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Read. Follow. Verify.Massachusetts House Bill 19 updates public employee pension forfeiture rules for felony convictions
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
The Massachusetts General Court is considering House Bill 19, which revises and expands pension forfeiture rules for public employees convicted of felonies related to their official positions or employment. The bill establishes clear hearing procedures, specific forfeiture tiers based on years of service and crime severity, rules for salary misreporting, and appeal processes in the superior court.
Public employees convicted of job-related felonies face standardized pension reductions or total loss of retirement benefits, directly impacting their post-employment income and retirement security.
- House Bill 19 originates from recommendations by the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission regarding pension forfeiture 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.
Public employees in Massachusetts
Public employees face potential reduction or total loss of their retirement allowances and membership rights if convicted of certain felony offenses or if they intentionally misreport salary.
Retirement boards and the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission
Boards and the commission are responsible for initiating forfeiture proceedings, holding hearings, making factual findings, determining forfeiture amounts, and submitting calculations for approval.
Key Facts
- Retirement boards or the commission may initiate forfeiture proceedings by sending certified mail to the member, followed by a hearing held between 10 and 90 days after notification.
- Members with 10 or more years of creditable service convicted of a job-related felony face partial or total retirement allowance forfeiture determined by the board.
- For partial forfeitures, a member's allowance may be reduced by one-third, two-thirds, or down to a minimum allowance equivalent to a group 1 employee with 10 years of service at minimum age.
- Members with less than 10 years of creditable service at the time of the offense forfeit all rights to a retirement allowance and receive only a return of accumulated total deductions with zero interest.
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- Boards must consider specific factors when determining forfeiture amounts, including crime severity, financial loss, public trust violation, and prosecuting attorney recommendations.
- Total forfeiture decisions by a board must be consistent with the recommendation of the prosecuting attorney.
- Employers, the attorney general, or district attorneys must immediately notify the retirement board and commission upon becoming aware of a final member conviction.
- Members whose retirement allowances are entirely or partially forfeited must repay all excess benefits received after the date of the offense.
- Retirement allowances cannot be based on salary intentionally concealed from or misreported to the commonwealth or any political subdivision.
- Aggrieved persons may bring a petition in the superior court within 30 days after the certification of the forfeiture decision, reviewed under a de novo standard.
- Restitution for misappropriated employer funds or property may be made using all or a portion of a member's total deductions on account with a retirement system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to a public employee's pension if they are convicted of a felony?
How does years of service affect pension forfeiture under this bill?
Can a member appeal a pension forfeiture decision?
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.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expanded Pension Forfeiture Criteria
The bill broadens pension forfeiture rules to include specific sex offenses involving children or minors where the member had contact through official duties, alongside standard felony convictions related to public office.
Connected Entities
Sources
malegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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