verify.Massachusetts Updates Joint and Survivor Pension Allowances and Death Benefits for State Judges
Last action · December 15, 2025: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
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What This Bill Would Do
Massachusetts bill H.45 updates retirement benefits for judges, allowing retired or resigning judges to elect a reduced lifetime pension that provides a two-thirds survivor allowance to a nominated eligible beneficiary. If the beneficiary dies before the judge, the judge's allowance reverts to a full retirement amount adjusted for actuarial equivalence. The legislation also establishes pre-retirement survivor pension rules and benefit calculations for judges who die while in active service.
Active and retired state judges, along with their designated surviving spouses or family members, face altered pension payout structures and survivor benefit calculation formulas upon a judge's retirement, resignation, or death.
- Bill H.45 originates from recommendations by the Department of the State Treasurer concerning judicial retirement benefits in Massachusetts. 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.
Judges and Justices
Active, retired, or resigning judges have new options and formulas governing their retirement allowances, survivor benefit elections, and pre-retirement death benefit calculations.
Judge Beneficiaries
Spouses, former spouses, children, and parents nominated as beneficiaries are eligible to receive joint and survivor allowances or guardianship distributions upon a judge's death.
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 can be nominated as an eligible beneficiary for a judge's joint and survivor allowance?
What happens to a judge's reduced retirement allowance if the nominated beneficiary dies first?
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- Dec 15, 2025HouseCommitteeBill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
- 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.
Connected Entities
Sources
malegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance50How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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