A Senate bill that would change the way counties have to calculate cost-of-living adjustments for retirees has passed the state Senate Appropriations Committee.

This week, the committee voted unanimously to move the legislation clarifying language in the County Pension Law relative to the calculation of cost-of-living adjustments for retirees. Senate Bill 1078 was introduced by state Sen. Sean Wiley (D-Erie) on Jan. 16. It amends section 30 of the law.Robert Crampsie, county controller and secretary to the retirement board, said on Friday that the legislation, "will enable county retirement boards that have fund capacity to grant much needed relief to county retirees without jeopardizing the solvency of the fund."He told the county officials in May that the bill, if successful, would allow counties who miss giving a cost-of-living increase to retirees for a year or two to be able to pick up giving a cost-of-living increase without having to do it retroactively.Currently, the law requires counties that want to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to retired county employees, to base the increase on numbers calculated retroactively to the date of the previous cost-of-living adjustment.The bill is now in the position for a potential Senate floor vote in the near future.