Rep. Glassburn Introduces Bill to Remove Five-Year Limit on Retirement Purchase Service Credit

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Chris Glassburn (D-North Olmsted), today announced, in an effort to attract more experienced public sector employees to Ohio, the introduction of House Bill (HB) 877, to remove the existing five-year cap on the purchase of pension service credit for out-of-state service across all of Ohio’s retirement systems. 

“Individuals who have dedicated their careers to public service should not be penalized for choosing to bring those skills to Ohio," said Rep. Glassburn. “By making this small change to our pension systems, we can better attract the workforce we need while preserving the stability required to sustain our pension funds.”

Ohio is currently grappling with persistent vacancies in vital public service roles. The impact of these shortages is evident in our classrooms, with the five largest school districts reporting a total of 388 vacant positions. But these shortages expand beyond just teachers. The Ohio Department of Children and Youth reported that at the beginning of 2023, 20% of children's services caseworker positions in the state were vacant. At the end of that year, another 20% resigned.

 “At a time when we should be focused on attracting and keeping talented individuals, our current system creates unnecessary barriers for individuals looking to move to or return to Ohio,” added Rep. Glassburn. “This bill ensures that experience is rewarded, not limited.” 

HB 877 makes no adjustment to how the retirement systems determine the actuarial cost of purchasing these years of credits, allowing the pension funds to remain stable despite this new adjustment in the code. 

HB 877 has been referred to the House Public Insurance and Pension Committee for further consideration and awaits sponsor testimony.