A bipartisan bill to enhance retirement benefits for Georgia’s teachers and first responders is now law.
The Social Security Fairness Act, signed yesterday, repeals two controversial provisions— the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. These rules had reduced Social Security benefits for public employees with pensions earned through jobs not covered by Social Security, including teachers, firefighters, and police officers.
The new law restores benefits for more than 50,000 Georgians, according to WSB-TV Atlanta. “Educators, firefighters, and law enforcement officers already make huge sacrifices for our state and aren’t in it for the money — it makes no sense to unfairly reduce their Social Security benefits,” Georgia Senator John Ossoff said.
The bill received strong backing from educators, first responders, and law enforcement organizations. Additional bipartisan initiatives for public employees are also advancing in Congress.