Puerto Rico’s Senate approved a bill letting towns hire retired state police without cutting their pensions, Metro Puerto Rico, a local news outlet, reported on Thursday evening, 12 November 2026. We could not confirm the vote in the Senate’s records, and no report says Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives has voted or the governor has signed.
Senate Bill 1595 was filed by Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz at the request of the Federación de Alcaldes, a mayors’ association, El Nuevo Día, a Puerto Rican daily, reported. It would create a programme called VALOR, for Veteranos en Apoyo a la Labor de Orden y Resguardo, or Veterans Supporting Order and Protection Work, and the federation is led by Mayor Gabriel Hernández Rodríguez of Camuy, on the island’s north coast.
—What. Senate Bill 1595 would let towns hire retired state police as municipal officers.
—Pension. Retirees would keep their pensions and earn no new pension rights from the job.
—Who qualifies. At least one year retired, no disability pension, and passing physical, mental and police tests.
—Social Security. Applicants need 27 to 39 Social Security credits (work quarters) and could earn more on the job.
—Status. Senate approval was reported on 12 November; House and governor steps are not reported.
The bill would put experienced retired officers back on patrol in towns that say they lack staff. Its filed text aims to match the officer’s base salary at retirement, within a cap.
What the Bill Does
Retirees of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau who left by age or years of service and have been out at least a year could apply. Those who retired on a disability pension are excluded.
Applicants would have to pass physical, mental, psychological and police-knowledge tests run by the state police, which would have 60 days to rule on a complete application. The bill sets no minimum or maximum age.
Mayors would appoint the retirees as municipal officers on written contracts of up to one year, with rank, uniform, badge and arrest powers. Taking part would be voluntary for both the retiree and the town.
The Capitol in San Juan, where Puerto Rico’s Senate and House of Representatives sit. Photo: Mtmelendez, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsHow Retirees Would Be Paid
The bill as filed on 20 October sets a pay floor and a cap, according to its text on the Senate’s website. The retiree’s pension plus the town’s payment may not be less than a reference salary, and the town pays the difference.
The town’s payment may never exceed what the municipality pays for the officer’s rank, and it must meet minimum wage and overtime rules, the text says. Retirees would keep the full pension, and the service would not create a new pension.
Why It Matters
Hernández, the federation’s president, told Primera Hora, a Puerto Rican daily, that towns need people to cover shifts, checkpoints, patrols and emergency calls. He says experienced officers can add to that capacity without giving up their pensions.
The bill also lets retirees complete federal Social Security credits they did not earn during their police careers, if the municipal job carries Social Security coverage. Social Security is a US federal programme, so the measure touches US citizens in a US territory as well as the island’s own town budgets.
We covered another Senate decision this week in Puerto Rico Senate Moves to Keep Tax Zones. Background is in our Puerto Rico coverage and Puerto Rico history explainer.
What Is Not Known
We could not confirm the Senate vote in the Senate’s own records, and the text we read is the version filed on 20 October. No cost estimate for town budgets has been reported, and it is unknown how many retirees would apply.
What to Watch Next
Watch for a House vote and the governor’s decision. The final text in the legislature’s online tracking system, SUTRA, will show whether the Senate changed the pay rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can retired Puerto Rico police work as municipal police without losing their pension?
Under Senate Bill 1595, yes: they would keep their pensions. The bill has passed the Senate, according to Metro Puerto Rico, but it is not law.
Who could join the VALOR programme?
Retirees who left by age or years of service, have been out at least a year, hold no disability pension and pass the tests. Each town and each retiree would choose whether to take part.
Sources: Puerto Rico Senate, text of Senate Bill 1595 as filed, 20 October 2026; Metro Puerto Rico, 12 November 2026; El Nuevo Día, report on Senate Bill 1595; Primera Hora, 25 October 2026; Puerto Rico legislature, SUTRA tracking system.