Bill Tracker

THE NARFE BILL TRACKER IS YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO LEGISLATION NARFE IS FOLLOWING. CHECK BACK EACH ISSUE FOR UPDATES.

ISSUE BILL NUMBER / NAME / SPONSOR

H.R. 82/S. 1302: The Social Security Fairness Act / Rep. Rodney Davis, R-IL / Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH

Cosponsors: H.R. 82: 203 (D) 81 (R) S. 1302: 34 (D) 4 (R) 2 (I) H.R. 2337: The Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act / Rep. Richard Neal, D-MA Cosponsors: H.R. 2337: 189 (D) 0 (R)

WHAT BILL WOULD DO LATEST ACTION(S)

Repeals both the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means (H.R. 82) 01/04/2021

Referred to Senate Committee on Finance (S. 1302) 04/22/2021

Reforms the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) by providing a monthly rebate of $150 to current beneficiaries (age 62 or older before 2023) and creating a new formula to calculate benefits for future WEP-affected individuals (turning 62 in or after 2023). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means 04/01/2021

SOCIAL SECURITY

IDENTITY PROTECTION

DC STATEHOOD

H.R. 4788: Well-Being for Every Public Servant Act of 2021 / Rep. Julia Letlow, R-LA

Cosponsors: H.R. 4788: 0 Fully repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision for individuals whose combined monthly income from their non-Social Security covered government annuity and Social Security benefits is $5,500 or lower, with graduated implementation on benefits above that amount. Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means 04/01/2021

H.R. 5723: Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust / Rep. John Larson, D-CT

Cosponsors: H.R. 5723: 202 (D) 0 (R)

H.R. 5834: Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act of 2021/ Rep. Kevin Brady, R-TX Cosponsors: H.R. 5834: 3 (D) 50 (R)

H.R. 7657: Reducing the Effects of the Cyberattack on OPM Victims Emergency Response Act Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-DC

Cosponsors: H.R. 7657: 1 (D) 0 (R) Provides a lifetime’s worth of free identity protection coverage for those whose data was breached during the 2015 hack of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform 05/03/2022

Expands and strengthens Social Security benefits, improves the solvency of the Social Security trust fund, repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, and provides for numerous other Social Security related improvements.

Reforms the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) by providing a monthly payment of $100 to current WEPaffected beneficiaries (age 62 or older before 2023) and $50 for an affected spouse or child. Creates a new formula to calculate benefits for future WEPaffected individuals (turning 62 in or after 2023). Referred to the House Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Energy and Commerce 10/27/2021

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means 11/03/2021

H.R. 51/S. 51 Washington D.C. Admission Act / Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-DC / Sen. Thomas Carper, D-DE Cosponsors: H.R. 51: 216 (D) 0 (R) S. 51: 44 (D) 0 (R) 1 (I) Provides for the admission of the State of Washington, DC, into the Union. Passed the House 4/22/2021, by a vote of 216-208 Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (S. 51) 06/22/2021

Answers for the Federal Community

NARFE WEBINAR PRESENTERS

Tammy Flanagan

Federal benefits and retirement expert

Mark Keen, CFP

Financial planner helping Feds prepare for retirement NARFE FEDERAL BENEFITS INSTITUTE

Don’t Miss Our Fall 2022 Webinar Series

SEPTEMBER 14 The TSP’s New Mutual Fund Window SEPTEMBER 29 To B or Not to B: Is Medicare Part B Right for You? OCTOBER 13 Understanding Medicare Advantage OCTOBER 25 Which FEHB Plan is Right for You? Active Employee Edition NOVEMBER 3 Which FEHB Plan is Right for You? Retiree Without Medicare Edition NOVEMBER 17 So Many Choices: Which FEHB Plans Work Best with Medicare Parts A & B? DECEMBER 14 Estate Planning

Online Q&A sessions follow each webinar. For details and to register, visit NARFE.org/Institute.

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Members can call 800-456-8410 x2 or email NARFE’s federal benefits specialists at fedbenefits@narfe.org.

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THE NARFE BILL TRACKER IS YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO LEGISLATION NARFE IS FOLLOWING. CHECK BACK EACH ISSUE FOR UPDATES.

ISSUE BILL NUMBER / NAME / SPONSOR

H.R. 302: Preventing a Patronage System Act / Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-VA Cosponsors: H.R. 302: 9 (D) 3 (R) H.R. 6066: Strengthening the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Act / Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-VA

Cosponsors: H.R. 6066: 2 (D) 1 (R)

FEDERAL PERSONNEL POLICY

H.R. 6104: Building the Next Generation of Federal Employees Act / Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-VA

Cosponsors: H.R. 6104: 3 (D) 0 (R)

POSTAL REFORM

H.R. 7376/S. 3487: Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of Duty Act / Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-VA /Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-AZ

Cosponsors: H.R. 7376: 5 (D) 1 (R) S. 3487: 2 (D) 3 (R) H.R. 6967/S. 3423: Chance to Compete Act of 2021 / Rep. Jody Hice, R-GA / Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-AZ

Cosponsors: H.R. 6967: 3 (D) 2 (R) S. 3423: 1 (D) 2 (R)

H.R. 3076: The Postal Service Reform Act / Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-NY

Cosponsors: H.R. 3076: 58 (D) 44 (R) An amended version of the bill addresses previous NARFE concerns and includes provisions that would prevent unintended increases to Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) plan premiums for all federal employees and retirees, preserve choice for current postal retirees regarding whether to enroll in Medicare Part B, repeal the mandate to prefund future postal retiree health benefits, and codify the standard six-day mail delivery schedule. Amended version of H.R. 3076 passed the House by a vote of 342-92 and the Senate by 79-19; signed into law 4/6/2022

RETIREMENT

H.R. 2954: Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021 Rep. Richard Neal, D-MA Cosponsors: H.R. 2954: 55 (D) 48 (R) Increases the age at which required minimum distributions (RMDs) start and increases the limit on catch-up contributions to qualified employersponsored retirement plans, such as the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).

Passed the House by a vote of 414-5 03/29/2022

Referred to the Senate Committee on Finance 03/30/2022

WHAT BILL WOULD DO LATEST ACTION(S)

Requires presidential administrations to obtain the agreement of Congress to reclassify competitive service positions outside of merit system principles. Advanced from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in a 22-18 vote 05/25/2021

Codifies several recommendations for OPM by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), such as clarifying that OPM stands at the center of federal civilian human resource management and ensuring the director of OPM possesses human capital and leadership expertise. Establishes a comprehensive Federal Internship and Fellowship Center within the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to administer, manage and promote all federal internship and fellowship programs. The bill also credits fellows and interns who meet all qualifications with an additional five points in the competitive service examination. Increases death benefits and funeral allowances for federal employees ($90,000 increase in death benefit for survivors and $8,000 increase to funds granted for funeral allowances).

Implements merit-based reforms to the civil service hiring system that replace degree-based hiring with skills- and competency-based hiring. Advanced from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform by a vote of 25-14 12/02/2021

Advanced from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform by a vote of 20-15 05/11/2022

Advanced from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, 24-14 05/10/2022

Advanced from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 06/22/2022 Advanced from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform unanimously 04/06/2022

Advanced from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 02/02/2022

THE NARFE BILL TRACKER IS YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO LEGISLATION NARFE IS FOLLOWING. CHECK BACK EACH ISSUE FOR UPDATES.

ISSUE BILL NUMBER / NAME / SPONSOR

H.R. 304/S. 4221: The Equal COLA Act Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-VA / Sen. Alex Padilla, D-CA

Cosponsors: H.R. 304: 29 (D) 4 (R) S. 4221: 4 (D) 0 (R) 1 (I)

FEDERAL ANNUITIES

H.R. 4315: The Fair COLA for Seniors Act / Rep. John Garamendi, D-CA

Cosponsors: H.R. 4315: 51 (D) 1 (R)

H.R. 4268: Federal Retirement Fairness Act / Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-WA

Cosponsors: H.R. 4268: 53 (D) 16 (R)

H.R. 521/S. 129: First Responder Fair RETIRE Act Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-VA / Sen. Jon Tester, D-MT

Cosponsors: H.R. 521: 20 (D) 4 (R) S. 129: 1 (D) 3 (R) 1 (I)

WHAT BILL WOULD DO LATEST ACTION(S)

Provides Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) retirees with the same annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) as Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) retirees. Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform 01/13/2021

Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 05/16/2022

Requires Social Security and federal retirement programs to use the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) to calculate cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) to retirement benefits. Referred to the House Committees on Ways and Means, Veterans’ Affairs, Oversight and Reform, and Armed Services 09/07/2021

Allows federal employees who started their careers in temporary positions before transitioning into permanent roles to retroactively contribute toward their retirement for the years they held a temporary position. Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform 06/30/2021

Allows disabled federal first responders (e.g., law enforcement officers, customs and border protection officers, and firefighters) to continue receiving federal retirement benefits in the same manner as though they had not been disabled.

Passed the House by a vote of 417-0 07/12/2022

Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 07/13/2022

FEDERAL COMPENSATION

H.R. 6398/S. 3518: The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act / Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-VA / Sen. Brian Schatz, D-HI

Cosponsors: H.R. 6398: 57 (D) 0 (R) S. 3518: 14 (D) 0 (R) 1 (I)

H.R. 564/S. 1158:

Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act / Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-NY / Sen. Brian Schatz, D-HI

Cosponsors: H.R. 564: 36 (D) 0 (R) S. 1158: 9 (D) 0 (R) Provides federal employees with a 5.1 percent average pay raise in 2023.

Extends paid leave to federal and postal employees for all conditions covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform (H.R. 6398) 1/13/2022

Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (S. 3518) 01/19/2022 Advanced by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform (H.R. 564) 07/20/2021 Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (S. 1158) 04/15/2021

H.R. 2499/S. 1116: Federal Fire Fighters Fairness Act of 2022 Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-CA / Sen. Thomas Carper, D-DE Cosponsors: H.R. 2499: 176 (D) 27 (R) S. 1116: 20 (D) 2 (R) 1 (I) Creates a presumption of occupational illness for federal firefighters, covering ailments such as cardiovascular disease, cancers and certain infectious diseases that 49 states already presume to be work-related for their state and local firefighters.

Passed the House by a vote of 288-131 05/12/2022

Advanced from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (S. 1116) 05/12/2022

There are great savings options for federal retirees

Can you switch and save?

If you didn’t change your health plan when you became eligible for Medicare, now could be the time to switch and save. Contact us to learn more about Aetna® plans designed for federal retirees.

Plans o�ered through the Federal Employees Health Bene�ts (FEHB) Program: Aetna Advantage

With this plan, you can opt-in to our Medicare Advantage plan just for federal retirees without suspending your FEHB coverage. • $0 deductibles and copays • Prescriptions for as little as $2 from our preferred pharmacies • Low premiums • $900 annual credit toward your Medicare Part B premium • SilverSneakers® at no extra cost

Aetna Direct

• A fund to help pay prescription costs or your Medicare Part B premium • $0 deductibles and copays • $6 generic prescriptions from our preferred pharmacies

Why not connect live with us and learn more about your health plan options? Connect with our team at AetnaFedsLive.com and you can:

Chat online Schedule a one-on-one consultation Attend live webinars

Or use our retiree portal at AetnaFeds.com/retireeplans to explore at your own pace. Ready to enroll? If you’re eligible:

Enroll online at RetireeFEHB.OPM.gov Or call the O�ce of . Personnel Management (OPM) Retirement Information Center at 1-888-767-6738 (TTY: 711) Aetna Medicare is a HMO, PPO plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in our plans depends on contract renewal. See Evidence of Coverage for a complete description of plan bene�ts, exclusions, limitations and conditions of coverage. Plan features and availability may vary by service area. SilverSneakers is a registered trademark of Tivity Health, Inc. ©2021 Tivity Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Health insurance plans are o�ered and/or underwritten by Aetna Life Insurance Company (Aetna).

This is a brief description of the features of this Aetna health insurance plan. Before making a decision, please read the plan’s applicable federal brochure(s). All bene�ts are subject to the de�nitions, limitations and exclusions set forth in the federal brochure. Plan features and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Aetna does not provide care or guarantee access to health services. For more information about Aetna plans, refer to AetnaFeds.com/retireeplans.

More Than Just Hearing Aids

Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan members get a full hearing care package when they use their allowance through TruHearing®

The TruHearing Program Includes:

Personalized Care Next-Generation Sound

Guidance and assistance from a TruHearing Hearing Consultant

Professional exam from a local, licensed provider

1 year of follow-up visits for fitting and adjustments to ensure you’re completely satisfied with your hearing aids The latest chips and algorithms combine to make speech clearer, even in the most challenging environments

Advanced sensors automatically adjust to the noise around you for better clarity and natural sound

New models include sound enhancement technology to make your voice sound more natural to you Bluetooth connectivity for streaming your favorite music, TV and phone calls straight to your ears3

A wide variety of rechargeable models that keep a charge for an entire day4

Options to match your lifestyle including virtually undetectable devices

Devices for Your Lifestyle

1 The Service Benefit Plan will pay a hearing aid benefit for Standard and Basic Options up to $2,500 total every 5 calendar years for adults age 22 and over, and up to $2,500 total per calendar year for members up to age 22. FEP Blue Focus does not have a hearing aid benefit. Do not rely on this communication piece alone for complete benefit information. All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations, and exclusions in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan brochure. The Blue365® Discount Program offers access to savings on items that you may purchase directly from independent vendors, which may be different from items covered under the Service Benefit Plan or any other applicable federal healthcare program. For hearing aids, acupuncture, chiropractic and vision services, you must exhaust your Service Benefit Plan benefit first before accessing the savings of the Blue365® Discount Program. To find out what is covered under your policy, contact the customer service number on the back of your member ID card. The products and services described herein are neither offered nor guaranteed under any local Blue company’s contract with the Medicare program. These items are not subject to the Medicare appeal process. Any disputes regarding these products and services are not subject to the Disputed Claims process. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) may receive payments from Blue365 vendors. Neither the Service Benefit Plan, nor any local Blue company recommends, endorses, warrants or guarantees any specific Blue365 vendor or item. The Service Benefit Plan reserves the right to change, modify, or terminate any item and vendors made available through Blue365, at any time.

Example Savings (per pair)

Prices and products subject to change. For more information, visit TruHearing.com

SAMPLE PRODUCT TruHearing® Advanced Widex Moment® 220 ReSound ONE™ 5 Signia® Styletto® 3X Oticon More® 3 Starkey® Livio® 2400 Phonak® P-R90

Rechargeable | Listed products are smartphone compatible3

AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE TRUHEARING PRICE ALLOWANCE (UP TO $2,500)1 YOU PAY2

$5,440 $2,500 –$2,500 $0 $3,320 $2,500 –$2,500 $0 $3,496 $2,590 –$2,500 $90 $5,166 $2,700 –$2,500 $200 $6,750 $3,050 –$2,500 $550 $5,704 $4,100 –$2,500 $1,600 $7,328 $4,390 –$2,500 $1,890

Call TruHearing today and start saving! Call 1-877-360-2432 | For TTY, dial 711

TruHearing is an independent company that provides discounts on hearing aids.

2 Price shown does not include cost of comprehensive hearing exam. Examination and testing for prescribing of hearing aids is covered under the Service Benefit Plan. The member should confirm that the provider rendering the hearing exam is a Preferred provider. If the provider is Non-preferred, the member may be charged a maximum fee of $45 for the exam, and the member may need to submit a claim for reimbursement. Must be a Service Benefit

Plan member to access TruHearing discounted pricing. TruHearing is offered through Blue365, which provides exclusive health and wellness deals and is a program of Blue Cross Blue Shield

Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. The Blue

Cross® and Blue Shield® words and symbols, Federal Employee Program®, FEP® and Blue365® are all trademarks owned by Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. 3 Smartphone compatible hearing aids connect directly to iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod® Touch devices. Connectivity also available to many Android® phones with use of an accessory. 4 Rechargeable features may not be available in all models and styles.

All content ©2021 TruHearing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. TruHearing® is a registered trademark of TruHearing, Inc. All other trademarks, product names, and company names are the property of their respective owners. Listed benefit amount may differ from customer's actual benefit. Actual customer payment will vary. Follow-up provider visits included for one year following hearing aid purchase. Hearing aid repairs, and replacements subject to provider and manufacturer fees. For questions regarding fees, contact TruHearing customer service.

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