House Bill No. 6844, as amended, introduces significant protections for retirees within municipal pension and retirement systems. The bill prohibits municipalities or special taxing districts from diminishing or eliminating any rights or benefits granted to retirees, effective July 1, 2025. Specifically, it prevents reductions in pension benefits due to permanent partial disability received after this date and mandates that temporary total and partial disability benefits be included as wages when calculating pension benefits, with the stipulation that the total does not exceed 100% of the employee's pre-injury wages. Importantly, these changes will not affect existing collective bargaining agreements.

Additionally, the bill requires the Comptroller to study the feasibility of transitioning municipalities that currently lack defined pension plans for police officers and firefighters to a defined pension plan that offers comparable or superior benefits. The findings of this study are to be reported to the General Assembly by January 1, 2027. The bill's provisions are expected to increase costs for municipalities due to the new calculations for pension benefits, particularly with the inclusion of disability benefits, while also clarifying that the Connecticut Municipal Employees Retirement System (CMERS) is exempt from these new provisions.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 7-450c
LAB Joint Favorable: 7-450c
File No. 157: 7-450c
APP Joint Favorable: 7-450c
File No. 955: 7-450c