Senate Nears First-Turn Vote on Special Pensions for Community Health Agents

Overview

• The Senate completed the fourth of five required plenary discussion sessions for the constitutional amendment on Thursday, making a first-turn vote before the mid-July recess possible.
• The PEC would give community health agents and endemic-control agents retirement with minimum ages of 57 for women and 60 for men, subject to 25 years of contribution and effective exercise in the role.
• Transition rules in the text would allow some workers to retire earlier, from about age 50 for women and 52 for men, and the proposal guarantees integrality and parity which raise benefit levels to match active civil servants.
• Cost estimates differ widely: the Ministry of Previdência projects an actuarial impact of roughly R$27 billion over ten years while municipal and federation figures cited reach R$69 billion when added deficits and increased spending are included.
• Senate President Davi Alcolumbre has pledged to follow the five-session rule before a first-turn vote and to propose a special, shortened calendar for the second turn if the PEC passes first turn, with approval requiring 49 votes in each of two rounds.