Yesterday, Senate Leader Phil Berger filed Senate Bill 320, “LEO Special Separation Allowance Options,” enabling veteran law enforcement officers to stay on the force without risking their special separation benefits. 

“Law enforcement agencies across the state aren’t immune to the impacts of a tight labor market,” Sen. Berger said. “We want well-trained, veteran officers to stay on the force, so they can keep our communities safe and be examples for the next generation of officers. This bill will go a long way in helping accomplish that.” 

As introduced, Senate Bill 320 is the companion bill to House Bill 50, filed by Rep. Reece Pyrtle. The Senate version of the bill is sponsored by Sens. Berger, Vickie Sawyer, and Carl Ford. 

“As a former police chief, I saw the toll staffing shortages take up close and personal,” Rep. Pyrtle said. “I knew we had to do something to address those staffing needs in an innovative way to support the officers that risk their lives every day and potentially save local governments money. This is truly a win-win for the state.” 

The bill creates a new separation option for law enforcement officers, using a different method to calculate the allowance. To qualify, an officer must have served for at least 30 years before turning 62 and worked continuously as an officer for at least five years before retiring. This would allow the officer to save his or her special separation allowance to be paid out at a later date. 

By creating this new separation allowance calculation, we can improve public safety by keeping officers on the job and potentially save local governments money. 

“We need to take concrete steps to keep our communities safe by adequately funding police departments and supporting officers as they retire,” Sen. Sawyer said. “This bill is just one way we can provide that support for the hardworking men and women of our law enforcement agencies.” 

Sen. Ford said, “Every day our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect us. We want the fine men and women to remain on the job for as long as possible, without them having to worry about being able to receive their separation benefits.”