Editor’s Note: In December 2024, LASERS and TRSL sent a joint letter to Sen. John Kennedy, encouraging him to support the Social Security Fairness Act in the Senate. Read the letter.
WEP/GPO Repeal Bill Awaits Final Vote in U.S. Senate
December 18, 2024
On Wednesday, December 18, the Senate approved cloture for the Social Security Fairness Act on a 73 to 27 vote, paving the way for a final vote.
U.S. House Passes WEP/GPO Repeal Bill, Heads to Senate
November 15, 2024
On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a bill that aims to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which can reduce Social Security benefits for LASERS members and other public employees.
The bill, H.R. 82—also known as the Social Security Fairness Act—was introduced in early January 2023 and eventually gained bipartisan support with over 300 cosponsors. In September 2024, Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Garret Graves (R-LA) filed a discharge petition, seeking to move the bill out of committee and force a floor vote. House leadership put H.R. 82 to a vote on Tuesday, November 12. It passed by a vote of 327 to 75. The bill now heads to the Senate, with just weeks left in the current Congress.
You can track the bill’s progress at www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/housebill/82.
As always, we encourage you to contact your representatives directly regarding HR 82.
We also encourage members to join RSEA. The organization advocates for active and retired state employees, focusing on protecting retirement benefits and keeping members informed on legislative issues that may impact their retirement security.
Learn more about the Social Security offsets and the federal efforts to repeal the WEP and GPO here on our website.
