Philadelphia Home Rule Charter art. VI, ch. 6 — BOARD OF PENSIONS AND RETIREMENT | Philadelphia Home Rule Charter (2026 Code: The Philadelphia Code and Home Rule Charter current through October 8, 2026) — City of Philadelphia

Philadelphia Home Rule Charter § 6-600 Pension and Retirement System.

§ 6-600. Pension and Retirement System. Within one year after the effective date of this charter, the Board of Pensions and Retirement shall prepare with the aid of the Law Department and submit to the Council for its consideration and enactment a comprehensive, fair and actuarially sound pension and retirement system covering all officers and employees of the City except that any system proposed and ordained shall not impair or diminish rights of officers and employees under any pension and retirement systems in force at the time of the adoption of this charter and except that separate systems shall be maintained for City police officers and firefighters as long as payments by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of funds from taxes paid upon premiums by foreign casualty and fire insurance companies render it desirable. ANNOTATION Sources: No specific source. Purposes: A fair and actuarially sound pension and retirement system for all City officers and employees is a pressing City need. See Annotation to Section 2-308. The Board of Pensions and Retirement which is established to administer such a system is required to prepare legislation providing for such a system within one year after the effective date of this Charter and to submit it for Council's consideration and enactment. Since many City employees are presently covered by some form of pension or retirement system, any new system is not to impair or diminish their rights. City policemen and firemen belong to privately organized corporations which provide them with certain pension and retirement benefits. Such associations are supported by funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from taxes paid on premiums by foreign casualty and fire insurance companies. Any over-all system would have to take account of such private pension and retirement systems and separate systems for firemen and policemen are authorized as long as the State's contributions render it desirable. Notes 245 | Amended by approval of the voters at the election held on May 17, 2022, and certified on June 6, 2022. See Bill No. 220001 (approved February 25, 2022); Resolution No. 220009 (adopted February 24, 2022).

Philadelphia Home Rule Charter § 6-601 Administration of Pensions and Retirement Benefits.

§ 6-601. Administration of Pensions and Retirement Benefits. The Board of Pensions and Retirement shall administer the pension and retirement systems of the City and shall examine and make recommendations as to the administration of any separate pension and retirement systems to which the City makes appropriations even though such systems are incorporated. ANNOTATION Sources: No specific source. Purposes: The City pension and retirement system is to be administered by a separate agency, the Board of Pensions and Retirement, for it will be a vast and complex operation. The Board could not be given jurisdiction as a matter of law to administer private pension and retirement systems unless the City had some direct interest in such systems, such as through appropriations made to them. However, since there is no established City policy in this respect, and since City appropriations may constitute but a small part of the income of private pension and retirement systems, the only requirement imposed is that the Board shall examine such systems and make recommendations as to their administration. Such recommendations may be made mandatory by ordinance as a condition of receiving City appropriations.