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Pension Protection


Public employee pensions are under attack at the federal and state level.  At the federal level:

  • Representatives Nunes (R-CA) and Senator Burr (R-NC) have introduced the NEA-opposed Public Employees Pension Transparency Act (H.R.567/S.347), which would require sponsors of state and local government employee pension plans to report funding information annually to the Secretary of the Treasury.  Governments failing to do this would lose their ability to issue tax-exempt debt until they comply.  The bill would use different measures for the required reporting than those used to fund plans.  The measures are also different from what the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requires. As a result, it would create a distorted picture of plan funding, creating confusion among decision-makers and potentially leading states to abandon public pension plans. 

  • Representative Chaffetz (R-UT) has introduced a non-binding resolution (H.Res 23) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that “State and local governments should immediately institute reforms to their employee pensions plans, including replacing defined benefit plans with defined contribution plans.”

NEA strongly supports protecting public defined benefit plans. Such plans provide a defined, predictable, guaranteed benefit, usually based on factors such as age, earnings, and years of service. In contrast, defined contribution plans offer no guaranteed, predictable retirement benefit and place retirement security at the risk of stock or bond markets.

Educators do not retire into a life of luxury.  They have spent their lives dedicated to public service, often forgoing higher salaries offered in the private sector.  They have earned and deserve the modest pensions they were promised. 

Take Action:  Tell Congress to protect public employee pension plans

Additional Resources on State Pension Battles:

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Tell Congress to protect public employee pension plans


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