The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work on pensions and public funds policy in the 2025 General Assembly.
Several of Maryland’s counties participate in the State’s pension system, and the other half support their employees through local pension systems. MACo’s pension advocacy includes defending local authority to define the elements of county-run pension systems and protecting the interests of county governments participating in the State’s pension system.
Maryland’s 447th legislative session convened amidst a substantial concern over the State’s fiscal situation, with weakened revenues and cost increases for many services at every level of government. Despite the budgetary limitations, many policy issues received a full debate, with many resolutions arising from the 90-day annual process. MACo’s legislative committee guided the association’s positions on hundreds of bills, yielding many productive compromises and gains spanning counties’ uniquely broad portfolio.
Follow these links for more coverage on our Conduit Street blog and Legislative Database.
MACo supported HB 1250 – State Retirement Agency – Report on Employer Contribution Rate Impact of Teacher Salary Increases. This bill would have required the State Retirement Agency to report to the General Assembly on information related to the fiscal impact on employer contribution rates in the Teachers’ Retirement and Pension Systems from certain teacher base salary increases and teacher career ladder increases for certain fiscal year.
MACo had prepared to speak at the bill’s public hearing about the proposed shift of teacher pension costs onto county governments (eventually passed as part of the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act), but the bill was withdrawn prior to its public hearing.
One additional bill on which MACo did not take a position was HB 584 (and SB 457), introduced by request of the State Retirement System to form a workgroup to make recommendations to the system used for inter-system transfers when employees move from one retirement system to another within the state. As reported earlier on Conduit Street, that bill passed and will bring multiple counties to the table for discussions on a path forward: Pension Transfer Study To Invite Five Counties to the Table
