National Association of State Retirement Administrators

Pennsylvania

Major public employee retirement systems in Pennsylvania include the Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS), the Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS), and the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement System (PMRS). PA SERS provides benefits for state employees; PSERS provides benefits for school teachers and other school employees, and PMRS administers pension benefits for municipalities that have elected to participate.

Authorizing Statutes

State Employees

Chapter 241 of the Pennsylvania Code establishes the State Employees Retirement System.

The State Employees’ Retirement System of Pennsylvania as established by the act of June 27, 1923 (P. L. 858, No. 331), and codified by the act of June 1, 1959.

Chapter 249 describes SERS administrative procedures including the role of the Board.

Educational Employees

Chapter 215 describes the administrative duties of the Public School Employees Retirement System Board.

Board Composition

Plan

Board Size

Appointed

Elected

Plan Members

Ex Officio

Pennsylvania State ERS

11

10

0

6

1

Pennsylvania Public School ERS

15

2

6

5

7

Contributions

Per the U.S. Census, in FY 2021, employer contributions to Pennsylvania government pension plans were 6.71 percent of all state and local government direct general spending.

Constitutional Protections

No explicit constitutional protection for public pension benefits, but courts protect contractual pension rights based on impairment of contract principles. Kelley v. State Employees' Retirement Bd., 890 A.2d 1173 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2006)(holding retirement code is like a contract for pension benefits and unilateral modifications may not be adverse to a member who has met retirement eligibility requirements), affirmed in part, reversed in part, Kelley v. State Employees' Retirement Bd., 593 Pa. 487, 932 A.2d 61 (Pa. 2007) (holding that exclusion of former legislators from Class AA membership was rationally related to preventing substantial burden on retirement system); Association of Pennsylvania State College Faculties v.State System of Higher Education, 479 A.2d 962 (1984)(unilateral modifications in the retirement system may not be adverse to a member who has met retirement eligibility requirements). (PA CONST., Article 1, §17) Source: Robert Klausner, Esq., State Constitutional Protections for Public Sector Retirement Benefits

Flag of Pennsylvania(April 24, 1907)

Population (2022) 12,972,008

Pennsylvania public pension statistics, per U.S. Census Bureau as of FY 2022 ($ in 000s)

Assets

$147,178,145

Active Members

459,455

Annuitants

503,151

Benefits Paid

$14,467,750

Employee Contributions

$2,052,117

Employer Contributions

$20,983,105

Systems

1,572

More Data

Other Resources