ATLANTA (May 13, 2024) – Last week, Governor Brian P. Kemp signed into law Senate Bill 105, a measure aimed at revising the minimum and maximum allowable benefit multiplier for current and future retirees in the Public-School Employees Retirement System (PSERS). This significant development underscores the state’s commitment to ensuring the financial security and well-being of Georgia’s dedicated classified public-school employees.
Sen. Larry Walker III (R–Perry), the sponsor of SB105, expressed his gratitude for the passage of this critical legislation, stating, “I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Governor Brian Kemp, Lt. Governor Burt Jones and my Senate colleagues for their unwavering support of SB 105. This measure represents a crucial step forward in addressing the retirement needs of our valued Public-School Employees.”
SB 105 aims to support the classified employees at Georgia’s public-schools by enhancing their retirement benefits. With its enactment, current and future participants in PSERS will see an increase in the multiplier for each year of creditable service, thus increasing their monthly retirement benefit and ensuring greater financial security during their retirement years. This increase signifies a much-deserved boost in monthly retirement income for the frontline workers who have dedicated their career to the wellbeing of our children, providing safe transportation, nutritious meals and a clean and safe learning environment.
“Georgia school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, and maintenance workers have too often been overlooked, while we have prioritized teacher pay raises and elevating the teaching profession,” Sen. Walker III remarked. “I am proud to have played a part in advancing this legislation, which will provide much-needed support and recognition to the unsung heroes of our K-12 school systems.”
“It has been a pleasure to work with Sen. Walker for the last two years on legislation for the betterment of public education,” said Lisa Morgan, President of the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) and DeKalb County kindergarten teacher. “Were it not for Chairman Walker’s bill, SB 105, and his leadership, retirement benefits for these employees, who play an essential role in the education of our children, would have remained permanently capped in state law and could have never been increased. SB 105 eliminated that cap on future increases and provided a small, current increase, and we are grateful to Sen. Walker for making this possible.”
GAE is the oldest association of public-school educators in the state, representing classroom teachers, school bus drivers, administrators, para-professionals, school nurses, counselors, nutrition workers … essentially anyone in public education who comes in contact with the 1.75 million public school students in Georgia.
With the signing of SB 105 into law, Georgia reaffirms its commitment to prioritizing the well-being and financial security of its public-school workforce. This legislative milestone represents a significant victory for Georgia’s Public-School Employees, ensuring that their contributions are valued and respected.
Read the full text of the legislation here.
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Sen. Larry Walker serves as Secretary of the Senate Majority Caucus. He also serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor. He represents Senate District 20 which includes all of Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Pulaski, Treutlen, and Wilcox Counties and a large portion of Houston County. He can be reached at larry.walker@senate.ga.gov.
