Introduction of A Bill to Allow Certain Individuals with Prior Service Under the District of Columbia Retirement System to Make Deposits Towards Annuities Under the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees Retirement System, and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce a bill to correct a retirement issue for several categories of workers who used to be under the District of Columbia retirement system.

In 1997, Congress transferred several categories of workers who participated in D.C.'s defined contribution plan from 1987 to 1997 to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). However, these workers' service from 1987 to 1997 was not counted for purposes of creditable service or annuity amount in FERS. In 2009, Congress gave these employees the right to have this service counted for creditable service.

My bill would correct this last retirement issue for these public servants. It would allow these workers to buy into the FERS annuity amount for 1987 to 1997 by paying 1.3 percent of their base pay plus interest, essentially the employee contribution for this time, which would give them the full retirement benefit to which they are entitled.

Our bill is an important step to assist these workers in getting the retirement benefits they deserve. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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