STATEHOUSE — Approved by the Indiana House of Representatives, State Rep. Bob Cherry’s (R-Greenfield) legislation providing a 13th check to retired public employees is heading to the Senate for consideration after the unanimous pass this Monday.
House Bill 1004 is designed to help cover cost-of-living gaps for retired public employees by providing a one-time, post-retirement payment. Those retired public employees include teachers, state excise police, gaming agents, gaming control officers, conservation officers and state police officers who are a part of Indiana’s public pension program.
“The men and women who spent their careers serving Indiana deserve this supplemental payment,” said Cherry in a press release announcing the passing of the bill. “This is a critical piece of legislation that can benefit tens of thousands of retirees, and I’m excited to see it get one step closer to the finish line.”
Cherry said that the checks would use existing, dedicated funds to make these payments to retirees, and would be based on an employee’s number of years invested in their retirement plan. The average of these checks would be approximately $360 per recipient.
The press release said that as of early 2024, there are nearly 100,000 retired public employees who would qualify for a 13th check under this legislation.
In 2023, Cherry authored similar legislation to HB 1004, and while it passed through the House, the legislation died in the Senate. HB 1004 now will head to the Senate for consideration.
To learn more about HB 1004, track it through the legislation process or to watch meetings live, visit iga.in.gov.
