If you are an active member of the MTRS, meet the Chapter 32, Section 1 definition of military veteran and you have not yet purchased your eligible military service, please read this notice!
Passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Healey on August 8, 2024, Chapter 178 of the Acts of 2024, commonly referred to as “The HERO Act,” institutes the following deadlines for the purchase of military service credit:
MTRS members must make full payment or enter into an installment agreement to purchase their military service no later than
- one year after the date on which they accumulate 10 years of creditable service, or
- August 8, 2025, whichever comes later.¹
Example 1: Joe Teacher became a member of the MTRS on 9/1/2020. Provided he continues to teach full-time, he will accumulate 10 years of service by 8/31/2030. He has until 8/31/2031 to purchase his military service credit or begin an installment payment plan. As of 9/1/2031, he will be ineligible to purchase this time.
Example 2: Mary Educator became a member of the MTRS on 9/1/2000, and already has 10 years of creditable service. She has until 8/8/2025 to purchase her military service credit or begin an installment payment plan. As of 8/9/2025, she will be ineligible to purchase this time.
Example 3: Sara Science presently has 8 years of creditable service with the MTRS. She completes payment on 2 years of out-of-state public school service on 8/31/2027, giving her a total of 10 years of creditable service. Thus, she has until 8/31/2028 to purchase her military service credit or begin an installment payment plan. As of 9/1/2028, she will be ineligible to purchase this time.
To APPLY to purchase service credit for your military service, please complete a Chapter 71 Military service purchase application and submit it to our office.
Note: If you have ALREADY received an invoice for your eligible military service but have not completed the purchase, or entered into a 5-year installment plan, you must do so before the applicable deadlines listed above. Please complete a Request for an updated invoice for a prior service purchase form and submit it to our office.
¹MTRS members who are National Guard or Reservists, who do not meet the M.G.L. c. 32 definition of veteran within one year of accumulating 10 years of creditable service in the MTRS, or who have not reached the maximum of four years of eligible military service purchase time (on a five years for one year basis) within one year of accumulating 10 years of MTRS service, will have additional time to make the purchase. They will have five years from the date on which they qualify as a veteran, or the date that they qualify for the full four-year purchase, whichever date last occurs, to make payment or enter into an installment plan agreement. It is incumbent on the member to track their military service time and earning of veteran status, not the retirement board.