To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to provide for greater spousal protection under defined contribution plans, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · July 27, 2023
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Women's Retirement Protection Act addresses retirement security gaps that disproportionately affect women. The bill requires defined contribution retirement plans, such as 401(k)s, to obtain spousal consent before distributing or rolling over significant portions of retirement savings, mirroring protections already in place for traditional pension plans and the federal Thrift Savings Plan. This change applies to distributions made one year after the bill becomes law, with a three-year window for plans to update their terms. The legislation also authorizes $100 million annually for grants to community organizations to provide financial literacy education to working-age and retired women, and another $100 million yearly for grants to help low-income women and domestic violence survivors navigate qualified domestic relations orders in divorce proceedings. The bill recognizes that women's lower retirement savings stem from wage gaps, part-time work, and caregiving responsibilities, resulting in women over 65 earning roughly 17 percent less income than men in the same age group.
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