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HJR 18

Urging the United States Congress to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset of the Social Security Act.

33rd Legislature (2023-2024) Introduced by Jamie Allard and 40 co-sponsors

Alaska urges Congress to eliminate Social Security benefit reductions for government employees receiving pensions from non-Social Security-taxed positions.

(H) PERMANENTLY FILED 9/23 LEGIS RESOLVE 35
#employment #intergovernmentalrelations #lawenforcement #military #publicemployees #retirement #socialsecurity #teachers
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Bill Summary · HJR 18

Legislative bill overview

This is a joint resolution from the Alaska legislature urging the U.S. Congress to repeal two provisions of the Social Security Act: the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These provisions reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive pensions from government employment where they didn't pay Social Security taxes.

Why is this important

These provisions affect public employees (teachers, police, firefighters, and other government workers) in Alaska and nationwide who receive pensions from state/local government jobs. Affected individuals can see significant reductions in their Social Security benefits or spousal/survivor benefits, sometimes by 25-50%, creating financial hardship for retirees who worked both in and outside the Social Security system.

Potential points of contention

  • Cost to federal government: Repealing these provisions would increase Social Security payouts by billions annually, requiring either benefit cuts elsewhere, tax increases, or deficit spending
  • Fairness questions: Debate over whether government employees should receive "double benefits" they didn't fully fund versus whether the current system unfairly penalizes workers who changed jobs between sectors
  • Limited direct impact: As a non-binding resolution, this urges Congress but carries no legal force; actual change requires federal legislative action

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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