The bill proposes amendments to the Teachers’ Retirement sections of the General Laws, specifically sections 16-16-1 and 16-16-26. It includes a significant change to the definition of "former spouse divorced," expanding it to encompass individuals who were married to the deceased member for at least ten years and were entitled to post-divorce support as per a court order. This change broadens the eligibility for benefits among former spouses of deceased members.

Furthermore, the bill clarifies the conditions under which former spouses divorced are eligible for benefits, stating that they are entitled only if no dependent children, parents, or other spouse or domestic partner are already receiving benefits. It sets the age at which benefits can be received at sixty and notes that remarriage or a new domestic partnership will terminate eligibility for benefits. The bill also includes a table for calculating the monthly minimum benefit based on the deceased member's highest annual salary and provides for an annual cost-of-living adjustment. The proposed changes are intended to take effect immediately upon the bill's passage.