Washington, D.C. —A bipartisan bill championed by U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff to increase retirement benefits for Georgia teachers and first responders is now law.
Last month, Sen. Ossoff brought Republicans and Democrats together to pass the Social Security Fairness Act, which will increase Social Security benefits for public employees like teachers, firefighters, and law enforcement officers.
The bill was signed into law today.
The bipartisan law repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which reduce or eliminate regular Social Security benefits for workers and their eligible family members if the worker receives or is entitled to a pension based on earnings from employment not covered by Social Security, including for many public employees like teachers, firefighters, and law enforcement officers.
According to WSB-TV Atlanta, the bipartisan law will restore Social Security benefits for over 50,000 Georgians.
“Educators, firefighters, and law enforcement officers already make huge sacrifices for our state and aren’t in it for the money — it makes no sense to unfairly reduce their Social Security benefits,” Sen. Ossoff said. “That’s why I worked to successfully pass into law the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act to repeal these unfair policies that risk hurting teachers, firefighters, and law enforcement officers and ensure these public servants receive the Social Security benefits they’ve earned through their work.”
The Social Security Fairness Act has received widespread support from educators’ unions, first respondersand law enforcement organizations, and more.
Sen. Ossoff continues working to improve quality of life for Georgia’s public servants and their families.
Last year, a bipartisan bill backed by Sen. Ossoff that reauthorizes grant funding for law enforcement family support services and establishes suicide prevention programs and mental health services for law enforcement officers passed the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
Sen. Ossoff also introduced the bipartisan HELPER Act alongside Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to help first responders, teachers and law enforcement officers buy their first home.
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