Brabenec Champions Legislation for Retired First Responders & Families of Those Lost On Duty
Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C,I-Deerpark) announced today that he will sponsor legislation to aid retired public employees and reduce cost for local governments by raising the income threshold to $50,000 for retirees who resume working in the public entity (A.7109). Currently, retirees under 65 years of age can only earn up to $30,000 without diminishing their pension or retirement benefits. The limit hasn’t been raised since 2007 and is not congruent with the state’s yearly cost of living increases.
“We are cutting costs for local governments and school districts because many retirees who want to resume working will have already begun receiving healthcare and benefits from their previous employer,” Brabenec said. “In doing so, this bill would incentivize public entities to hire more experienced employees who can provide top-notch services to the community.”
Brabenec has also thrown his support behind legislation that would match the benefits received by widows and widowers of police and firefighters killed in the line of duty with current inflation rates (A.4079-B).
“First responders are some of the bravest and most dedicated individuals in our state. In the event that they lost their lives protecting our community, we should step up and protect their widows and widowers,” Brabenec said. “The current rate that these benefits increase is far from sufficient, leaving many families financially destitute, and that is heartbreaking. I will continue fighting for the families of first responders and see that this gets done before the end of session.”