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Committee approves bill requiring schools to notify employees about Social Security withholding
Summary
Lawmakers passed HB37 to require school employers to inform employees at hire and periodically whether the employer withholds Social Security and what retirement plan options are available; supporters said the change will prevent future surprises for employees affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision and related rules.
Representative Leverett presented House Bill 37 (LC491994), a bill requiring school systems to notify employees at hiring, every five years, and at separation whether the employer withholds Social Security taxes and to describe available retirement plan options.
Leverett said the bill arose from a constituent who retired expecting Social Security benefits but learned their employer had not withheld Social Security because some Georgia school systems do not participate in FICA withholding. "This is a way just to sort of make that information accessible to everybody that might be an employee of the school system no matter their age," Leverett said.
Committee members asked whether recent federal changes such as the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Social Security Fairness Act affected the bill. Lisa Morgan, a kindergarten teacher and president of the Georgia Association of Educators, testified the recent federal action is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024, and will affect about 80,000 Georgians who had been impacted by WEP; she said clear notice at hiring remains important.
The committee moved, seconded and passed HB37 by voice vote; the bill advances to the full committee.
