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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Social Security Fairness Act of 2013 was
3introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives on April 26,
42013 as H.R. 1795 and into the U.S. Senate on May 8, 2013 as S.
5896; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The Social Security Fairness Act of 2013 was to
7amend Title II of the Social Security Act to repeal the
8Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination
9Provision; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The Government Pension Offset was enacted in 1977
11and the Windfall Elimination Provision was enacted in 1983; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The majority of public employees affected by the
13Government Pension Offset lost their entire spousal benefit
14despite the fact that their spouses paid Social Security
15contributions for many years; and
 
16    WHEREAS, An affected public employee loses an average of
17$3,000 per year because of the Government Pension Offset; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The Windfall Elimination Provision causes public
19employees to lose up to 60% of the benefits that they earned;
20and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, According to the Social Security Administration's
2actuaries, the long-term cost of eliminating both of these
3provisions is negligible while the loss of income to affected
4employees caused by these provisions forces some civil servants
5into poverty; and
 
6    WHEREAS, These provisions discriminate against teachers,
7police, firefighters, social workers, and other civil
8servants; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The State and national shortage of teachers,
10police officers, and firefighters is exacerbated by these
11provisions because they discourage people from entering and
12staying in these professions; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
15urge the U.S. Congress to introduce and pass legislation that
16eliminates both the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall
17Elimination Provision; and be it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
19delivered to the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, the
20Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and each member
21of the Illinois Congressional delegation.