[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 76 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            BE FAIR TO OUR NATION'S POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS

  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I will be introducing a bill that is 
aimed at benefiting our Nation's police officers and firefighters. My 
bill will rescind the dollar limitation on police and firefighter 
benefit laws allowing these employees to collect the money that they 
have rightfully earned by contributing to their benefit fund, to their 
pension fund.
  Currently, under section 415 of the Tax Code, police officers and 
firefighters are not eligible to collect the funds that they have 
earned and instead are required to retire with benefits generally based 
on the percentage of their highest 3-year salary average. Regrettably 
the average in most instances does not exceed 65 or 75 percent. Thus 
many officers living along the east coast or in large metropolitan and 
surrounding suburban areas throughout our Nation are forced to work 
past their general retirement age in order to afford the high cost of 
living in these areas.
  This bill will not initiate a tax revenue loss. In fact, under my 
bill, we would gain Federal revenues due to the disbursement of 
previously uncollected funds to retirees.
  I invite my colleagues to support this measure. Let us be fair to 
those who day in and day out place their lives on the line for our 
protection.

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