CERTAIN RETIREES RETURNING TO WORK

Returning peace officers keep pensions with limits

The law expands New Mexico’s special public-safety rehiring rules to include state employees who maintain public order or make arrests. Eligible public pension retirees can receive salary and pension payments together for up to 36 consecutive months. They must have retired before December 31, 2023, and start reemployment before July 1, 2027. They need at least 90 consecutive days away from the public employer they retired from. The listed public-safety job must have a vacancy rate of at least 10% when they are hired. Retirees earn no new pension service credit, and both they and their employers must make retirement contributions without refunds. Returning retirees have no shift-selection seniority from their earlier employment. Employers must track hiring, separation, prior jobs, salary and monthly vacancy rates. Budget-driven layoffs must affect returning retirees before regular employees. Reemployment has no overall time limit, but concurrent pension payments have the 36-month cap.