Relating to public safety personnel by modifying the retirement benefits of sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, restricting bail for murder in the first degree or felonious assaults committed upon public safety personnel, and providing for a tax credit for moving expenses available against the individual income tax for new public safety personnel moving to the state, and including retroactive applicability provisions

The monthly retirement benefit under IPERS for a sheriff or deputy sheriff is calculated by multiplying the retiree’s applicable covered wage by a percentage. The bill increases, for sheriffs and deputy sheriffs retiring on or after July 1, 2024, the applicable percentage used to calculate the retiree’s monthly retirement benefit by five-eighths of one percentage point for each calendar quarter of service beyond years of service up to a maximum of additional percentage points. Under current law, the applicable percentage is increased by three-eighths of one percentage point up to a maximum of additional percentage points for calendar quarters of service beyond years of service. The bill establishes a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to the monthly allowance for active and inactive members and to any beneficiaries and contingent annuitants for retirements occurring on or after July 1, 2024.5 percent of the monthly retirement allowance payable on that date. Such a member, or a beneficiary or contingent annuitant, is not eligible for the COLA increase unless the member has years of eligible service and attained years of age prior to the retirement date of the member.49F. DIVISION II —— MURDER OR FELONIOUS ASSAULT ON PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL —— BAIL RESTRICTIONS. The bill specifies a defendant charged with murder in the first degree of a peace officer or correctional officer is not eligible for bail if the murder in the first degree was committed with the knowledge the person against whom the murder was committed was a peace officer or correctional officer, acting in the peace officer’s or correctional officer’s official capacity. The bill also specifies a defendant awaiting sentencing after a plea of guilty or a conviction for a felonious assault upon a peace officer or correctional officer is not eligible for bail and a defendant appealing a conviction for a felonious assault upon a peace officer or correctional officer is not eligible for bail. For a defendant awaiting sentencing after a conviction or guilty plea of, or appealing a conviction for, a felonious assault upon a peace officer or correctional officer for which bail is restricted under the bill, the defendant is required to have knowledge the person against whom the felonious assault was committed was such an officer acting in the officer’s official capacity. DIVISION III —— PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER MOVING EXPENSES —— TAX CREDIT. The bill creates a public safety officer moving expense tax credit available against the individual income tax. The amount of the tax credit shall equal the amount of the unreimbursed moving expenses incurred by a new resident in connection with taking full-time employment as a public safety officer not to exceed $2,000. The tax credit is refundable. In lieu of claiming a refund, the new resident may elect to have the overpayment shown on the taxpayer’s final, completed return for the following tax year. The bill specifies the tax year when the tax credit is allowed dependent upon when the full-time employment begins or when the moving expenses are incurred. This division applies retroactively to January 1, 2024, for tax years beginning on or after that date.