Maryland

The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System administers pension and other benefits for most public employees in the state, including public school teachers, state employees, and employees of school districts and political subdivisions that have elected to participate. Overall the system is comprised of the following groups:

• Correctional Officer's Retirement System

• Employees' Pension System

• Employees' Retirement System

• Judges' Retirement System

• Legislative Pension Plan

• Local Fire and Police System

• Law Enforcement Officers' Pension System

• State Police Retirement System

• Teachers' Pension System

• Teachers' Retirement System

Authorizing Statute

Title 21 of the Maryland Code establishes the State Retirement and Pension System. According to the text

(a) Established.- There is a State Retirement and Pension System. (b) Purpose.- The State Retirement and Pension System shall provide benefits under this Division II for participants in the several systems. (c) Status.- The State Retirement and Pension System has the powers and privileges of a corporation.

Board Composition

Contributions

Per the U.S. Census, in FY 2015, employer contributions to Maryland state and local government pension plans were 4.76 percent of all state and local government direct general spending.

Constitutional Protections

No explicit constitutional protection for public pension benefits, but courts protect against impairment of contract rights. See Davis v. Mayor and Alderman of City of Annapolis, 635 A.2d 36 (Md. App. 1994)(recognizing that MD follows majority view that pension benefits are contractual, but "under certain circumstances, the government may unilaterally modify them so long as the changes do not adversely alter the benefits, or if the benefits are adversely altered, they are replaced with comparable benefits.); City of Frederick v. Quinn, 371 A.2d 724 (Md. 1977); Andrews v. Anne Arundel County, 931 F.Supp. 1255 (D.Md. 1996)(diminution of pension benefits was a substantial impairment; county failed to make sufficient showing that means adopted to maintain actuarial soundness was least drastic available). Source: Robert Klausner, Esq., State Constitutional Protections for Public Sector Retirement Benefits