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For agency heads and human resources professionals
OPSRP Police and Fire retirement age changing in 2025
Effective January 1, 2025, the normal retirement age for Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP) Police and Fire job classification members who have fewer than 25 years of service will decrease from 60 to 55, per House Bill (HB) 4045 (2024).
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When they have 25 or more years of service, they can retire at age 53. That has not changed.
OPSRP Police and Fire earliest retirement age remains the same (50 years old).
To be able to retire with Police and Fire benefits, an OPSRP member’s last 60 months of service credit before reaching normal retirement age must be for service as a police officer or firefighter. If they do not have 60 months of service in the Police and Fire job classification, they can retire with OPSRP General Service benefits based on years of service (30+) or age (shown below).
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OPSRP normal retirement ages
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Job classification
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Years of service
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Normal retirement age (full benefits)
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Earliest retirement age (reduced benefits)
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OPSRP Police and Fire
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25 or more
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53*
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n/a**
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24 or less
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55* (as of 1/1/2025)
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50*
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OPSRP General Service
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30 or more
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58
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n/a**
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29 or less
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65
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55
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*For OPSRP members, employee’s last 60 months of service credit preceding retirement must be for service as a police officer or firefighter to qualify for retirement at this age with Police and Fire benefits.
**Early retirement is not applicable because, with that many years of service, the member’s retirement is a normal retirement with full benefits.
What this means for employers
OPSRP Police and Fire employees who were not eligible to retire in the next five years are now eligible to retire next year. They do not have to wait until January 1 to apply for retirement — they can apply now. That is because prospective retirees can apply for retirement up to 90 days before their chosen retirement date. Their retirement date must be on the first of a month.
To help guide your employees through the retirement process, read employer reporting guide 16, Reporting a Retirement, specifically “Part 2 — Helping Employees Prepare for Retirement Throughout Their Careers,” section “Stage 7: Three Months Before Retirement.”
Because retiring at age 55 (with 60 months of Police and Fire service credit) after January 1, 2025, is not an early retirement, most of these retirees may work for a PERS-participating employer after retirement with no hourly restrictions, if they choose. Learn more in employer reporting guide 8, Hiring a PERS Retiree.
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For finance officers
New rates and valuations available this month
Contribution rates increasing July 2025
New employer contribution rates for the 2025-27 biennium will be available by mid-October.
Every even-numbered year, before they can finalize the next year’s rates, PERS’ consulting actuaries from Milliman must present the new rates for approval by the PERS Board. That presentation was at the board’s October 4 meeting.
When the list of Tier One/Tier Two and OPSRP General Service and Police and Fire rates for every individual employer are ready, we will inform you by email. We will include a link to the PERS Contribution Rates webpage, which will list new contribution rates for all employers. (Note: new rates are not posted yet).
Actuarial valuation reports coming later this month
Milliman is now preparing the PERS system-side actuarial valuation report and the individual employer actuarial valuation reports. When they are ready later this month, the reports will be posted in zip files* that are linked on the PERS website for you to download.
When the files are posted, PERS Actuarial team will send you a News Bite email announcement, complete with instructions for download. If you know of a fellow employer who does not receive emails from PERS, advise them to go to the GovDelivery website, enter their email address, and make sure they are subscribed to the Employer News/Employer Announcements topic.
If you are new to reading and interpreting the valuation report, we have useful employer guides for each employer pool on the Unfunded Actuarial Resolution Educational Guides webpage.
*A zip file is a file format that enables you to deliver multiple files in one downloadable file. To retrieve your actuarial valuation, you will click the zip file on the PERS website to save it to a folder on your desktop or server, then open the file, keep the valuation or valuations that you need, and delete the zip file.
Summary of 2023 actuarial valuation results
Contribution rates increasing
July 1, 2025
- Average collared net employer contribution rates will increase 4.08% of payroll. Collared net rates are paid by new employer contributions.
- Average collared base rates will increase 1.47% of payroll. Collared base employer rates are paid by new employer contributions and/or side account transfers.
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Factors affecting July 2025-27 contribution rate calculations
Unexpected growth in payroll was a major factor
- Collared base rate increase was largely driven by changes to the payroll increase assumption adopted with the 2022 Experience Study. This contributed to 1.00% increase in OPSRP collared UAL rate; also increased normal cost rates.
- The collared Tier One/Tier Two UAL rate is unchanged for School Districts Pool and State and Local Government Rate Pool (SLGRP).
- System-wide payroll grew by more than 20% in the two years since the last rate-setting valuation. This reduces the average rate offset for employer side accounts.
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2023 funded status
Learn about funded status in the Guide to Financial Modeling, section “Funded Status.”
- Year-end 2023 funded status excluding side accounts is 72%, down from 73% at year-end 2022.
- Year-end 2023 funded status including side accounts is 77%, down from 79% at year-end 2022.
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For employer reporters
Avoid suspended records and reports: check part-time employees’ 2024 hours
As the end of 2024 approaches, it’s time to check your part-time employees' hours to ensure they are in line with their position type. If a nonqualifying employee exceeds 599 hours or if a qualifying employee will not reach 600 hours, you need to ask PERS to change their position type.
How to check an employee’s hours for that calendar year
To find the hours to date that your part-time employees have worked for all their employers, use the Eligibility Reports function in EDX and run both types of reports, which are explained in employer reporting guide 24, Running Reports, pages 6 and 7.
If corrective action is needed
If either report reveals that an employee needs to have their position type changed to active service or nonqualifying service, submit a Demographic Correction Request (DCR) requesting to have their position type changed for that year. For instructions, read employer reporting guide 20, Creating a Demographic Correction Request (DCR).
Invoicing
Once a position type is changed to active service, you may be invoiced for contributions on that employees’ wages back to hire date, contribution start date, or beginning of the year.
Once a position type is changed to nonqualifying service, you may be refunded the contributions you paid on that employee’s wages.
Employer Service Center (ESC): 888-320-7377. Select option 1 and then option 2 to reach ESC. 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).
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For HR professionals
PERS Expo materials still available
For any PERS members who missed all or part of the October 1 PERS Expo event — expo materials are available on the PERS Expo website (hosted by the Engagez events platform) until the end of the year.
Materials include checklists, videos, interview panels, and recordings that are chock-full of information to help PERS members understand their benefits and the retirement process.
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For employer reporters
EDX and OMS offline October 12 and 13
Employer Data Exchange (EDX) and Online Member Services (OMS) are undergoing a routine system upgrade on October 12 and 13. The upgrade will be seamless to users and does not include any performance improvements.
On that Saturday and Sunday, PERS employers and members will not be able to log in to OMS or EDX. Please plan ahead to post reports early that will be due on those dates, if possible.
If you need help, contact your Employer Service Center representative.
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Need help?
Contact the Employer Service Center to ask questions and get one-on-one reporting help.
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