The bill amends Chapter 16-16 of the General Laws regarding teachers' retirement by introducing a new section, 16-16-24.3, which allows retired teachers to exceed the current ninety-day cap on post-retirement employment, permitting them to work up to one hundred eighty days in a school year. This provision is contingent upon a local education authority (LEA) determining a specialized need for temporary positions that can be filled by retired teachers, provided that the LEA has made a good-faith effort to fill the positions with non-retired employees. Additionally, the LEA must notify the state retirement board and the bargaining agents of the total number of certified teacher positions, including the number of positions filled and the number of positions they are seeking to fill, with a limit set at five percent of the total certified positions.

Furthermore, the bill stipulates that retired teachers employed under this provision will not earn additional service credits or be responsible for pension contributions, although the LEA will make employer contributions as if hiring a new teacher. The bill also maintains a ninety-day cap on post-retirement employment for the first year after a teacher's retirement, after which they can take advantage of the extended employment provisions. The new regulations will be retroactive to June 20, 2025, and will sunset one year from enactment or on August 1, 2026, whichever occurs first.

Statutes affected:
1048: 16-16-24.2