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WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 268
Chapter 268
(Senate Bill 654)
AN ACT concerning
State Police Retirement System – Mandatory Retirement Age – Alteration
FOR the purpose of increasing the age at which certain members of the State Police
Retirement System are required to retire; increasing the age at which certain
retirees must end participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Program;
authorizing certain individuals, subject to certain limitations and requirements, to
elect to extend their participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Program; and
generally relating to the mandatory retirement age for certain members of the State
Police Retirement System and participation in the Deferred Retirement Option
Program.
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – State Personnel and Pensions
Section 24–401 and 24–401.1(c), (d), and (g)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
Article – State Personnel and Pensions
Section 24–401.1(a) and (b)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article – State Personnel and Pensions
24–401.
(a) (1) (i) This paragraph applies to an individual who is a member on or
before June 30, 2011.
(ii) A member may retire with a normal service retirement allowance
if:
1. on or before the date of retirement, the member:
A. has at least 22 years of eligibility service; or
B. is at least 50 years old; and
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Ch. 268 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
2. the member completes and submits a written application
to the Board of Trustees, on the form that the Board of Trustees provides, stating the date
when the member desires to retire.
(2) (i) This paragraph applies to an individual who becomes a member
on or after July 1, 2011.
(ii) A member may retire with a normal service retirement allowance
if:
1. on or before the date of retirement, the member:
A. has at least 25 years of eligibility service; or
B. is at least 50 years old; and
2. the member completes and submits a written application
to the Board of Trustees, on the form that the Board of Trustees provides, stating the date
when the member desires to retire.
(b) (1) Subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, the Secretary of State
Police may order a member who is at least 50 years old to retire on the first day of the
month after the member is notified of the Secretary’s order.
(2) Before approving the Secretary’s order, the Board of Trustees shall give
the member at least 30 days’ notice and an opportunity to be heard.
(c) Except for the Secretary of State Police, a member shall retire with a normal
service retirement allowance not later than the first day of the month after the member
becomes [60] 62 years old.
(d) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, on
retirement under this section, a member is entitled to receive a normal service retirement
allowance that equals 2.55% of the member’s average final compensation multiplied by each
year of the member’s years of creditable service.
(2) A member’s normal service retirement allowance may not exceed 71.4%
of the member’s average final compensation.
(3) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, on retirement under this
section, if a member’s annuity is greater than the member’s normal service retirement
allowance calculated under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the member’s normal service
retirement allowance shall equal the member’s annuity.
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WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 268
(e) Subject to §§ 29–401, 29–402, and 29–403 of this article, a retiree, or a
beneficiary of a retiree, who retires on or before June 30, 1999 with a service retirement
allowance, shall receive an annual retirement allowance adjustment as of July 1, 1999, as
follows:
(1) for a retiree who has been retired not more than 5 years, $1,200;
(2) for a retiree who has been retired more than 5 years but not more than
10 years, $1,500;
(3) for a retiree who has been retired more than 10 years but not more than
15 years, $1,800; and
(4) for a retiree who has been retired more than 15 years, $2,100.
24–401.1.
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.
(2) “DROP” means the Deferred Retirement Option Program established
under this section.
(3) “DROP member” means a member of the State Police Retirement
System who:
(i) is eligible to participate in the DROP as provided in subsection
(c) of this section; and
(ii) elects to participate in the DROP as provided in subsection (e) of
this section.
(b) There is a DROP for eligible members of the State Police Retirement System.
(c) (1) (i) This paragraph applies to an individual who is a member of the
State Police Retirement System on or before June 30, 2011.
(ii) Except for the Secretary of State Police, a member of the State
Police Retirement System is eligible to participate in the DROP if the member:
1. has at least 22 and less than 32 years of employment in a
position eligible for membership in the State Police Retirement System; and
2. is less than [60] 62 years old.
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Ch. 268 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
(iii) The Secretary of State Police is eligible to participate in the
DROP if the Secretary has at least 22 years of employment in a position eligible for
membership in the State Police Retirement System.
(2) (i) This paragraph applies to an individual who becomes a member
of the State Police Retirement System on or after July 1, 2011.
(ii) Except for the Secretary of State Police, a member of the State
Police Retirement System is eligible to participate in the DROP if the member:
1. has at least 25 years and less than 32 years of employment
in a position eligible for membership in the State Police Retirement System; and
2. is less than [60] 62 years old.
(iii) The Secretary of State Police is eligible to participate in the
DROP if the Secretary has at least 25 years of employment in a position eligible for
membership in the State Police Retirement System.
(d) An eligible member may elect to participate in the DROP for a period not to
exceed the lesser of:
(1) 7 years;
(2) the difference between 32 years and the member’s years of employment
in a position eligible for membership in the State Police Retirement System as of the date
of the member’s election to participate in the DROP and retire from the State Police
Retirement System;
(3) the difference between age [60] 62 and the member’s age as of the date
of the member’s election to participate in the DROP and retire from the State Police
Retirement System; or
(4) a term selected by the member.
(g) Participation in the DROP ends if the DROP participant:
(1) separates from employment in accordance with the binding letter of
resignation submitted with the member’s election form;
(2) except for the Secretary of State Police, attains age [60] 62;
(3) dies;
(4) is terminated from employment by the Maryland State Police at any
time before the date specified on the member’s election form;
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WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 268
(5) shortens the time period for participation in the DROP by delivering to
the Maryland State Police and the Board of Trustees written notice of the intent of the
DROP member to terminate employment; or
(6) accepts a special disability retirement allowance as provided in
subsection (k) of this section.
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That:
(a) Section 1 of this Act applies to any individual who began participation in the
Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) under § 24–401.1 or § 26–401.1 of the State
Personnel and Pensions Article before June 1, 2026, and continues to participate in the
DROP on or after June 1, 2026.
(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, an individual
described in subsection (a) of this section may elect to extend participation in the DROP by
the lesser of:
(i) the difference between 7 years and the number of years the
individual elected to participate in the DROP at the time the individual joined the DROP;
or
(ii) the difference between 32 years of eligibility service and the total
amount of eligibility service the individual had accrued at the time the individual joined
the DROP.
(2) An individual may not elect to extend participation in the DROP by a
number of years that will result in the individual terminating the DROP at an age older
than age 62.
(c) (1) An individual who elects to extend participation in the DROP shall do
so on or before the earlier of:
(i) the end of the term of participation in the DROP originally
selected by the individual; or
(ii) December 31, 2026, by completing a form provided by the Board
of Trustees for the State Retirement and Pension System.
(2) The form submitted by the individual in paragraph (1) of this
subsection shall include a signed acknowledgment by the individual’s Director of Human
Resources within the Department of State Police that the individual’s employment with the
Department of State Police and participation in the DROP will be extended by the time
period specified on that form.
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Ch. 268 2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June
1, 2026.
Approved by the Governor, April 28, 2026.
–6–Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.