MS HB1046

Members of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), Supplemental Legislative Retirement Plan (SLRP), and Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Retirement System (MHSPRS) who are convicted of felonies involving $50,000 or more in public funds committed on or after July 1, 2026, will forfeit their retirement benefits.

A court must conduct a separate civil hearing to determine if forfeiture conditions are met, with notice provided to the member and named beneficiaries before issuing a termination and forfeiture order.

Forfeiture does not take effect until all appeals are concluded or the appeal period expires, with the Attorney General certifying when this requirement is satisfied.

Terminated members receive a refund of their own contributions without interest, but lose all creditable service and cannot repurchase that service; retired members already receiving benefits have payments stopped but keep amounts received prior to termination.

Any ambiguity about whether forfeiture applies must be resolved in favor of the member, and the retirement system is shielded from liability when acting in good faith reliance on court orders and Attorney General determinations.