Norton Introduces Bill to Address Retirement Issues for Certain Public Servants Under D.C. Revitalization Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a bill to address several retirement issues for several categories of workers who used to be under the District of Columbia retirement system. First, the service of some employees from 1987-1997 who participated in D.C.'s defined contribution plan and were transferred to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) had those ten years of service not fully counted for the amount of their annuity. The bill would allow those employees to buy into the FERS annuity amount from those ten years, which would give them the full retirement benefit to which they should be entitled.

"When receiving their retirement benefits, these workers should be able to have all of their service recognized and counted in determining the amount of annuity they receive," Norton said.

The bill also addresses two benefit issues for employees in the teachers, police officers, and firefighters pension plans, whose pre-1997 benefits are funded by the federal government. First, the bill would recognize domestic partner benefits for pre-1997 benefits, like D.C. enacted for benefits post-1997. Second, the bill would change the age at which a surviving spouse may remarry without losing survivor benefits to bring them in line with both the post-1997 benefits and the retirement benefits for most federal employees, and make the analogous change for D.C. judges, whose retirement benefits are funded by the federal government.

Norton's introductory statement follows.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

on the Introduction of

The National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997 Technical Corrections Act of 2024

April 30, 2024

Today, I introduce the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997 Technical Corrections Act of 2024, which would address several retirement issues for current and former District of Columbia employees that resulted from the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997 (Revitalization Act). The Revitalization Act, among other things, transferred several categories of employees who were in the D.C. retirement system to the federal retirement system and the federal government took over paying for the pension benefits earned by teachers, police officers, firefighters and judges before 1997.

The Revitalization Act transferred several categories of employees, primarily related to D.C.'s criminal justice system, who participated in D.C.'s defined contribution plan from 1987 to 1997 to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). However, these employees' service from 1987 to 1997 was not counted for purposes of creditable service or annuity amount in FERS. In 2009, Congress passed legislation counting this service for creditable service, but not annuity amount. This bill would allow these employees to buy into the FERS annuity amount for 1987 to 1997 by paying 1.3% of their base pay plus interest, essentially the employee contribution for this time, which would give them the full retirement benefit to which they should be entitled.

Second, this bill would address two benefit issues for employees in the teachers, police officers and firefighters pension plans, whose pre-1997 benefits are funded by the federal government. In 2018, D.C. enacted a law to provide domestic partner benefits for the police and firefighters pension plan, which mirrored a law already enacted for teachers. However, these domestic partner benefits apply only to service accrued after 1997, since the federal government funds pre-1997 benefits. This bill would make the domestic partner benefits available for pre-1997 benefits, too.

Finally, in 2012, D.C. enacted the Equity in Survivor Benefits Amendment Act, which reduced from age 60 to 55 the age after which a surviving spouse may remarry without losing survivor benefits for those in the teachers, police and firefighters pension plans. However, these survivor benefits apply only to service accrued after 1997, since the federal government funds pre-1997 benefits. This bill would bring those pre-1997 benefits in line with both the post-1997 benefits and the retirement benefits for federal employees in the Civil Service Retirement System or FERS and make an analogous change for D.C. judges, whose retirement benefits are funded by the federal government. In general, for federal retirees, 55 is the age after which a surviving spouse may remarry without losing survivor benefits.

This bill is an important step to assist these workers in getting the retirement benefits they deserve. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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