---
title: SB 339. Employees' Retirement System of Georgia; semiannual postretirement benefit adjustments for all beneficiaries; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb339
cite_as: SB 339, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb339
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb339.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb339/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71362
date: 2026-02-26
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: 199
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb339.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 339
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-03-13
last_action: Senate Read Second Time
sponsors:
- Nan Orrock
- Chuck Hufstetler
- Sam Watson
- Clint Dixon
- Billy Hickman
- Carden Summers
- Derek Mallow
- Sally Harrell
- Jason Esteves
- Kim Jackson
- Josh McLaurin
- Kenya Wicks
- Gail Davenport
- Tonya Anderson
- RaShaun Kemp
- Donzella James
- Randal Mangham
- Russ Goodman
- Sheikh Rahman
- Nabilah Islam Parkes
- Ed Harbison
- David Lucas
- Michael Rhett
- Elena Parent
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB339/2025
upstream_id: 2006973
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- public pensions
- retirement benefits
- state employees
- cost of living adjustments
- state budget
---
# SB 339. Employees' Retirement System of Georgia; semiannual postretirement benefit adjustments for all beneficiaries; provide
## Text
Senate Bill 339
By: Senators Orrock of the 36th, Hufstetler of the 52nd, Watson of the 11th, Dixon of the
45th, Hickman of the 4th 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 provide for semiannual postretirement
benefit adjustments for all beneficiaries of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia;
to provide for conditions, limitations, and suspensions; 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 revising Code Section 47-2-29, relating to
postretirement benefit adjustments, as follows:
"47-2-29.
(a) On a date to be established by the board of trustees, but not before April 1, 1967, the
board of trustees is authorized to adopt a method of providing for postretirement benefit
adjustments for the purpose of maintaining essentially no less purchasing power for a
beneficiary in his or her postretirement years. Such method shall be based upon:
(1) Recommendation of the actuary for the board of trustees;
(2) Maintaining the actuarial soundness of the retirement system;
(3) Its application to the retirement income of members retiring on or after the adoption
of such method by the board of trustees; and
(4) Any additional contribution by the member in an amount not to exceed one-fourth
of 1 percent of his or her monthly earnable compensation.
This Code section shall also be applicable to those members retiring before April 1, 1967.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code section, no member who becomes
a member of this retirement system on or after July 1, 2009, shall be entitled to receive any
postretirement benefit adjustment granted prior to July 1, 2026, but shall be eligible for
postretirement benefit adjustments granted on or after July 1, 2026.
(c)(1) Except as provided otherwise in this subsection, on July 1, 2026, and every six
months thereafter, each beneficiary shall receive a postretirement benefit adjustment that
increases his or her retirement allowance by 1.5 percent.
(2) If the revenue collected in the most recently completed fiscal year decreased
by 3 percent or more below the revenue estimate for such fiscal year or if the state
experiences a decline in revenue collected for three consecutive months during the
current fiscal year, the Governor may by executive order suspend, in whole or in part, the
next two postretirement benefit adjustments otherwise provided for by paragraph (1) of
this subsection; provided, however, that such an executive order may not be issued in
more than two consecutive calendar years or more than three times in any period of ten
consecutive calendar years.
(3) Each executive order issued pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be
subject to revocation, revision, or extension by the General Assembly through the
adoption of a joint resolution within one calendar year from the date of issuance of such
executive order."
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 Senate bill would guarantee retirees in the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia an automatic 1.5% cost-of-living raise every six months starting July 1, 2026, with limited power for the Governor to pause it during revenue shortfalls.
### Plain-language summary
Under current law, the board of trustees of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia has discretion to adopt postretirement benefit adjustments (cost-of-living increases) for retirees, and members who joined on or after July 1, 2009 have been excluded from receiving them. This bill rewrites that law (O.C.G.A. § 47-2-29) to make these adjustments automatic and semiannual for all beneficiaries, including those who joined after July 1, 2009, who would become eligible for adjustments granted on or after July 1, 2026.
Starting July 1, 2026, and every six months after that, each beneficiary would get a 1.5 percent increase to their retirement allowance. If state revenue drops sharply, either falling 3 percent or more below estimates for the past fiscal year or declining for three straight months in the current year, the Governor could suspend the next two scheduled increases by executive order, but not more than two years in a row or three times in any ten-year span. The General Assembly could revoke or revise any such executive order within a year. The law only takes effect if state actuaries certify it is properly funded under the Public Retirement Systems Standards Law; otherwise it repeals itself automatically on July 1, 2026.
### What it does
- Rewrites Georgia's retirement law (O.C.G.A. § 47-2-29) to require automatic postretirement benefit adjustments instead of leaving them to the board of trustees' discretion.
- Extends eligibility for these adjustments to members who joined the Employees' Retirement System on or after July 1, 2009, starting with adjustments granted on or after July 1, 2026.
- Sets a fixed 1.5 percent increase to retirement allowances every six months beginning July 1, 2026.
- Gives the Governor limited authority to suspend up to two upcoming increases by executive order if state revenue drops significantly, with restrictions on how often this can happen.
- Allows the General Assembly to revoke, revise, or extend any such suspension order within one year through a joint resolution.
- Makes the entire Act contingent on certification that it is funded under the Public Retirement Systems Standards Law, with automatic repeal on July 1, 2026 if not certified.
### Who it affects
Retired members and beneficiaries of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, including those who joined on or after July 1, 2009 who currently cannot receive these adjustments, the Governor's office, the General Assembly, and the system's board of trustees and actuaries.
### Why it matters
Retirees would get a predictable, guaranteed raise twice a year instead of relying on the board's discretion, which could help their benefits keep pace with living costs. The bill's actual start depends on funding certification, and a revenue downturn could delay increases for some retirees.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 47-2-29 to replace discretionary postretirement adjustments with a required semiannual 1.5 percent increase for all beneficiaries starting July 1, 2026.
- Subsection (b) removes the prior exclusion for members who joined on or after July 1, 2009, making them eligible for adjustments granted starting July 1, 2026.
- Subsection (c)(2) lets the Governor suspend up to two upcoming adjustments by executive order during significant revenue declines, capped at two consecutive years or three times in ten years.
- Subsection (c)(3) allows the General Assembly to revoke, revise, or extend a suspension executive order within one calendar year.
- Section 2 makes the Act's effective date, July 1, 2026, contingent on funding certification under the Public Retirement Systems Standards Law (Chapter 20 of Title 47), with automatic repeal if not certified.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-03-13)
- Last action: Senate Read Second Time (2026-02-26)
- Sponsors: Nan Orrock, Chuck Hufstetler, Sam Watson, Clint Dixon, Billy Hickman, Carden Summers, Derek Mallow, Sally Harrell, Jason Esteves, Kim Jackson, Josh McLaurin, Kenya Wicks, Gail Davenport, Tonya Anderson, RaShaun Kemp, Donzella James, Randal Mangham, Russ Goodman, Sheikh Rahman, Nabilah Islam Parkes, Ed Harbison, David Lucas, Michael Rhett, Elena Parent
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71362
> The history, votes, and amendments (199 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb339.md?full=1