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Lawmakers hear AJR 6 urging Congress to extend Social Security Fairness Act retroactively; retirees’ groups back the measure
Summary
Assembly Joint Resolution 6 urges Congress to extend the Social Security Fairness Act’s retroactive relief; sponsor and retiree advocates said the change restores benefits to many public employees hurt by the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset.
Assemblymember Brittney Miller presented Assembly Joint Resolution 6 to the Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections, urging Congress to extend the Social Security Fairness Act’s retroactive effect to include an earlier window than the federal law’s initial retroactive application.
Miller described the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) — federal rules that reduced Social Security benefits for some people who both paid Social Security taxes and later received a public pension. She said those rules date to 1983 and have affected retirees such as teachers, firefighters and police officers. Miller described the recent federal repeal included in the Social Security Fairness Act and noted the law’s initial retroactive application began Dec. 23, 2023. She said the state resolution urges Congress to extend retroactive relief back to Feb. 2013 (her resolution’s target) to provide larger back payments to affected retirees.
Sponsor testimony included figures Miller cited from federal analyses: she said repeal restored spousal benefits for "9 out of 10 employees" previously affected and that about "11.8% of Nevadans" are entitled to both a pension and Social Security. Miller said the federal repeal will mean some people will see Social Security increases of several hundred dollars a month and estimated back payments averaging about $4,320 per person for the period the federal law covers; going back farther to 2013 could increase the theoretical retroactive amount cited in Miller’s remarks.
Terry Laird, executive director of ARPEN (the Retired Public Employees of Nevada), testified in support of AJR 6 and said ARPEN had long advocated for repeal of the WEP and GPO. Laird told the committee the organization "is in full support of Assembly Joint Resolution 6 urging Congress to extend the Social Security Fairness Act from 1 to 10 years."
No callers in opposition or neutral were recorded. Committee members thanked the sponsor and noted constituent letters of support; one senator said he had received many letters backing the measure.
Ending: The committee closed the hearing on AJR 6 without recording a vote; if the resolution advances it will be transmitted to Nevada’s congressional delegation and to Congress and the president as provided in statute.
