After hearing from SEA members and other public employees and retirees, the Senate ED&A Committee significantly revised HB 1645 before voting unanimously to approve it on April 30, 2008. ED&A Committee Chairman Peter Burling authored the amendment to HB 1645, which would · create an automatic 2.5% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), providing retirees with up to $750 protection against inflation each year. The average NHRS retiree, receiving a $16,837 pension, would receive a $421 COLA this year. Each year’s COLA would increase the amount of the base retirement benefit – just like it does now. · retain the current balance-of-power on the NHRS Board of Trustees. All union representatives would remain on the Board, and the Board would retain fiduciary responsibility and control of investment decisions. · retain the medical subsidy for retirees currently receiving this benefit while providing immediate tax-payer relief by temporarily freezing the amount of medical subsidy benefits. After four years, medical subsidy benefits would increase by an automatic 4% each year. · retain the current calculation for earnable compensation and expand the definition of "earnable compensation" (used to calculate retirement benefits) to include all forms of compensation which are "earned income" for federal income tax purposes. · remove the two-tiered system proposed in the House version of HB 1645. The House version required new Group II employees to work five additional years to receive the same benefit as others. The ED&A Committee’s amendment removes this requirement. The full Senate is expected to vote on the bill on Thursday, May 8th. 
Take Action
 CONTACT your Senator to voice your concerns about HB 1645. Call, write or meet with your Senator before the Senate votes on the bill on Thursday, May 8th. Or, send an email from your home computer through this website.
Download the latest HB 1645 flyer and share it with your co-workers. Ask your co-workers to call or meet with their State Senator. SAY THANK YOU to Marlene DeChane, Lee Quandt, and the 58 other Representatives who supported public employees by opposing HB 1645. | 
