Legislation would give over 6,500 educators until mid-2027 to join RetirementPlus
(BOSTON—6/4/2026) The Massachusetts Senate today unanimously passed legislation to allow longtime public school teachers the opportunity to buy into an enhanced savings program if they missed out when the program was first launched a quarter century ago. Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) voted in favor of the measure, which passed unanimously on a roll call vote.
An estimated 6,500 to 8,500 current teachers in Massachusetts have been unable to participate in the RetirementPlus pension program because they missed the window to opt into the plan in 2001.
The bill—S.3109, An Act relative to benefits for teachers—would provide another one-time opportunity to that group of longtime educators and give them until mid-2027 to choose whether they would like to join RetirementPlus.
“Our educators should not be unduly withheld from retirement benefits as a result of unclear guidance 25 years ago,” said Senator Friedman, Chair of the Senate Committee on Steering and Policy. “This bill allows educators who were otherwise eligible in 2001 for RetirementPlus to catch up by paying into the system and unlocking an earlier retirement date than if this bill was not passed. I heard loud and clear how important this is to the educators in my district-—this is a win not only for them, but for the many thousands of teachers statewide who have dedicated a lifetime of service to the growth of student achievement.”
Teachers who join RetirementPlus through this new opportunity would pay into the program as if they had joined at the outset, which would include interest payments, to ensure both fiscal stability and fairness for teachers and retirees who have been participating throughout the past 25 years.
Full details of the legislation are available in a fact sheet in the Senate’s press room.
The Senate Committee on Ways and Means reported the bill to the floor with a bipartisan 17-0 vote on June 3, 2026. A previous version of the bill was engrossed by the House of Representatives.
The Senate passage today sends the bill to the House of Representatives for further review.
###