NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee law passed in the state House and Senate was signed by the Governor on July 20 in an effort to address staffing shortages in Tennessee schools.
SB2702/HB2783 allows retired members of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System to unretire and come back to work as K-12 teachers, substitute teachers, or K-12 bus drivers.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) in the Senate, would allow the retired members to come back to work for a year (to be renewed annually if needed) instead of the current 120-day allowance.
"Many retirees are already helping their local school districts and want to continue to help, but are being held back by current requirements," Sen. Yager said in a statement about the bill passing. "This bill temporarily removes those barriers to provide much-needed support in our schools. The companion bill has passed the House and I’m appreciative of Rep. Rebecca Alexander (R-Jonesborough) for her strong support.”
Retired workers who come back to work would not have their benefits suspended or lost for returning to work.