Updated October 30, 2026. Quick answer: Kentucky State Police Retirement System (SPRS) has no automatic COLA: the General Assembly alone holds the authority to grant one. The last retiree COLA, a 1.5% ongoing increase, took effect in July 2011. A 2027 COLA is not set yet, so there is no 2027 effective month.
Who can grant an SPRS COLA
The Kentucky Public Pensions Authority (KPPA) COLA page says: “the Kentucky General Assembly (and not the KPPA Board or the Governor) actually holds the authority to grant COLAs under” “Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 61.691” and “KRS 78.5518”. The KPPA Retiree Handbook states: “All COLAs to KPPA recipients must be enacted by the General Assembly.”
When a COLA is allowed
KPPA describes the SPRS route: “the General Assembly can appropriate sufficient funds or direct payment of funds to fully pre-fund the COLA for KERS or SPRS members in the year the increase is provided, or the General Assembly can authorize a COLA for KERS or SPRS retired members if the funding ratio of KERS or SPRS is greater than 100%, in which case the COLA would be paid for by the surplus amount in the relevant pension fund.” On the surplus route KPPA says: “The first scenario for granting retiree COLAs does not currently apply to any system.”
The last increase
KPPA states: “The last retiree Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), or an ongoing retirement payment increase of 1.5% to account for cost-of-living changes, took effect in July 2011.” The sources do not name the act that set it, and the KPPA page is undated.
Who is left out
This page covers SPRS retirees, the uniformed Kentucky State Police officers. KPPA notes that retirees of one system may receive a COLA while another system’s retirees would not, and the CERS process is separate and not covered here.
Where 2027 stands
No 2027 SPRS COLA is set yet: only the Kentucky General Assembly can authorize one, and this page updates when KPPA publishes it. The KPPA page shows no 2027 COLA and says: “Because COLAs can only be authorized by legislation, retired members may want to contact their state legislator” “to discuss the possibility of a COLA being authorized during a legislative session.” The June 30, 2025 SPRS actuarial valuation lists “Post-retirement pension benefit adjustments 0.00%”. The Kentucky statute text was not read for this page.
Common mistakes
- Expecting a yearly SPRS COLA. KPPA says the General Assembly, not the KPPA Board or the Governor, holds the authority to grant one.
- Counting on a surplus. KPPA says the surplus route does not currently apply to any system.
- Assuming the 1.5% repeats. It took effect in July 2011, and the sources show no later increase.
Related: Kentucky SPRS retirement decisions, how public pension decisions work, and whether Kentucky taxes pensions.
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Answer againSources
- Kentucky Public Pensions Authority, Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs): www.kyret.ky.gov
- Kentucky Public Pensions Authority, Retiree Handbook: kyret.ky.gov
- Kentucky Public Pensions Authority, State Police Retirement System Actuarial Valuation as of June 30, 2025: www.kyret.ky.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): IRS Tax Topic 410, Pensions and annuities: www.irs.gov
- Related official page (not quoted): IRS Tax Topic 411, Pensions: the General Rule and the Simplified Method: www.irs.gov
Read from the primary documents linked above on October 30, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer or the IRS itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.