PERA Service Retirees (HB 17-1176)

HB 17-1176 provides rural school districts with more flexibility to hire PERA service retirees

Rural school districts in Colorado continue to experience critical shortages of teachers, school bus drivers, and school food services cooks. A qualified workforce to draw from and fill these important positions simply does not exist in many rural communities. One solution proposed during the 2017 legislative session was to expand the pool of qualified candidates by allowing public employees’ retirement association (PERA) service retirees to fill these vacancies and work for a rural school district for any length of employment in a calendar year without a reduction in PERA benefits. As a result, the Colorado Legislature passed HB17-1176, which modified the current PERA employment after retirement provisions for certain retirees hired by a rural school district. This law began with the 2017-2018 school year and will sunset after the completion of the 2022-2023 school year.

Resources

• HB 17-1176, Concerning an extension of the employment after retirement limitations for retirees of PERA employed by a rural school district after retirement
• PERA Fact Sheet on HB 17-1176
• PERA notification form
• CDE’s list of rural and small rural school district designations (revised March 6, 2019)

For additional information about HB 17-1176 as well as a sample board resolution, please sign in with your CASB username and password. Members Area

Rural school districts have more flexibility to hire PERA service retirees

Sample board resolution declaring a critical shortage