This proposal is not only personal to me, it affects thousands of dedicated public servants across Florida, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, teachers, city workers, and other essential employees who have dedicated their lives to serving their communities.

I have spent over two decades proudly serving the people of this state under the Florida Retirement System (FRS), with time in both the Special Risk Pension Plan and the Investment Plan. Like many others early in their careers, I chose the Investment Plan when my salary was modest, and the flexibility seemed appealing. Over the years, as my responsibilities and earnings have grown, I have come to realize that the stability and guaranteed lifetime income of the Pension Plan is far better suited to the realities of long-term public service.

Despite that understanding, the current law prevents me — and countless others — from returning to the Pension Plan once our second election has been used, even if we are willing to transfer our entire Investment balance back to the system to cover the actuarial cost. This restriction locks long-serving employees into a retirement path that may no longer reflect their current circumstances, priorities, or understanding of financial security.

The difference between the two plans is significant. Under the Investment Plan, I would draw roughly half of what I would receive annually under the Pension Plan. That means two employees with identical years of service and dedication to the people of Florida could retire with dramatically different outcomes — not because of their service, but because of a decision made years earlier, often before they had a full understanding of its long-term implications.

This reform is not about creating new benefits or costs to the state. It is about fairness, flexibility, and fiscal responsibility. It allows public servants—police officers, firefighters, teachers, city workers, and others—to buy back into the Pension Plan using their own funds, without any burden to taxpayers or the FRS Trust Fund.

Those who have given their careers to public service deserve the opportunity to retire with security and dignity. Allowing a pension buyback option would honor that service, strengthen the FRS system, and demonstrate that Florida values the people who have devoted their lives to keeping our communities safe, educated, and functioning every single day.

Please join me in urging the Florida legislature to update the statutory language to allow this essential buyback option. Sign this petition to help bring justice and security to our public servants who have given so much to this great state.