PENSIONS see also Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA); Income

Amendments

Armed Forces: restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1963), S855 [10FE], S897, S898, S899, S901 [11FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1982), S1050, S1051, S1052, S1092, S1093, S1131 [25FE], S1168, S1178, S1179, S1180, S1181, S1182, S1184, S1185 [26FE], S1240, S1241, S1242, S1243, S1244, S1245, S1247, S1250, S1251, S1252 [27FE]

Federal employees: change default investment fund under the Thrift Savings Plan (S. 2117), S5642, S5647 [16SE]

Small business: reform funding rules for cooperative associations and small charitable employers to ensure their ability to provide pension plans to employees (S. 1302), S531, S546 [28JA]

Veterans: improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 1982), S1050, S1051, S1052, S1092, S1093, S1131 [25FE], S1168, S1178, S1179, S1180, S1181, S1182, S1184, S1185 [26FE], S1240, S1241, S1242, S1243, S1244, S1245, S1247, S1250, S1251, S1252 [27FE]

Articles and editorials

Overloaded Vets Bill Would Be a Costly Letdown (excerpt), S1147 [26FE]

Supersized Veterans’ Bill Promises Much—Mostly Broken Promises, S1162 [26FE]

Bills and resolutions

American Airlines, Inc.: allow employees to contribute recently received bankruptcy settlements into retirement accounts without incurring a tax penalty (see S. 2614), S4557 [16JY]

Armed Forces: restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (see S. 1930), S372 [15JA] (see S. 1950), S439 [16JA] (see S. 1963), S486 [27JA] (see S. 1977), S655 [30JA] (see S. 1982), S702 [3FE] (see H.R. 4134), H2097 [28FE]

Bankruptcy: improve protection for employees and retirees in municipal bankruptcies (see H.R. 5133), H6397 [17JY]

——— improve protections for employees and retirees in business bankruptcies (see S. 2589), S4404 [10JY]

Business and industry: limit ability of companies in bankruptcy to reduce or terminate wages or benefits, require continuation of health benefits, and provide information on duration of health benefits (see S. 2418), S3367 [3JN]

Dept. of Homeland Security: apply certain annuity benefits to Federal Protective Service law enforcement officers (see H.R. 5863), H9302 [11DE]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: protect individuals who are eligible for increased pension on the basis of need of regular aid and attendance from dishonest, predatory, or otherwise unlawful practices (see S. 1993), S763 [4FE] (see H.R. 5046), H6034 [9JY] (see H.R. 5708), H7995 [14NO]

Federal agencies and departments: reduce duplication and increase efficiency (see H.R. 5152), H6398 [17JY]

Federal employees: change default investment fund under the Thrift Savings Plan (see S. 2117), S1584 [12MR] (see H.R. 4193), H2301 [11MR]

——— repeal certain revised annuity employee categories within the Federal Employee Retirement System (see H.R. 5338), H7182 [31JY]

Federal firefighters: establish presumptive disability benefits for certain diseases and disabilities (see S. 2266), S2470 [29AP]

Health: provide protection for retiree health benefits (see H.R. 5523), H7675 [17SE]

Investments: establish a special rule for determining normal retirement age for certain existing defined benefit plans (see H.R. 5792), H8668 [4DE]

——— extend automatic extension of amortization periods and funding improvement and rehabilitation plan rules relative to multiemployer defined benefit pension plans (see H.R. 5773), H8225 [1DE]

——— permit multiemployer plans in critical status to modify plan rules relative to withdrawal liability (see H.R. 5802), H8669 [4DE]

——— reform the private retirement system by establishing USA Retirement Funds (see S. 1979), S655 [30JA] (see H.R. 5828), H9044 [10DE]

——— require plans to establish policies on firm-specific risks in asset management services, greater diversification in investment strategies, and inclusion of diverse asset managers and minority brokerage firms (see H.R. 5877), H9303 [11DE]

Law enforcement officers: include hours worked in excess of law enforcement availability pay limits for Federal criminal investigators in computation of annuity (see H.R. 5619), H7885 [18SE]

Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission: require a survey of Armed Forces members of their preferences relative to pay and benefits (see S. 2294), S2718 [6MY]

National Save for Retirement Week: support goals and ideals (see S. Res. 542), S5564 [11SE]

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.: clarify definition of substantial cessation of operations (see S. 2511), S3863 [19JN]

Small business: reform funding rules for cooperative associations and small charitable employers to ensure their ability to provide pension plans to employees (see H.R. 4275), H2488 [18MR]

Social Security: eliminate waiting period for entitlement to disability benefits in cases of terminally ill beneficiaries (see H.R. 4893), H5494 [18JN]

——— enhance benefits for children, divorced spouses, and widows and widowers (see S. 2455), S3544 [10JN]

——— protect system and improve benefits (see H.R. 5306), H7181 [31JY]

——— repeal the windfall elimination provision and protect the retirement of public servants (see H.R. 5697), H7978 [13NO]

SSA: improve ability to fight fraud, prevent errors, and protect the Social Security Trust Fund (see H.R. 4090), H2000 [26FE]

Taxation: allow Federal law enforcement officers and firefighters to make penalty-free withdrawals from governmental retirement savings plans after a certain age (see H.R. 4634), H4058 [9MY]

——— allow rollovers from other retirement plans into simple retirement accounts (see H.R. 5672), H7900 [19SE]

——— amend nondiscrimination provisions of Internal Revenue Code to protect older, longer service participants in qualified retirement plans (see S. 2855), S5782 [18SE] (see H.R. 5381), H7184 [31JY]

——— assist in recovery and development of the Virgin Islands by reducing tax imposed on distributions from certain retirement plans’ assets (see H.R. 3821), H72 [8JA]

——— encourage retirement savings by modifying requirements of employer-established individual retirement accounts (see H.R. 5875), H9303 [11DE]

——— exempt foreign pensions from dispositions of investment in U.S. real property (see H.R. 5251), H7039 [29JY]

——— extend tax-free distributions from individual retirement accounts for charitable purposes (see H.R. 3944), H1479 [28JA]

——— extend time period for contributing military death gratuities to Roth IRAs and Coverdell education savings accounts (see H.R. 4559), H3407 [1MY]

——— make permanent the rule allowing certain tax-free distributions from individual retirement accounts for charitable purposes (see H.R. 4619), H4015 [8MY]

——— modify certain safe harbor requirements to encourage small business to offer retirement plans and to allow individuals to save more (see S. 1970), S599 [29JA] (see H.R. 4376), H2853 [2AP]

——— protect employees in the building and construction industry who are participants in multiemployer plans (see H.R. 3837), H134 [9JA]

——— provide a tax credit to businesses that invest in American jobs, provide fair wages and benefits, employ active duty personnel, recruit veterans, and maintain a diverse workforce (see S. 2540), S4153 [26JN] (see H.R. 5372), H7184 [31JY]

——— provide an exemption from tax on early distributions for certain Bureau of Prisons correctional officers who retire before age 55 (see S. 2257), S2424 [28AP]

——— waive the penalty on qualified natural disaster distributions from qualified retirement plans (see H.R. 4403), H2961 [4AP]

Unemployment: extend unemployment benefits with offsets, reform program, terminate benefits to jobless millionaires, and eliminate overlapping benefits with the Social Security Disability Insurance program (see S. 2097), S1366 [6MR]

Veterans: improve provision of medical services and benefits (see S. 1950), S439 [16JA] (see S. 1982), S702 [3FE] (see S. 2413), S3341 [2JN]

——— increase rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain disabled veterans (see H.R. 4741), H4829 [22MY]

——— increase rates of disability compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of certain disabled veterans (see S. 2258), S2424 [28AP] (see H.R. 4095, 4096), H2000 [26FE]

Women: support equal pay, fair treatment in workplace, access to paid family and medical leave, retirement security, and fair access to business capital and Federal contracts (see H. Res. 507), H2256 [6MR]

Cloture motions

Armed Forces: restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1963), motion to proceed, S812 [6FE], S846 [10FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1982), S1168 [26FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1982), motion to proceed, S940 [12FE], S1027 [25FE]

Veterans: improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 1982), S1168 [26FE]

——— improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 1982), motion to proceed, S940 [12FE], S1027 [25FE]

Motions

Armed Forces: restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1950), S557 [29JA], S611 [30JA], S665 [3FE], S707 [4FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1963), S738 [4FE], S775 [6FE], S837 [10FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1982), S936, S940 [12FE], S978 [24FE], S1011 [25FE], S1168 [26FE], S1197, S1209 [27FE]

Veterans: improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 1950), S557 [29JA], S611 [30JA], S665 [3FE], S707 [4FE]

——— improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 1982), S936, S940 [12FE], S978 [24FE], S1011 [25FE], S1168 [26FE], S1197, S1209 [27FE]

Press releases

Commander—Keep Senate Bill Focused on Vets: American Legion, S1159 [26FE]

Remarks in House

Armed Forces: restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment, H208 [14JA], H1739–H1741 [11FE], H4546 [20MY]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment by closing tax loopholes for offshore corporations (H.R. 3793), H138 [10JA]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment for disabled veterans, H251 [15JA]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (H.R. 3804), H85 [9JA]

Benefits: reform multiemployer pension plan system, H9281–H9284, H9286 [11DE]

Dept. of the Treasury: prevent bailouts of certain public pension systems, H6279, H6280 [15JY]

Federal employees: change default investment fund under the Thrift Savings Plan (H.R. 4193), H6162–H6164 [14JY]

Investments: extend automatic extension of amortization periods and funding improvement and rehabilitation plan rules relative to multiemployer defined benefit pension plans (H.R. 5773), E1680 [1DE]

Members of Congress: increase the number of years of service required to be vested in an annuity under the Federal Employees Retirement System (H.R. 2357), H2648 [26MR]

Postal Service: recalculate and restore retirement annuity obligations, eliminate Retiree Health Benefits Fund prefunding requirement, restrict closure of facilities, create innovation incentives, and maintain level of service (H.R. 630), H7981 [14NO]

Roads and highways: extend Federal-aid highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, transit, and other Highway Trust Fund-funded programs through reductions in private-sector pensions guarantees, H6257 [15JY]

SEC: protect retail customers from differing standards of conduct for brokers and investment advisers and confusion from rule changes (H.R. 2374), H7110 [30JY]

Small business: reform funding rules for cooperative associations and small charitable employers to ensure their ability to provide pension plans to employees (H.R. 4275), H2577–H2589 [24MR]

SSA: improve ability to fight fraud, prevent errors, and protect the Social Security Trust Fund (H.R. 4090), E251 [26FE]

Taxation: make permanent the rule allowing certain tax-free distributions from individual retirement accounts for charitable purposes, H6361, H6366, H6371 [17JY]

——— making expired tax provisions permanent without offset, H6369, H6370 [17JY]

——— provide for comprehensive tax reform (H.R. 1), E1800 [12DE]

——— provide for continued eligibility for the health care tax credit for Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., pension recipients eligible for the credit, H2464 [14MR]

Veterans: expand eligibility for concurrent receipt of military retired pay or combat-related compensation with service-connected disability benefits and eliminate phase-in period for such benefits (H.R. 333), E1531 [12NO]

——— improve provision of medical services and benefits, H5195 [10JN]

Remarks in Senate

American Airlines, Inc.: allow employees to contribute recently received bankruptcy settlements into retirement accounts without incurring a tax penalty (S. 2614), S6517 [10DE], S6683 [11DE]

Armed Forces: restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment, S43 [7JA], S195 [9JA], S274 [13JA], S305 [14JA], S779 [6FE], S929, S932, S933, S937 [12FE], S988 [24FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment by closing tax loopholes for offshore corporations, S127 [8JA], S211 [9JA]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment by closing tax loopholes for offshore corporations (S. 1844), S129 [8JA]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment by requiring inclusion of Social Security numbers as a condition of claiming the refundable portion of the child tax credit, S53–S57, S61–S63 [7JA], S88 [8JA], S208 [9JA], S302, S307–S309 [14JA], S841 [10FE], S861–S863, S872, S878, S879, S883 [11FE], S925, S929 [12FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1856), S882 [11FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1950), S445–S447, S458 [16JA], S467 [27JA], S2064–S2066 [2AP], S2759, S2760 [7MY]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1950), motion to proceed, S557 [29JA], S611 [30JA], S665 [3FE], S707 [4FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1950), unanimous-consent request, S1506, S1507 [11MR], S1759 [26MR], S2065 [2AP], S2759 [7MY]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1963), S492 [27JA], S493 [28JA], S936 [12FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1963), motion to proceed, S738 [4FE], S812 [6FE], S837, S840–S843, S845–S847 [10FE], S860–S863, S866, S867, S870, S872, S876–S879, S882–S885 [11FE], S915, S924, S925, S929 [12FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1977), S658 [30JA], S665 [3FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1982), S705 [3FE], S708 [4FE], S867–S870, S882 [11FE], S1168 [26FE], S1187–S1191, S1193–S1201, S1204–S1207, S1209, S1210, S1218 [27FE], S1331 [6MR], S2310–S2312 [9AP], S3319 [2JN]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1982), motion to proceed, S936, S940 [12FE], S1011, S1020–S1032, S1035–S1039 [25FE], S1134, S1140–S1148, S1150–S1163, S1165–S1168 [26FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1982), unanimous-consent agreement, S1169 [26FE]

——— restore full working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (S. 1982), unanimous-consent request, S3262, S3264 [22MY]

Benefits: reform multiemployer pension plan system, S6719 [12DE]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: delay expansion of medical services to veterans with no service-connected disability or income above means-tested threshold until GAO certifies that resources can accommodate increased enrollment, S1024–S1032 [25FE], S1146, S1161–S1163 [26FE], S1205 [27FE]

——— offset increased medical services and benefits funding by capping Dept. of Defense overseas contingency operations account funding, S1204, S1206 [27FE]

Federal employees: change default investment fund under the Thrift Savings Plan (H.R. 4193), S6580 [10DE]

——— change default investment fund under the Thrift Savings Plan (S. 2117), S5647 [16SE]

Investments: reform the private retirement system by establishing ‘‘my retirement accounts (MyRA)’’, S1568 [12MR]

——— reform the private retirement system by establishing USA Retirement Funds (S. 1979), S838–S840 [10FE]

Iran: impose and expand sanctions for violations of interim Joint Plan of Action on nuclear weapons or failure to reach final agreement, S1151–S1160 [26FE]

Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission: require a survey of Armed Forces members of their preferences relative to pay and benefits (S. 2294), S2721 [6MY]

National Save for Retirement Week: support goals and ideals (S. Res. 542), S5571 [11SE]

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: prohibit funding to implement and apply savings to restoring working-age military retiree cost-of-living adjustment, S423 [16JA]

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.: clarify definition of substantial cessation of operations (S. 2511), S5647–S5649 [16SE], S5687 [17SE]

Small business: reform funding rules for cooperative associations and small charitable employers to ensure their ability to provide pension plans to employees (S. 1302), S545–S554 [28JA]

Social Security: enhance benefits for children, divorced spouses, and widows and widowers (S. 2455), S3546–S3548 [10JN]

——— protect system and improve benefits, S6834 [15DE]

——— strengthen by reforming the benefit formula and the calculation of cost-of-living adjustments and improving the long-term condition of the trust fund (S. 567), S1043 [25FE]

Taxation: expand and permanently extend health care tax credit available to laid-off employees receiving trade adjustment assistance and retirees receiving Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., payments, S3017 [14MY]

——— modify certain safe harbor requirements to encourage small business to offer retirement plans and to allow individuals to save more (S. 1970), S600, S601 [29JA]

Veterans: benefits funding, S3264–S3266 [22MY]

——— improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 1950), S445–S447, S458 [16JA], S467 [27JA], S2064–S2066 [2AP], S2759, S2760 [7MY]

——— improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 1950), motion to proceed, S557 [29JA], S611 [30JA], S665 [3FE], S707 [4FE]

——— improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 1950), unanimous-consent request, S1506, S1507 [11MR], S1759 [26MR], S2065 [2AP], S2759 [7MY]

——— improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 1982), S705 [3FE], S708 [4FE], S867, S882 [11FE], S1168 [26FE], S1187–S1191, S1193–S1201, S1204–S1207, S1209, S1210, S1218 [27FE], S1331 [6MR], S2310–S2312 [9AP], S3319 [2JN]

——— improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 1982), motion to proceed, S936, S940 [12FE], S1011, S1020–S1032, S1035–S1039 [25FE], S1134, S1140–S1148, S1150–S1163, S1165–S1168 [26FE]

——— improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 1982), unanimous-consent agreement, S1169 [26FE]

——— improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 1982), unanimous-consent request, S3262, S3264 [22MY]

——— improve provision of medical services and benefits (S. 2413), S3395 [4JN], S3434, S3457–S3460 [5JN]

Reports filed

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., Definition of Substantial Cessation of Operations Clarification: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (Senate) (S. 2511), S5374 [8SE]

Permanent IRA Charitable Contribution Act: Committee on Ways and Means (House) (H.R. 4619) (H. Rept. 113–496), H5816 [26JN]

Smart Savings Act: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Senate) (S. 2117), S5216 [31JY]

——— Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Senate) (S. 2117) (S. Rept. 113–244), S5373 [8SE]

——— Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (House) (H.R. 4193) (H. Rept. 113–507), H5823 [30JN]

Texts of

H. Con. Res. 81, corrections in enrollment of S. 25, South Utah Valley Electric Conveyance Act, H1759 [11FE]

H.R. 4193, Smart Savings Act, H6162 [14JY]

H.R. 4275, Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act, H2577–H2588 [24MR]

S. 25, South Utah Valley Electric Conveyance Act, S934 [12FE], H1739 [11FE]

S. 1302, Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act, S546–S554 [28JA]

S. 2117, Smart Savings Act, S5647 [16SE]

S. 2258, Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, S5571 [11SE], H7587 [16SE]

S. 2511, clarify Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. definition of substantial cessation of operations, S5647 [16SE]

S. 2540, Patriot Employer Tax Credit Act, S4156–S4158 [26JN]

S. 2589, Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act, S4410–S4414 [10JY]

S. 2614, allow American Airlines, Inc., employees to contribute recently received bankruptcy settlements into retirement accounts without incurring a tax penalty, S6518 [10DE]

S. Res. 542, support goals and ideals of National Save for Retirement Week, S5565 [11SE]