Senate Bill 35 proposes amendments to the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) regulations concerning law enforcement and firefighter annuitants who are rehired by participating employers. Currently, individuals receiving a retirement or disability annuity from the WRS must suspend their annuity if they are hired by a WRS-participating employer and are expected to work at least two-thirds of full-time employment. The bill introduces an exception for retired law enforcement officers and firefighters, allowing them to return to work without suspending their annuity, provided they do not have a prior agreement to return to work at the time of their retirement and choose not to become a participating employee upon rehire.

The bill includes several amendments to existing statutes, specifically adding new provisions under section 40.26 (7) that outline the conditions under which the suspension of annuity payments does not apply. Key conditions include the requirement that the annuitant must have been a retired law enforcement officer or firefighter, must not have an agreement to return to work at the time of retirement, and must elect not to become a participating employee upon rehire. The amendments also clarify the definitions and eligibility criteria for participating employees within the WRS, ensuring that the new provisions are consistent with existing laws.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 40.22(1), 40.22, 40.22(2m)(intro.), 40.22(2r)(intro.), 40.22(3)(intro.)