WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation to help ensure America’s first responders receive full retirement benefits if they are injured on the job. The First Responders Fair Return for Employees on Their Initial Retirement Earned (RETIRE) Act will help federal firefighters, law enforcement officers, Customs and Border Protection officials, and other federal employees with potentially dangerous jobs receive their full retirement benefits if they get hurt while on duty. Currently, federal public safety officers may lose their early retirement benefits if they are injured on the job, even if they return to federal service in another position. The bill was introduced by Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and is also cosponsored by Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

"Every day, first responders put their lives on the line to protect communities throughout Maine and across America. We owe these brave public servants an immense debt of gratitude for their sacrifices, and we certainly owe them their full retirement," said Senator King. "Despite risking their own safety to protect others, currently some federal first responders who are injured in the line of duty and cannot complete a full 20 years lose access to the retirement fund they’ve paid into – even if they return to another federal job. It makes no sense, and is simply unfair to these police and firefighters who are keeping our country safe. The bipartisan Fair RETIRE Act will right this unacceptable wrong by giving injured first responders the ability to continue in a different federal service without losing their accelerated retirement benefits. It’s a long overdue fix to help deliver on America’s responsibility to these heroes and I hope Congress can get it done.”

"For Federal Firefighters and Law Enforcement Officers, there is a very real potential for incurring debilitating injury every day of their working lives. Year after year they risk their health and in return, they are promised an enhanced ‘6c' retirement program paid into at a higher employee contribution rate than other employees. Tragically, after sustaining a debilitating injury, many lose their enhanced retirement. They are forced to work years longer while injured plus they lose the money they paid into the retirement plan. It's a travesty in every sense. We thank Senator King for his support and urge the Senate to take up this bill immediately," said Randy Erwin, National President of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE).

Because of the physically demanding and dangerous nature of these federal first responder jobs, designated "6c" occupations, Congress created an accelerated retirement system and established a mandatory early retirement age of 57. These employees pay a higher percentage of their wages toward their retirement, and are entitled to an annuity after 20 years of service. If they are injured at work and unable to complete their mandatory years of service, funds that they've paid into early retirement can be eliminated should they return to the federal government in a non-6c position. The First Responders Fair RETIRE Act will allow federal public safety officers to retain their enhanced 6c retirement status when they return to the federal government after getting injured in the line of duty. They would still be able to retire after 20 years of federal service and will also be eligible to receive a lump sum payment of the benefits owed from their 6c retirement funds.

Senator King has been a staunch advocate for the men and women who serve our country, from first responders to military servicemembers. He was recently able to expedite significant pay raises that had been caught up in unnecessary bureaucracy for America’s wildland firefighters. King had previously worked to include the funding behind the pay raises in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, he has also worked to improve support and benefits for America’s veterans, and celebrated the Senate’s passage of the PACT Act, which would provide veterans exposed to toxic hazards their earned healthcare and benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).