---
title: HB 372. Teachers Retirement System; certain beneficiaries hired to work in certain areas; provisions
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb372
cite_as: HB 372, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb372
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb372.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb372/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70134
date: 2026-03-25
status: engrossed
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: 596
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb372.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 372
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-24
last_action: Senate Read Second Time
sponsors:
- Bethany Ballard
- Chris Erwin
- Shaw Blackmon
- Holt Persinger
- Rick Townsend
- Tangie Herring
- Billy Hickman
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB372/2025
upstream_id: 1964552
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- teacher retirement
- teacher shortages
- education policy
- public schools
- special education
---
# HB 372. Teachers Retirement System; certain beneficiaries hired to work in certain areas; provisions
## Text
House Bill 372 (COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE)
By: Representatives Ballard of the 147th, Erwin of the 32nd, Blackmon of the 146th, Persinger
of the 119th, Townsend of the 179th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to retirement allowances, disability benefits, and spouses' benefits, so as to remove
the requirement that certain subject areas be designated as an area of highest need for certain
beneficiaries of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia to be hired to work in such
areas; to provide for the extension of provisions to 2030; to provide for areas of highest need
to be determined for a public school system rather than a RESA; to prohibit termination of
employment based on a change in a public school system's areas of highest need; 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.
Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
retirement allowances, disability benefits, and spouses' benefits, is amended by revising Code
Section 47-3-127.1, relating to full-time employment of beneficiaries permitted under limited
conditions, required employer contributions, and areas of highest need, as follows:
"47-3-127.1.
(a) From July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2026 2030, notwithstanding the provisions of Code
Section 47-3-127, to the extent and under the conditions provided for in this Code section,
a public school system may employ:
(1) A a beneficiary who has obtained 30 years of creditable service in this retirement
system in a full-time capacity as a certified teacher of pre-kindergarten through grade 12
who has as his or her primary responsibility the academic instruction of students in a
classroom in an area of highest need determined for the RESA to which such public
school system is assigned, provided that at least one year has expired from the effective
date of such beneficiary's retirement and he or she was not restored to service as a teacher
pursuant to Code Section 47-3-127 during such period of time.; or
(2) A beneficiary who has obtained 30 years of creditable service in this retirement
system in a full-time capacity as a certified teacher of pre-kindergarten through grade 12
who has as his or her primary responsibility the academic instruction and support of
students in the area of mathematics, special education, reading, writing, or English
language arts, provided that such beneficiary in the area of reading, writing, or English
language arts holds a current dyslexia or reading endorsement approved by the
Professional Standards Commission, provided that at least one year has expired from the
effective date of such beneficiary's retirement and he or she was not restored to service
as a teacher pursuant to Code Section 47-3-127 during such period of time.
(b)(1) An individual employed as described in subsection (a) of this Code section shall
remain a beneficiary and shall continue to receive his or her retirement allowance and any
postretirement benefit adjustments for which he or she is eligible; provided, however, that
such service shall not constitute creditable service and shall not entitle such beneficiary
to a recomputation of retirement benefits upon cessation of such service.
(2) It shall be the duty of each beneficiary to notify an employer of his or her status as
a beneficiary prior to accepting employment with such employer.
(c)(1) Within 30 days of employing a beneficiary pursuant to this Code section, such
employer shall notify the board of trustees of such beneficiary's name, the amount of his
or her earnable compensation, a description of any other forms of remuneration to be
made, the number of hours to be worked, job responsibilities, and other such information
as the board of trustees may prescribe.
(2) An employer that employs a beneficiary pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code
section shall pay to the retirement system an amount equal to the product of:
(A) The combination of the rate required by this chapter for employer contributions
and employee contributions; and
(B) The earnable compensation of such beneficiary.
(3) A beneficiary shall not receive creditable service from or access to contributions
made as a result of payments required by paragraph (2) of this subsection, and he or she
shall be considered by the retirement system solely as a beneficiary.
(4) If an employer that is obligated to make contributions or reimbursements to the
retirement system pursuant to this Code section fails to make such contributions, any
unpaid amounts shall be deducted from any funds payable to such employer by the state,
including without limitation the Department of Education and the Board of Regents of
the University System of Georgia, and shall be paid to the retirement system.
(d)(1) As used in this Code section, 'area of highest need' means one of the three content
areas for which there are the greatest percentages of unfilled positions for classroom
teachers in a RESA public school system.
(2) The areas of highest need shall be determined for each RESA public school system
annually by the Department of Education after consultation with the Professional
Standards Commission. Such determinations shall be based upon a five-year average
review of a survey reported by local school systems to the Department of Education. The
areas of highest need for each RESA public school system shall be reported to the
retirement system on an annual basis beginning July 1, 2022, and ending
July 1, 2025 2029.
(e) No change in a public school system's areas of highest need shall require the
termination, resignation, or nonrenewal of any beneficiary previously hired under
subsection (a) of this Code section.
(e)(f) Prior to July 1, 2025, the state auditor shall conduct and publish a performance audit
concerning the provisions of this Code section to include a determination of the value and
necessity of the full-time employment of beneficiaries as permitted by this Code section,
as well as the effects of such employment on the local school systems, the Teachers
Retirement System of Georgia, and the teacher workforce as a whole for this state.
(f)(g) The provisions of this Code section shall not become part of the employment
contract and shall be subject to future legislation."
SECTION 2.
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 3.
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 let retired teachers with 30 years of service return to classrooms in more subject areas, extend the program through 2030, and base staffing shortages on individual school systems instead of regional service agencies.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia currently allows retired teachers with 30 years of service to come back to work full time in a public school's 'area of highest need,' a shortage subject area, through June 30, 2026, without losing their retirement benefits. This bill extends that program through June 30, 2030 and changes how those shortage areas are decided: instead of being tied to a Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA), they would now be determined for each individual public school system.
The bill also adds a second path for retired teachers to return: those teaching math, special education, reading, writing, or English language arts could be rehired under this program, with reading and English teachers needing a current dyslexia or reading endorsement from the Professional Standards Commission. It also protects rehired retirees from being let go if their school system's shortage list later changes. The changes only take effect if a state review confirms the program is properly funded under Georgia's Public Retirement Systems Standards Law; otherwise the whole bill is automatically repealed on July 1, 2026.
### What it does
- Extends the deadline for rehiring retired teachers in shortage subject areas from June 30, 2026 to June 30, 2030.
- Changes how 'areas of highest need' (subject areas with teacher shortages) are determined, basing them on individual public school systems instead of Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs).
- Adds a new category letting retired teachers with 30 years of service return to teach math, special education, reading, writing, or English language arts, with a dyslexia or reading endorsement required for reading and English teachers.
- Bars schools from firing, forcing the resignation of, or declining to renew a retired teacher hired under this program just because the school system's shortage-area list later changes.
- Makes the whole Act take effect July 1, 2026 only if funding is confirmed under the Public Retirement Systems Standards Law, and automatically repeals it otherwise.
### Who it affects
Retired teachers with 30 years of service in the Teachers Retirement System who want to return to full-time classroom teaching, public school systems that hire them, the Department of Education and Professional Standards Commission, which determine shortage areas and endorsements, and the state auditor.
### Why it matters
Retired teachers could keep collecting their pensions while returning to fill shortage positions in more subjects, including math, special education, and reading and writing, for four more years. School systems get more local flexibility in identifying shortages, and rehired retirees gain job security if shortage lists change.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. ยง 47-3-127.1 to extend the rehire-without-losing-benefits window from June 30, 2026 to June 30, 2030.
- Section 1 shifts the basis for 'area of highest need' determinations from a RESA to each individual public school system.
- Section 1 adds a second rehire path for retirees teaching math, special education, reading, writing, or English language arts, requiring a dyslexia or reading endorsement for the latter subjects.
- Section 1 adds a new provision barring termination, resignation, or nonrenewal of a rehired retiree solely because a school system's shortage-area list changes.
- Section 1 extends the annual reporting of shortage areas to the retirement system through July 1, 2029.
- Section 2 makes the Act effective July 1, 2026 only if funding is certified under the Public Retirement Systems Standards Law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 20 of Title 47), otherwise the Act is automatically repealed that same date.
## Status
- Status: Engrossed (2026-02-24)
- Last action: Senate Read Second Time (2026-03-25)
- Sponsors: Bethany Ballard, Chris Erwin, Shaw Blackmon, Holt Persinger, Rick Townsend, Tangie Herring, Billy Hickman
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70134
> The history, votes, and amendments (596 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb372.md?full=1