Tennessee House Bill HB1910

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/22/26
• Refer: 2/4/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 7 and Title 8, relative to retirement benefits for state public safety officers.

Impact

This legislation seeks to address the retirement needs of state troopers by providing enhanced benefits compared to existing legacy and hybrid retirement plans. The bill stipulates that electing officers will contribute a percentage of their compensation to the STAR plan and benefits will be structured to provide a monthly retirement benefit based on the average final compensation (AFC). With provisions for no minimum retirement age after 25 years of service, this plan is designed to retain experienced officers while ensuring financial security in retirement for those who choose to participate.

Summary

House Bill 1910, known as the Supporting Troopers through Advanced Retirement (STAR) Act, aims to enhance retirement benefits for state public safety officers, particularly state troopers. The bill introduces a new defined benefit retirement plan that allows eligible state troopers to elect participation in this new plan upon meeting certain conditions. Specifically, it outlines the eligibility criteria, contribution requirements, and the structure of retirement benefits for those who opt into the STAR plan beginning from July 1, 2026. Current members of the retirement system can become 'electing officers' by notifying the board of trustees, while new hires after this date will automatically be enrolled in the plan.

Contention

There may be potential points of contention related to the transition from the existing legacy and hybrid plans to the STAR plan, especially concerning the buy-in requirement for state troopers switching from the legacy plan. Additionally, the stipulations regarding the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP), which allows officers to continue working while deferring their retirement benefits, could spark debates about eligibility, contributions, and overall impact on service quality. As these changes roll out, stakeholders might raise concerns about adequacy, equity, and implementation challenges associated with the new system.