Federal workers gain decades of retroactive retirement credit
H.R. 1522 — Federal Retirement Fairness Act · Filed by Gerald Connolly (D-VA) · 157 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 24, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill removes a 1989 cutoff date that currently prevents federal employees and postal workers from counting temporary work performed after 1988 toward their retirement benefits under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). It allows those employees to retroactively credit that temporary service, potentially increasing their retirement pensions. The bill applies to current and future federal employees and requires the Office of Personnel Management to notify eligible workers and issue implementing regulations.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is to expand the definition of creditable service under FERS by removing a temporal cutoff, thereby allowing federal and postal workers to count temporary employment toward retirement benefits. This is a straightforward benefit expansion for a defined public-sector workforce.
What the text implies
- Retroactive application may create significant unfunded liability for the federal government, as employees can now claim credit for decades of prior temporary service, increasing pension obligations without corresponding new contributions.
- The bill does not specify whether employees must make 'deposits' (employee contributions) for the retroactive service or whether the government absorbs the full cost, creating potential ambiguity in implementation.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Federal employees (current and former); United States Postal Service employees (current and former)