HB 23 (The COLA Bill) Scheduled for Committee Hearing

March 20, 2026

The House Retirement Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday, March 26, at 9:00 a.m. Two bills impacting LASERS are on the agenda. The LASERS Board supports both measures.

• HB 23 by Rep. Bacala – Grants a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to eligible retirees and beneficiaries.
• HB 32 by Rep. Egan – Provides for technical changes in LASERS statutes.

🔗Learn about COLA eligibility here.

Recent Movement on Retirement Bills

Several bills impacting LASERS advanced this week:

• SB 19 by Sen. Price – Passed the Senate on March 17. This bill changes the name and design of the State Employee Retired license plate.
• HB 8 by Rep. Bacala – Reported favorably by the House Retirement Committee. This bill extends legislative staff authorization to attend executive session meetings from one year to four years.
• SB 16 & SB 21 by Sen. Price – Await final passage on the Senate Floor, which convenes on March 23.
  • SB 16 – Provides for educational requirements of certain retirement system boards.
  • SB 21 – Terminates amortization hurdles once the original base is liquidated.