SJ0061 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0061 LRB102 28974 RPS 40873 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States of America has enacted both the Government Pension Offset, which reduces the spouse and survivor Social Security benefit, and the Windfall Elimination Provision, which reduces the earned Social Security benefit payable to any person who also receives a public pension benefit; and

WHEREAS, The Government Pension Offset negatively affects a spouse or survivor receiving a federal, state, or local government retirement or pension benefit who would also be entitled to a Social Security benefit earned by a spouse; and

WHEREAS, The Government Pension Offset formula unfairly reduces the spouse or survivor Social Security benefit by two-thirds of the amount of the federal, state, or local government retirement or pension benefit received by the spouse or survivor, in many cases completely eliminating the Social Security benefit even though the survivor's spouse paid Social Security taxes for many years; and

WHEREAS, The Government Pension Offset has a harsh effect on hundreds of thousands of citizens and undermines the original purpose of the Social Security dependent and survivor benefit; and

WHEREAS, According to the Congressional Research Service, more than 700,000 people nationally are affected by the Government Pension Offset and approximately 2,000,000 people nationally are affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision; and

WHEREAS, In certain circumstances, both the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset can be applied to a qualifying survivor's benefit, each independently reducing the available benefit and, in combination, eliminating a large portion of the total Social Security benefit available to the survivor; and

WHEREAS, The calculation characteristics of the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision have a disproportionately negative effect on employees working in lower-wage government jobs, such as police officers, firefighters, teachers, and state employees; and

WHEREAS, Illinois is making every effort to improve the quality of life of its citizens and to encourage them to live in the State, yet the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision compromise their quality of life; and

WHEREAS, The number of people affected by the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision is growing every day as more and more people reach retirement age; and

WHEREAS, Individuals affected by the Government Pension Offset or Windfall Elimination Provision may have no choice but to return to work after retirement in order to earn enough income to provide for their basic needs, but the earnings accumulated during this return to work can further reduce the Social Security benefits to which the individual is entitled; and

WHEREAS, The Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision are established in federal law, and the repeal of the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision can only be enacted by Congress; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the Congress of the United States to enact legislation to repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision from the Social Security Act and for President Joe Biden to sign that legislation into law; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be sent to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, and the entire Illinois congressional delegation.