Bill Text: IL SJR0061 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urges 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.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-11-14 - Referred to Assignments [SJR0061 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-SJR0061-Introduced.html

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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

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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

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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

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to the President of the United States, the Vice President of
the United States, and the entire Illinois congressional
delegation.