HJR 18-SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT REDUCTION REPEAL  3:35:24 PM CHAIR SHAW announced that the final only order of business would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 18, Urging the United States Congress to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset of the Social Security Act. [ 3:35:51 PM The committee took a brief at-ease. 3:35:54 PM REPRESENTATIVE ALYSE GALVIN, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, presented HJR 18. She provided a PowerPoint presentation, titled "Urging the United States Congress to Repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset of the federal Social Security Act" [hard copy included in the committee packet]. She began her presentation on slide 2, titled "What are WEP/GPO?" which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: THE WINDFALL ELIMINATION PROVISION "The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) can affect how Social Security calculates your retirement or disability benefit. If you work for an employer who doesn't withhold Social Security taxes from your salary, any retirement or disability pension you get from that work can reduce your Social Security benefits. Such an employer may be a government agency or an employer in another country." REPRESENTATIVE GALVIN the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) affects Alaskans who have paid into the Social Security program and are employed by the State of Alaska, which does not withhold federal social security taxes from Alaskans' paychecks. This scenario is common for many Alaskans. REPRESENATIVE GALVIN moved to slides 3-4, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: THE GOVERNMENT PENSION OFFSET "The Government Pension Offset (GPO) adjusts Social Security spousal or widow(er) benefits for people who receive "non-covered pensions." A non-covered pension is a pension paid by an employer that does not withhold Social Security taxes from your salary, typically, state and local governments or non-U.S. employers. Under Social Security's dual-entitlement rule, spouses with their own covered earnings have their spousal benefits offset dollar-for-dollar by their own earned benefit. The GPO has a similar intention; the offset originally was dollar-for-dollar for non-covered pensions, but Congress reduced it to two-thirds in 1983." ACCORDING TO THE CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE... Alaska has the highest percentage of WEP-affected beneficiaries of any state, with 11.7% of all beneficiaries and 15.2% of all retired workers THIS IS A BIPARTISAN ISSUE There are over 300 cosponsors in the U.S. House* There are over 49 cosponsors in the US Senate* ALASKANS ARE DIFFERENT With many veterans and seasonal employment opportunities, our teachers, troopers, and firefighters can be disproportionately penalized by these provisions *Both Senator Murkowski and Representative Peltola are co-sponsors of this legislation in their respective bodies REPRESENTATIVE GALVIN said WEP decreases the social security benefits received by those who receive retirement or disability pensions from the state. These penalties end up disproportionately impacting those Alaskans who are most likely to find themselves in some form of social or civic service, such as troopers, teachers, firefighters, and many other fields. She argued that if a teacher takes a summer job, social security benefits earned at the summer job should be paid out to them accordingly. 3:40:08 PM REPRESENTATIVE GALVIN said that the Social Security Fairness Act has already been introduced at the federal level to address inequities. There are currently over 300 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives and 50 in the U.S. Senate. She moved to slide 5, titled "WEP-GPO ROLLBACK ENJOYS WIDESPREAD CONSTITUENT SUPPORT," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: "...I have at least 40+ years working experience. I spent 26 years as an elementary school teacher on the North Slope and in Fairbanks. During my work years I worked at various jobs before and during college, summer jobs to help ends meet while teaching, and for the University of Alaska as an adjunct professor (all paying into social security). I have earned well over forty quarters towards my Social Security benefits over the years.    My current Social Security benefit, after paying my monthly premium for Medicare, is $65.00, well under to what I am entitled. I earned those benefits on the jobs outside of my public service and because of my public school teaching I face the penalty of the WEP. I am married to a Social Security beneficiary who spent his whole career in private employment...If he were to pass away before me, using the current formula of my public service in Alaska, I would not be able to receive any of his spouse survival benefits that others receive. He paid into the Social Security system his whole work life and due to the GPO penalty, none of the normal spousal benefits will apply for me..."  REPRESENTATIVE GALVIN urged the committee to join her in calling on Congress to repeal these penalties for public servants. CHAIR SHAW commented on HJR 18 and his personal experience with social security benefits. He offered his support of HJR 18. 3:43:01 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked about support across the federal delegation. 3:43:24 PM REPRESENTATIVE GALVIN provided her understanding that many other states are experiencing the same predicament. Even so, Alaska is disproportionately experiencing unfairness compared with other states in the country. She noted that many people are unaware of the impacts of the provision at the time of onboarding. She noted challenges with recruitment and retention in public positions like police officers and teachers. She discussed the "death tier," which refers to the likelihood of outliving one's benefits. CHAIR SHAW reiterated his support of HJR 18. 3:46:04 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked about the rollback date. 3:46:18 PM MEREDITH TRAINOR, Staff, Representative Alyse Galvin, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Galvin, prime sponsor, replied that the GPO was introduced into law in 1977, the WEP was introduced in 1983. Each of the two policies have different effective dates. The WEP effective date applies to those hired after December 31, 1983. She offered to follow up with more information. 3:47:19 PM CHAIR SHAW highlighted Alaska as the state most impacted by the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. CHAIR SHAW announced that HJR 18 was held over.