House Bill 186 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Kenneth PaschalRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Retirement Systems of Alabama, full retirement benefits for first responders permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty provided without regard to Tier or number of years of creditable service

Summary

HB186 would guarantee full retirement benefits for RSA first responders who are permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty, regardless of their retirement tier or years of service, with retroactive applicability to January 1, 2023.

What This Bill Does

It extends full disability retirement benefits to first responders in the RSA regardless of tier or years of creditable service. It applies retroactively to January 1, 2023, and allows individuals who were previously denied under the old rules to reapply beginning July 1, 2026. Disability retirement benefits would be calculated using the RSA's existing formulas (annuity plus pension) but would no longer be limited by tier requirements for those who are permanently disabled in the line of duty. It includes medical reexamination requirements, an earnings-offset provision, and survivor/beneficiary provisions, with an effective date of July 1, 2026 for the new rules.

Who It Affects

• First responders (firefighters, police officers, and other RSA-covered law enforcement/corrections personnel) who are permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty, along with their families or designated beneficiaries.
• The Retirement Systems of Alabama, the Board of Control, and participating employers, who would administer, fund, and implement the expanded disability retirement benefits.

Key Provisions

• Provides full disability retirement benefits for first responders permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty, regardless of Tier or years of service.
• Retroactive application to January 1, 2023; allows previously denied applicants to reapply starting July 1, 2026.
• Disability retirement benefits use the system’s existing formulas (annuity plus pension) but are not bounded by Tier-based limits for these beneficiaries.
• Medical reexamination provisions require periodic reviews for certain beneficiaries and allow suspension or revocation of benefits for noncompliance, with some exceptions.
• Earnings-offset rules reduce the pension if the beneficiary can earn income above certain thresholds, and survivor benefits are preserved with various designation options.
• Return-to-active-service provisions can suspend benefits and require repayment if the beneficiary re-enters service; restoration to membership is possible under defined conditions.
• Section 1 amends the RSA retirement code to implement these changes; Section 2 sets July 1, 2026 as the overall effective date for the act.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 11, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Retirement