Equal COLA Act
Sponsored By: Senator Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
Introduced
Summary
Equalize FERS cost-of-living adjustments using a price-index formula and 0.1% rounding. This bill would change how cost-of-living adjustments for Federal Employees Retirement System annuities are calculated. It would use the percent change in the price index for the base quarter of the current year over the base quarter of the preceding year in which a COLA was made. The result would be rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percent and applied December 1 each year.
Show full summary
- FERS retirees and survivors: Annual COLAs for annuities would be set by the new year-over-year price-index formula and the 0.1% rounding rule. The change would apply to annuities commencing before, on, or after enactment and to COLAs made after enactment.
- Annual implementation and administration: The new computation would govern COLAs set each December 1 and replace the current FERS COLA math to achieve parity with the price-index approach described in the bill.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
New COLA formula for FERS annuities
If enacted, this bill would change how yearly COLAs for FERS annuities are calculated. Each December 1, an annuity with a commencing date not later than that date would be increased by the percent change in the price index for the base quarter of the current year versus the base quarter of the preceding year in which an adjustment was made. That percent would be adjusted (rounded) to the nearest one‑tenth of one percent. The new formula would apply to any COLA under 5 U.S.C. 8462 made after enactment. It would also apply to annuities that begin before, on, or after the date of enactment. Rounding could make a retiree's COLA a little higher or a little lower; typical dollar changes are likely small.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
VT • I
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
WA • D
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
WI • D
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
ME • I
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
VA • D
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA]
PA • D
Sponsored 2/18/2025
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
NH • D
Sponsored 5/6/2025
Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 6/25/2025
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 6/25/2025
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 7/8/2025
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 12/2/2025
Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 3/2/2026
Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 3/17/2026
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/21/2026
Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 5/11/2026
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
DE • D
Sponsored 5/13/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov