Federal retirees gain equal pension raises after decades of disparity
H.R. 491 — Equal COLA Act · Filed by Gerald Connolly (D-VA) · 86 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 16, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends federal retirement law to align cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) annuities with those for Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) annuities. Currently, FERS retirees receive smaller annual increases than CSRS retirees. The bill makes FERS COLA calculations match CSRS by using the same price-index methodology, effective immediately for all future adjustments and retroactively for annuities that began before enactment.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is to increase FERS pension COLA to match CSRS COLA, eliminating a disparity in retirement benefits between two federal employee pension systems. This is a straightforward benefit adjustment with no riders or hidden provisions.
What the text implies
- Retroactive application to annuities commencing before enactment means some retirees may receive lump-sum adjustments for prior years, creating a one-time fiscal impact beyond ongoing COLA increases.
- The bill does not specify funding source or appropriation, leaving the cost to be absorbed within existing federal retirement trust fund or general appropriations.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Federal employees receiving FERS annuities (current and future retirees); Surviving spouses and beneficiaries of FERS annuitants