PERS; first responders hired after 3-1-26 may receive retirement allowance after 25 years of service.

SB 2908 would change Mississippi's public retirement system to allow certain first responders hired on or after March 1, 2026, to receive retirement benefits after 25 years of service regardless of age. It directly affects law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical services providers, emergency management personnel, and public safety telecommunicators. The bill establishes a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for these retirees tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners (CPI-W). This modifies existing retirement rules to provide earlier access to benefits for eligible public safety workers who join the system after the specified date.