This bill amends Section 36-27-59 of the Code of Alabama 1975, as previously modified by Acts 2023-101 and 2023-533, to extend the ability to purchase hazardous duty time to certain emergency medical services personnel within the Employees' Retirement System of Alabama. This provision is already available to firefighters, law enforcement officers, and correctional officers in both the Employees' Retirement System of Alabama and the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama. The bill includes new definitions and contribution requirements for emergency medical services personnel, aligning them with the existing provisions for other hazardous duty employees.

The bill specifies that emergency medical services personnel employed by a local unit of the Employees' Retirement System, who are certified by the State Board of Health, will now be able to contribute a certain percentage of their earnable compensation to the retirement system to account for hazardous duty time. The contribution rates are set at six percent if their employer has not elected to increase employee contributions, or eight and one-half percent if their employer has chosen to increase contributions as provided by Act 2011-676. The bill also outlines the process for members to receive credit for prior service by paying a specified percentage of their annual earnable compensation for each year of claimed credit. The bill is set to become effective on October 1, 2024, and includes deletions of certain percentages and the word "shall" in the context of definitions, while inserting new clauses and percentages relevant to emergency medical services personnel.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 36-27-59
Engrossed: 36-27-59
Enrolled: 36-27-59