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Congress·In Progress·H.R. 491

Rep. Connolly Introduces Equal COLA Act to Boost Retirement Benefits for Federal Employees

Equal COLA Act

6 months ago·View on Congress.gov
Part of: Bipartisan Push to Equalize Federal Retiree COLA Benefits
⏸

Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

↔Companion bill: Senator Padilla Proposes Full Inflation Raises for Millions of Federal Retirees

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law

Key Points

  • This bill, called the Equal COLA Act, would change how annual inflation raises are calculated for retired federal employees. It aims to make sure all federal retirees get the same percentage increase regardless of which retirement plan they are in.
  • Currently, federal workers in the newer retirement system often receive smaller cost-of-living adjustments than those in the older system. When inflation is above 2%, the newer system's raise is often reduced, which means these retirees' checks don't go as far over time as prices for goods and services rise.
  • The policy would fix this by ensuring that retirement checks increase by the full amount of inflation every year. This helps retirees keep up with the rising costs of everyday items like food, gas, and medicine without losing their buying power.
  • These changes would apply to all future cost-of-living adjustments once the bill is signed into law. It would help millions of current and future federal retirees maintain their standard of living throughout their retirement years.
Labor Employment

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

State Impacts

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

3 milestones3 actions
Sep 16, 2025House

ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 491, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

Jan 16, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Jan 16, 2025

Introduced in House

Related Bills

1 bill
S. 624Identical bill

Equal COLA Act

Feb 18 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1011)

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Equal COLA Act

Bill NumberHR 491
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 491, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(68)
D: 66R: 2

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.