Federal Retirement Safety Act

Key Points

• This bill changes the rules for federal employees who want to take their retirement savings as a single "lump-sum" payment. Usually, a worker must notify their spouse or get their permission first, but this bill would allow survivors of domestic violence to skip those steps to stay safe.
• To qualify for this waiver, a federal worker must state in writing that their spouse or former spouse committed a domestic violence crime against them within the last year. They must also show that notifying the spouse about the money would put them or someone else in danger.
• The goal is to prevent abusive partners from using the retirement process to track, control, or harm survivors. By removing the need for contact or consent in these specific cases, the bill helps survivors gain the financial independence they may need to leave a dangerous situation.
• If the bill becomes law, the Office of Personnel Management would have one year to create the official rules and procedures. The new protections would fully take effect one year after the bill is signed into law.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.