HB 338: State Law Enforcement Officer Plan' or 'SLEO Plan'; enact

Georgia currently manages retirement benefits for state employees, including many law enforcement officers, through the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia. This bill would add a new, optional plan called the State Law Enforcement Officer Plan (SLEO Plan) for officers at a specific list of state agencies, including the Department of Corrections, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Natural Resources, and about 20 others. An eligible officer could make a one time, irrevocable choice to join the SLEO Plan within 90 days of becoming eligible or by July 1, 2026, whichever comes later. Members would pay 5 percent of their pay into the system and earn benefits on a rising scale tied to years of service, capped once they reach 25 years. Officers could not retire under the plan before July 1, 2031, and unused monthly benefits after 25 years of service would accumulate in a special deferred account (DROP account) with interest until they retire. The whole law only takes effect if the state's retirement funding board certifies it is properly funded; otherwise it repeals itself automatically on July 1, 2026.

• Creates a new optional pension track, the SLEO Plan, for state law enforcement officers at about 25 named state agencies.
• Requires officers who join to make an irrevocable election within 90 days of eligibility or by July 1, 2026, whichever is later.
• Sets member contributions at 5 percent of pay and ties monthly retirement benefits to a tiered schedule based on years of service.
• Bars any SLEO Plan member from retiring under the plan's enhanced benefits before July 1, 2031.
• Establishes individual Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) accounts that hold benefit payments, with interest, for officers who keep working past 25 years of service.
• Makes the entire law contingent on certification that it is funded under Georgia's Public Retirement Systems Standards Law, with automatic repeal on July 1, 2026 if not certified.

State law enforcement officers certified as peace officers at agencies such as the Department of Corrections, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Public Safety, and roughly 20 other listed state agencies, along with the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, which would administer the new plan.

Eligible officers would gain a new choice: trade a higher monthly contribution now for a structured, rising retirement benefit tied to years of service and a deferred payment account after 25 years. Because the choice is irrevocable and retirement under the plan is barred until 2031, officers would need to weigh long-term tradeoffs carefully before electing in.

• Section 1 amends the definitions in O.C.G.A. § 47-2-1 to define 'state law enforcement officer' as certified peace officers at a specific list of roughly 25 state agencies.
• Section 2 creates new Code Section 47-2-400, naming the new law the 'State Law Enforcement Officer Plan' or 'SLEO Plan.'
• Section 2 (Code Section 47-2-401) requires an irrevocable written election to join within 90 days of eligibility or by July 1, 2026, whichever is later, and bars retirement under the plan before July 1, 2031.
• Section 2 (Code Section 47-2-402) sets member contributions at 5 percent of pay and lays out a tiered monthly benefit schedule rising from 10 percent of average final compensation at 10 years of service up through 25 years, after which contributions stop.
• Section 2 (Code Section 47-2-403) creates individual DROP accounts to hold monthly benefit payments with interest for officers who keep working after 25 years, payable as a lump sum, partial lump sum, or annuity at retirement.
• Section 3 makes the entire Act's effective date, July 1, 2026, contingent on certification of funding under Georgia's Public Retirement Systems Standards Law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 20 of Title 47), with automatic repeal if not certified.

1. 2025-02-11House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-10House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-06House Hopper (House)

• John Carson (R, HD-046)Primary sponsor
• Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)
• Eddie Lumsden (R, HD-012)
• Martin Momtahan (R, HD-017)
• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-011)

• state employee pensions
• law enforcement retirement
• public safety officers
• Georgia retirement system
• state government benefits