Munroe Proposes Bill On Police Pension Transfers

WARMINSTER, PA —State Rep. Brian Munroe —who represents the 144th Legislative District—has introduced bipartisan legislation to permit police officers to count time from a previous law enforcement job toward their pensions at their current job.

House Bill 1910 would require local governments and regional police departments to allow police officers to buy back up to five years of prior service to count towards their pension.

“As a retired police officer, I know that while some departments allow officers to count their service time from their old plan to their new plan, not all do,” Munroe said. “This legislation will encourage officers to take that promotion with another department without it heavily impacting their retirements.”

The bill states that when a municipal police officer moves to a new police department, they usually can move their pension service from their old plan to their new plan.

However, that is not always the case.

For some officers, the service at their old employer does not count toward their eventual retirement.

"This legislation will ensure that time served in another department is not unaccounted for," Munroe said. "Police officers make a commitment to keep our communities safe and secure. As legislators, we must do our part to ensure their security, including ensuring that they do not need to worry about their retirement security."

Munroe asked his fellow legislators to join him in co-sponsoring the legislation to provide police officers with flexibility to plan their careers and retirement.

Munroe’s bill has yet to be assigned to a committee.

Munroe represents the 144th Legislative District, which is comprised of Ivyland, Warminster, and Warrington townships and part of New Britain Township.