LAGERS BLOGGERS

LAGERS Seeking Legislation to Update Public Safety Definition

Elizabeth Althoff

Grand River AmbulanceLAGERS believes that we play a critical role in helping local government employers, like you, recruit and retain high caliber workers into public service. One of our greatest tools in helping our employers achieve this is the flexibility of the LAGERS benefit structure. 

While there are many options for employers to customize benefits in our system, a number of employers in recent years have raised concern that the strict classification of employees as either General, Police, or Fire employees in LAGERS limits their ability to provide a fair and competitive retirement benefit for all public safety employees including EMS personnel, dispatchers, and jailers. 

This year, LAGERS is pursuing legislation that would enable employers to locally elect to cover EMS personnel, dispatchers, and jailers as public safety personnel in order to qualify for a normal retirement age of 55.  Bills have been filed in both the House and Senate that would add this option under law for each LAGERS employer to further customize and tailor a benefit package that will attract even more talent, specifically in the public safety arena.   If you are interested in learning more about LAGERS legislative initiatives, or getting involved advocating for this legislation, visit our Issues and Policy page!