California lawmakers push bills to boost police and firefighter retirement and pay

California State Legislature is advancing three bills that would increase compensation and retirement benefits for police officers, California Highway Patrol members and Cal Fire firefighters. AB 1383 would let public‑safety employees retire at age 55 instead of 57 and permit unions to negotiate formulas that could add up to 3 % of salary per year of service, while also raising the cap on pension‑able earnings to $249,000. AB 1054 creates a deferred‑retirement account allowing officers and firefighters to cash out a lump‑sum when they leave. AB 2129 seeks to raise Cal Fire firefighters’ wages through a new pay formula.

Lawmakers have passed the measures with bipartisan majorities, but officials warn the proposals could add hundreds of millions of dollars to annual spending and increase the state’s long‑term pension liabilities by billions, complicating Governor Gavin Newsom’s effort to close an anticipated budget deficit. Critics compare the plan to pension expansions enacted during the Gray Davis administration that preceded California’s pension crisis, while supporters argue the changes compensate workers facing physically demanding, career‑shortening jobs.