New Hampshire Bill Would Limit Pension "Double Dipping"

A bill that seeks to limit the income of “double dipper” public pensioners is recommended by lawmakers as “ought to pass,” according to the New Hampshire Retirement System, the pension pool for police, fire, school and other public employees.

In a Wednesday memo, the NHRS announced House Bill 561 was amended in the Senate Executive Departments and Administration Committee and, if passed as expected, will limit the number of hours pensioners can work at post-retirement jobs for employers in the public retirement system. The bill seeks to reduce the current 32-hour weekly limit of hours worked by pensioners at other public jobs, to 1,040 hours a year. That would mean a reduction of 624 hours a year and anyone found to have exceeded the limit would lose the employer-funded portion of their pension for a year, according to the proposed law.

The bill, as currently written, also states public retirees would have to wait 60 days from when they retire to the day they start working a subsequent public job. If passed by the Senate, the bill will be sent to the House and the NHRS has advised its members the legislation is recommended likely to pass.

The proposed law is expected to be reviewed by the Legislature in January and, if passed, would have an effective date of January 2019, Sea Coast Online reports.