---
title: HB 337. State Law Enforcement Officer Plan' or 'SLEO Plan'; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb337
cite_as: HB 337, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb337
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb337.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb337/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70067
date: 2025-02-11
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb337.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 337
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-06
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- John Carson
- Bill Hitchens
- Alan Powell
- Eddie Lumsden
- Martin Momtahan
- Lauren McDonald
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB337/2025
upstream_id: 1961026
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- law enforcement retirement
- state pensions
- public safety officers
- Employees' Retirement System of Georgia
---
# HB 337. State Law Enforcement Officer Plan' or 'SLEO Plan'; enact
## Text
House Bill 337
By: Representatives Carson of the 46th, Hitchens of the 161st, Powell of the 33rd, Lumsden
of the 12th, Momtahan of the 17th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 2 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, so as to establish the State Law Enforcement
Officer Plan to offer enhanced benefits for electing state law enforcement officers; to provide
for irrevocable elections; to provide for conditions and limitations; to provide for deferred
retirement option program accounts; to provide for definitions; to provide a short title; to
provide for related matters; to provide conditions for an effective date and automatic repeal;
to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 2 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Employees'
Retirement System of Georgia, is amended in Code Section 47-2-1, relating to definitions,
by revising paragraph (37) and by adding a new paragraph to read as follows:
"(37) 'State law enforcement officer' means any member employed by the:
(A) Uniform Division of the Department of Public Safety as an officer, a
noncommissioned officer, or a trooper;
(B) Georgia Bureau of Investigation as an officer or agent;
(C) Department of Natural Resources as a game warden;
(D) Department of Revenue as an alcohol and tobacco officer or agent or as an officer
or agent of the Special Investigations Unit;
(E) Motor Carrier Compliance Division as a sworn law enforcement officer; or
(F) Capitol Police Division of the Department of Public Safety as a sworn law
enforcement officer.
(38) 'Within one year after discharge from the armed forces' means within one year after
the termination of the member's active service in the military or naval forces of the
United States and shall not include any military reserve or naval reserve service."
SECTION 2.
Said chapter is further amended by adding a new article to read as follows:
"ARTICLE 11
47-2-400.
This article shall be known and may be cited as the 'State Law Enforcement Officer Plan'
or 'SLEO Plan.'
47-2-401.
(a) As used in this article, the term 'electing officer' means a state law enforcement officer
who, on or after July 1, 2026, is a contributing member of this retirement system and makes
an irrevocable election to participate in the SLEO Plan in lieu of any other retirement
system, plan, or program established under this chapter.
(b) Each eligible state law enforcement officer shall become an electing officer if he or she
notifies the board of trustees in writing of such irrevocable election within 90 days of
becoming a state law enforcement officer or July 1, 2026, whichever is later.
(c) No person who did not make a valid election pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code
section shall be eligible for the enhanced benefits plan provided for in this article.
(d) In no event shall an electing officer be eligible to retire under this article at any point
prior to July 1, 2031. If such an officer seeks to retire before July 1, 2031, he or she shall
not be entitled to any of the enhanced benefits provided in this article, and the retirement
system shall treat such officer as if he or she had not made the irrevocable election under
this Code section.
47-2-402.
Each electing officer shall be entitled to all of the same benefits provided otherwise for
similarly situated members of this retirement system, except that:
(1) Each electing officer shall contribute 5 percent of his or her earnable compensation
to the retirement system;
(2) Each electing officer shall be eligible for retirement benefits to be determined in
accordance with the following schedule:
(A) An electing officer shall receive a monthly retirement benefit equal to 10 percent
of his or her average final compensation if he or she earns ten years of creditable
service;
(B) For each of the years of creditable service from year 11 through year 15, an
electing officer shall receive a monthly retirement benefit equal to 3 percent of his or
her average final compensation;
(C) For each of the years of creditable service from year 16 through year 20, an
electing officer shall receive a monthly retirement benefit equal to 5 percent of his or
her average final compensation; and
(D) For each of the years of creditable service from year 21 through year 25, an
electing officer shall receive a monthly retirement benefit equal to 6 percent of his or
her average final compensation; and
(3)(A) After an electing officer obtains 25 years of creditable service in the SLEO
Plan, his or her contributions pursuant to paragraph (1) of this Code section shall cease,
and such officer's retirement benefit amount shall be calculated based upon his or her
average final compensation at such time.
(B) On and after the date on which an electing officer's contributions cease pursuant
to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, if the officer does not elect to retire under the
plan, his or her monthly retirement benefits shall be paid into such officer's DROP
Account provided for in subsection (a) of Code Section 47-2-403 until he or she elects
to retire. Such monthly payments shall accrue any postretirement benefit adjustments
granted to other members of this retirement system.
47-2-403.
(a) The board of trustees shall establish a Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP)
Account for each eligible electing officer to deposit such officer's monthly benefit
payments. The amounts in each account shall earn interest at a market rate to be
determined by the board of trustees.
(b) Upon an electing officer's retirement, he or she shall be entitled to receive a lump sum,
a partial lump sum, or an annuity payment from the funds in his or her DROP Account,
including any interest therein. The board of trustees may also make available options to
roll such funds into certain tax advantaged retirement accounts."
SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2026, only if it is determined to have been
concurrently funded as provided in Chapter 20 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, the "Public Retirement Systems Standards Law"; otherwise, this Act shall not
become effective and shall be automatically repealed in its entirety on July 1, 2026, as
required by subsection (a) of Code Section 47-20-50.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would create an optional enhanced retirement plan for certain state law enforcement officers, letting them contribute more in exchange for a richer pension formula and a deferred payout account.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia's state retirement law currently treats most state law enforcement officers under the same general pension rules as other state employees. This bill would add a new chapter to that law, the State Law Enforcement Officer Plan or 'SLEO Plan,' for officers in agencies like the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Natural Resources' game wardens, Department of Revenue alcohol and tobacco agents, Motor Carrier Compliance officers, and Capitol Police.
Starting July 1, 2026, an eligible officer could make a one-time, irrevocable choice to join the SLEO Plan instead of their regular retirement plan. Officers who join would pay 5 percent of their pay into the system and earn benefits on a step-up schedule that grows with years of service, capped at 25 years. After 25 years, contributions stop and any continued monthly benefits get deposited into a personal Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) account that earns interest until the officer actually retires. No one could retire under this plan before July 1, 2031. The whole law only takes effect if state actuaries certify it is properly funded; otherwise it repeals itself automatically on July 1, 2026.
### What it does
- Creates a new optional pension track, the SLEO Plan, for specific categories of state law enforcement officers named in the bill.
- Requires officers who join to make an irrevocable election within 90 days of becoming eligible or by July 1, 2026, whichever is later.
- Sets officer contributions at 5 percent of pay and defines a tiered monthly benefit formula that increases with years of service up to 25 years.
- Creates individual Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) accounts that hold monthly benefits, with interest, for officers who keep working past 25 years instead of retiring.
- Bars anyone from retiring under the new plan before July 1, 2031, and voids the enhanced benefits for anyone who tries to retire earlier.
- Makes the entire law's effective date conditional on certification that it is funded under Georgia's Public Retirement Systems Standards Law, with automatic repeal if not.
### Who it affects
State law enforcement officers in the Uniform Division of the Department of Public Safety, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Department of Natural Resources game wardens, Department of Revenue alcohol and tobacco or Special Investigations Unit agents, Motor Carrier Compliance officers, and Capitol Police, along with the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia's board of trustees.
### Why it matters
Eligible officers would gain a choice between their current retirement plan and a new one with higher personal contributions but a benefit formula and DROP account that could pay out more over a long career, while facing a firm rule that they cannot retire early under the new plan before mid-2031.
### Key provisions
- Code Section 47-2-1 is amended to define 'state law enforcement officer' by listing specific job categories across six state agencies eligible for the new plan.
- New Code Section 47-2-400 names the plan the 'State Law Enforcement Officer Plan' or 'SLEO Plan.'
- Code Section 47-2-401 requires an irrevocable written election within 90 days of eligibility or by July 1, 2026, and bars retirement benefits under the plan before July 1, 2031.
- Code Section 47-2-402 sets officer contributions at 5 percent of pay and lays out a benefit schedule rising from 10 percent of average final compensation at 10 years to added percentages through 25 years of service.
- Code Section 47-2-403 creates individual DROP accounts that hold monthly benefits with market-rate interest until the officer retires, payable as a lump sum, partial lump sum, or annuity.
- Section 3 makes the whole Act's effective date and continued existence contingent on funding certification under the Public Retirement Systems Standards Law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 20 of Title 47), with automatic repeal on July 1, 2026 if not certified.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-06)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-11)
- Sponsors: John Carson, Bill Hitchens, Alan Powell, Eddie Lumsden, Martin Momtahan, Lauren McDonald
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70067
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb337.md?full=1