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Read. Follow. Verify.The Equal COLA Act (S. 624)
Last action · February 18, 2025: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1011)Sponsors: Alex Padilla and 20 others
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill proposes to change how cost-of-living adjustments () are calculated for federal retirees under the Federal Employees Retirement System (). It aims to make these adjustments equal to those currently provided to retirees under the Civil Service Retirement System ().
If passed, this bill would change the annual pension increase calculation for federal employees enrolled in the retirement system, potentially increasing the annual cost-of-living adjustment for these retirees to match the standard.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Federal retirees under FERS
Their annual cost-of-living adjustment calculation method would be modified to match the CSRS standard.
Federal government
The government would be required to adjust pension payout calculations for FERS retirees according to the new formula.
Key Facts
- The bill amends Section 8462(b)(1) of title 5, United States Code.
- It mandates that FERS annuities be increased annually on December 1 based on the percent change in the price index.
- The adjustment is calculated by comparing the price index of the base quarter of the current year to the base quarter of the preceding year in which an adjustment was made.
- Adjustments will be rounded to the nearest 1/10th of 1 percent.
Show all 6 facts
- The new calculation applies to any cost-of-living adjustment made after the date of the bill's enactment.
- The new calculation applies to all FERS annuities regardless of whether they commenced before, on, or after the date of enactment.
Frequently Asked Questions
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 18, 2025SenateCommitteeRead twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1011)
- Feb 18, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Retirement Parity
The bill explicitly seeks to eliminate the historical discrepancy in COLA calculations between the two primary federal retirement systems (FERS and CSRS).
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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