Legislative update
OPERS opposes deferred retirement plan as proposed in House bill
By Michael Pramik, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System
Aug. 28, 2025 – Ohio House Bill 73 proposes that OPERS be mandated to offer a Deferred Retirement Option Plan, or DROP, exclusively for the Law Enforcement division, which includes deputy sheriffs and a host of other classifications that have been added over the years.
OPERS opposes this proposal because it would require us to unnecessarily devote money and resources toward building a new program that would be accessible only to a small percentage of our members. The OPERS Law Enforcement division comprises approximately 8,000 members out of the total 300,000 active OPERS membership.
A DROP allows retirement-eligible members to accumulate an additional benefit for retirement while continuing to work. This benefit currently is offered by only two of the five Ohio retirement systems: the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund and the Ohio Highway Patrol Retirement System.
OPERS believes there is no need to create a program that is inferior to the options that we currently offer. OPERS LE members can replace a greater percentage of their final average salary than the other public safety-focused systems. In addition, for retired members who are re-employed in an OPERS-covered position, a combination of a Partial Lump Sum Option Payment, or PLOP, and paying into a Money Purchase Annuity is a better financial option than a DROP.
Michael Pramik
Michael Pramik is communication strategist for the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System and editor of the PERSpective blog. As an experienced business journalist, he clarifies complex pension policies and helps members make smart choices to secure their retirement.
This is ridiculous. The legislation needs to stay out of OPERS. Making something mandated for less thank 5 percent of membership is nonsense. Then again politicians are usually idiotic
Because I took a medical retirement from Law Enforcement , why can I not work any other type of job or career that is OPERS related? I hate to turn down a good paying job because it is OPERS related. My retirement and todays economy is hard on one income and I don’t have fine jewelry or expensive car. An try to pay cash vs being in debt for home expenses
I believe that the OPERS should prioritize the 300,000 members that are retired or currently paying into OPERS.
To utilize a disproportionate amount of resources to appease less than 3% of the people would not be a prudent use of resources.
I wish to thank OPERS Board and management in wisely protecting
over 97% of it’s membership.
As a prison worker that now has to work more than what I was promised when I began my career where we were looking for parity with police as our cliental come from them and Trauma rates are highest in research. I would ne enraged if these actions placed a further burden on the system that I already am mad at.