Two bills recently passed the Alabama Legislature that will give lump-sum bonuses to retired state employees and teachers.

State Sen. Greg Albritton’s (R-Atmore) Senate Bill 111 received final legislative approval on Wednesday. The bill grants beneficiaries of the Employees’ Retirement System a longevity bonus of $2 per month for each year of service attained by the retiree.

Senate Bill 30, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro), achieves the same for beneficiaries of the Teachers’ Retirement System.

According to Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper), the bonuses were made possible due to the upper chamber’s fiscally conservative budgetary practices.

“We are proud to be able to deliver these one-time bonuses for Alabama’s retired teachers and state employees,” stated Reed. “The Senate’s commonsense, conservative fiscal approach has made these bonuses possible, and I’m grateful for the hard work of my colleagues in getting this important relief for retirees over the finish line on a bipartisan basis. I commend Leader Singleton and Chairman Albritton for their leadership on this legislation. As all Alabamians battle the soaring cost of inflation, we will continue to work to put more money back in the pockets of hardworking families, retirees, and small businesses across our state.”

Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) advised that the one-time bonuses were necessary due to retirees’ facing hardship stemming from decades high inflation.

“The challenges brought upon by the Covid-19 pandemic and record-high inflation rates have created several hardships for many Alabamians, especially those individuals who are living on fixed incomes,” said Scofield. “I am pleased that my colleagues in the Senate pushed these important efforts to provide timely relief and support to those who are struggling to make ends meet.”

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL