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Corman's Municipal Police Pension Bill Goes to
Governor
HARRISBURG -- Legislation
written by Sen. Jake Corman (R-34) that boosts municipal police officers'
pension plans by offering length of service increments was unanimously approved
by the state House of Representatives today and now goes to the Governor for his
signature.
Corman's Senate Bill 394 allows police officers
working in townships and boroughs to negotiate with their employer for a pension
increment benefit of up to $500 after 25 years of service. This applies to
municipal police forces that have three or more full-time officers.
Senate Bill 394 provides the same pension
increment provided to police officers currently working in third class cities,
which was approved by the General Assembly in 2002.
“This proposal will allow municipalities,
through the contract negotiation process, to offer higher service increments to
their full-time police officers,” Corman said. “This will help provide a needed
incentive for police officers to continually serve their local municipality.”
State law currently provides that municipal
police departments may establish and pay length of service increments for each
completed year of service in excess of 25 years, not to exceed $100 per month.
Such length of service increments are paid in addition to other monthly pension
or retirement allowances. The maximum amount of these length of service
increments has not been increased since 1973.
Corman emphasized that such provisions would
have to be included in collective bargaining agreements between the municipality
and the police officers.
Corman's legislation has the support of the
Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police, which called it “vital legislation.”
Senate Bill 394 passed in the Senate on December
6, 2005 and unanimously in the House on December 15, 2005.
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