Pensions for All Act
Sponsored By: Representative Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]
Introduced
Summary
Expands the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) to cover private‑sector employees and self‑employed people nationwide. This bill would require private employers to offer a comparable retirement program or have workers participate in FERS, set contribution formulas and transition rules, and create tax and enforcement rules to support the change.
Show full summary
- Workers: Private employees and self‑employed people would gain access to FERS benefits and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), new service crediting rules, and phased retirement options. Employee contributions would be taken from pay and linked to the federal contribution framework.
- Employers and small businesses: Covered employers must provide a covered retirement program or enroll employees in FERS. Employer contribution rates would be set by revenue categories with ramp‑down rules for firms at or below $25 million and between $25 million and $100 million in annual revenue.
- Taxes and penalties: A new tax credit (Sec. 36A) would cover up to 50 percent of qualified contributions and phase down by revenue or income. A new enforcement tax (Sec. 4980J) would charge $10 per day for noncompliance with a cap of $500,000 and indexing after 2026.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
Tax Credit for Small Employers
If enacted, small employers and eligible self-employed taxpayers would be able to claim a new tax credit equal to an applicable percentage of qualified pension contributions made after enactment. The credit would start at 50% and phase down for employers as gross receipts rise above $25,000,000 (using a $75,000,000 range) and for self-employed taxpayers as income rises above $75,000 (using a $50,000 range). If enacted, contributions for which you claim the credit could not also be deducted or used for another credit.
Penalties for Missing Coverage
If enacted, employers or covered self-employed people who fail to provide required retirement coverage or make required contributions would owe a tax of $10 per day of noncompliance, starting on the first day of failure. If enacted, the $10 daily amount would be adjusted for inflation for calendar years after 2026. If enacted, there is no tax if the failure was not known or discoverable with reasonable diligence, and a $500,000 cap can apply for failures that are not willful; the Secretary can also waive amounts if excessive. These rules would apply for plan years beginning after December 31, 2025.
Expanded Retirement Access and Rules
If enacted, time you work as a covered non-Federal employee or as a covered self-employed person after enactment would count as creditable service under Title 5 for annuities, survivor, disability, and reemployment rules. If enacted, covered non-Federal employees and certain self-employed people would be allowed to participate in the Thrift Savings Plan and have payroll deductions or deemed deposits to fund contributions. If enacted, required employer and self-employed contribution rates would be phased in based on employer revenue (thresholds $25,000,000 and $100,000,000) and self-employed pay (thresholds $75,000 and $125,000), with options to elect not to take reductions and regulatory rules that can adjust reductions.
Employer and Self-Employed Mandate
If enacted, employers would have to either offer each worker a covered retirement program or tell the Secretary of Labor that workers will join the Federal Employees Retirement System. If enacted, self-employed people would also have to enroll in a covered retirement program or notify the Secretary that they will participate in FERS. The Secretary of Labor would decide what plans count as "covered" and would set how often employers and self-employed people can switch (at least once a year). If enacted, employers could not cut pay for workers employed on or before enactment just because the law requires enrollment.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]
IL • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. Carson, Andre [D-IN-7]
IN • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]
NJ • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
PA • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. Stansbury, Melanie Ann [D-NM-1]
NM • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]
MN • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
MA • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Grijalva
AZ • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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