Welcome to PERS

The Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS) p​roudly serves the state of Mississippi by providing retirement benefits for individuals working in state government, public schools, universities, community colleges, municipalities, counties, the Legislature, highway patrol, and other such public entities. These retirement benefits not only help recruit and retain a strong public workforce in Mississippi, they help stimulate local economies in every county in the state and help reduce the need for social assistance.

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Announcements

A Message from Executive Director Ray Higgins

House Bill 1 was recently signed into law. This bill contained several provisions, some of which pertained to the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS). The bill included what is commonly referred to as Tier 5, which means a new benefit structure for future employees. Please know, this bill made no changes to the benefits of current members or retirees of PERS and should help by better sustaining the System long term and supporting their promised benefits. The new benefit provisions only apply to PERS-covered employees hired March 1, 2026, and later. The Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Retirement System was not included in House Bill 1. 

The bill also contained modifications to the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP), which only affects Institutions of Higher Learning, and closed the Supplemental Legislative Retirement Plan (SLRP). The closing of SLRP means that all newly elected members of the State Legislature and the President of the Senate (Lieutenant Governor) elected after March 1, 2026, will no longer be eligible for membership in SLRP and will only be members of the new PERS Tier 5.

PERS needs additional funding, as recommended by multiple actuaries, and a new benefit structure for future employees. House Bill 1 provides that new benefit structure. Over the last couple years, the PERS Board of Trustees has requested, recommended, or endorsed both of these needs on more than one occasion. I thank the Legislature for their work on the plan this year and look forward to working with them in the future for the betterment of PERS.

2025 Legislative Letter

The linked letter and attachments below were sent December 23, 2024, to Speaker of the House of Representatives Jason White, Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, Mississippi Senate Appropriations Chair Briggs Hopson, and Mississippi House Appropriations Chair John Read relaying the results of actuarial reports, in accordance with state law.

Click here to read the Letter to Legislative Leadership on ADC and Actuarial Assessments with Attachments

Track PERS-Related Legislation during the 2025 Legislative Session

PERS tracks related legislation during each session of the Mississippi Legislature. Click here to follow the 2025 session.

Guidelines for Guests

1. Guests may conduct PERS business by telephone or online. Before coming to the building, please consider calling to see if your needs can be handled by telephone or videoconference. Our numbers are 800-444-7377 and 601-359-3589. Remember, too, that our website provides many helpful resources.
   
2. Visits to PERS are by appointment only. Guests needing to discuss their accounts should call PERS to arrange a scheduled time to speak with a retirement counselor. If a teleconference or videoconference appointment is not preferred, guests will be scheduled for an appointment in person at PERS.
   
3. Please limit the number of guests accompanying you. We understand that some individuals may require an additional person for physical assistance or to provide transportation. However, we ask that you limit the number of additional people who come with you to an appointment.

 PERS Focus Sessions and group seminars, as requested by employers, are being offered virtually and in person. Please watch the Retirement Education page of our website for the availability of these events.

Thank you.

Introducing PERS Focus Session Video Series

For those who are unable to attend a live or virtual Focus Session, we have created a series of 11 videos with all the same information presented at our in-person sessions. Click here to view the complete video Focus Session series.

A Message to PERS-Covered Employers

In accordance with Senate Bill 3231, the employer contribution rate will change to 17.9 percent of payroll effective July 1, 2024.