Increases monthly minimum benefit for a spouse, domestic partner, former spouse. Grant a 2.89% COLA for eligible retirees. Provided a modification reducing federal AGI for public pension benefits from the RI employees retirement system.

## Rhode Island Teachers' Retirement Bill Summary

This bill would have made several changes to benefit retired public school teachers and their families in Rhode Island. First, it would have increased the minimum monthly payment that a spouse, domestic partner, or former spouse can receive through the teachers' retirement system. Second, it would have granted a **cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 2.89%** to eligible retirees, meaning their monthly pension checks would increase slightly to help keep up with rising prices.

The bill also included a tax-related provision that would have allowed retired public employees to reduce the amount of their pension income counted toward their federal taxable income (known as "adjusted gross income" or AGI). In plain terms, this could have lowered retirees' federal tax bills by excluding some or all of their Rhode Island public pension benefits from being taxed at the federal level.

The people most directly affected would have been **retired Rhode Island public school teachers**, along with their spouses, domestic partners, and former spouses who receive survivor or dependent benefits through the teachers' retirement system. The COLA increase would have provided modest financial relief to retirees on fixed incomes, while the tax provision could have put additional money back in retirees' pockets each year.

It is important to note that **this bill was withdrawn at the sponsor's request**, meaning it did not move forward in the legislative process and did not become law. No changes to retirement benefits or taxes resulted from this bill.