Letter from 16th District Vp Jim Johnson...

As many of you know, this week, the House Oversight and Government Reform (OGR) Committee included federal employee retirement reforms in its finalized markup for Title IX of the FY 2025 Reconciliation bill.

The OGR language will now be considered as part of the House Reconciliation bill and may directly impact the retirement of federal firefighters.

Special category employees (SCE) (firefighters, certain law enforcement positions, and other occupations) can receive a FERS supplement once they retire. Unless the Reconciliation bill is amended, the committee's action would eliminate the FERS supplement for firefighters who retire before the mandatory separation age of 57. The supplement represents approximately one-third of the retirees’ FERS income, typically it is roughly $1300 to $1800 a month, and is intended to serve as a bridge until the retiree can receive Social Security at age 62.

late June or early July. Anyone currently eligible for retirement or will be before early July (age 50 with twenty years of service or 25 years of service at any age) should carefully evaluate their retirement options.  Additionally, retirement eligible members should monitor the actions of the House and Senate, regarding the FERS supplement, and evaluate their retirement options should the possibility of the FERS supplement being eliminated come to fruition.

Members can assist the IAFF with our fight to stop this harmful elimination of critical retiree income.  Please reach out to your members of the House and Senate to ask them to oppose any of the proposed changes to FERS as it applies to Special Category Employees (SCE).  Express to your member the fundamental unfairness of changing the promised benefits and eligibility requirements for firefighters and law enforcement nearing their retirement years.  

In closing, we are hopeful that the changes regarding the FERS supplement will fail as the House and Senate move forward.

That said, I want to make sure everyone who is retirement-eligible is prepared should the measure survive the process. We understand these types of decisions are personal and unique to each member. Various online calculators are available to assist you with FERS and FERS supplement estimates. Our goal is to help you make the best decision possible.

Regards,

James B. Johnson

16th District Vice President

Federal Fire Fighters

International Association of Fire Fighters