- 07.13.2022
NBC Montana: Tester's bill to support injured first responders passes House unanimously
MISSOULA, Mont. – The House of Representatives unanimously passed the First Responders Fair Return for Employees on Their Initial Retirement Earned (RETIRE) Act, according to Sen. Jon Tester.
The act will help federal employees with potentially dangerous jobs receive their full retirement benefits if they are injured while on duty.
Due to the physical demands and danger of these federal jobs, also known as “6c” occupations, Congress created an accelerated retirement system, establishing a mandatory early retirement age of 57.
This causes employees to have a higher percentage of their wages to go toward retirement, and are entitled to an annuity after 20 years of service. As of now, if an employee is injured at work and unable to complete their mandatory years of service, funds already paid into early retirement are eliminated, even if they return to a federal government position in a non-6c position.
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The First Responders Fair RETIRE Act will allow federal public safety officers to retain their 6c retirement status after returning to the federal government after being injured in the line of duty. They can still retire after 20 years of federal service and will still be eligible to receive a lump sum payment of the benefits owed from their 6c retirement funds.
Tester’s office released the following information:
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed Senator Tester’s First Responders Fair Return for Employees on Their Initial Retirement Earned (RETIRE) Act which will help federal firefighters, law enforcement officers, Customs and Border Protection officials, and other federal employees with potentially dangerous jobs receive their full retirement benefits if they get hurt while on duty.
Tester introduced the bipartisan legislation in the Senate in January 2021.
“Our first responders put themselves in harm’s way to keep Montanans safe, and we owe them their full retirement benefits if they’re hurt on the job,” said Tester. “This bipartisan legislation will help to make our first responders whole, and I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get this bill across the finish line and signed into law.”
Because of the physically demanding and dangerous nature of these federal jobs, designated “6c” occupations, Congress created an accelerated retirement system and established a mandatory early retirement age of 57. These employees pay a higher percentage of their wages toward their retirement, and are entitled to an annuity after 20 years of service. Currently, if they are injured at work and unable to complete their mandatory years of service, funds that they’ve paid into early retirement are eliminated, even if they return to the federal government in a non-6c position.
The First Responders Fair RETIRE Act will allow federal public safety officers to retain their enhanced 6c retirement status when they return to the federal government after getting injured in the line of duty. They would still be able to retire after 20 years of federal service and will also be eligible to receive a lump sum payment of the benefits owed from their 6c retirement funds.
The First Responders Fair RETIRE Act is supported by the Fraternal Order of Police, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Federation of Federal Employees, and the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Tester is a tireless advocate for the nation’s law enforcement and first responders and recently secured a pay increase for federal wildland firefighters through his bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. His Putting America’s First Responders First Act, which clarifies the current tax code and ensures injured first responders do not have to pay taxes on injury-related compensation, was also signed into law late last year.