Legislative updates

The IRS has posted final regulations regarding income tax withholding on certain periodic payments and nonperiodic distributions from employer deferred compensation plans, individual retirement plans, and commercial annuities that are not eligible rollover distributions.

Representative Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) has introduced HR 9820 – the Employee and Retiree Access to Justice Act.

The Social Security Administration has issued the 2025 adjustments for benefits and certain other limitations that are subject to annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) indices.

Representative Brittany Pettersen (D-Co), and co-sponsor Maria Salazar (R-FL), have introduced H.R. 9764, the Catching Up Family Caregivers Act. According to a press release, the bill would allow family caregivers to make catch-up contributions to employer-sponsored retirement plans, an option typically reserved for those over age 50. For every year they are out of the workforce, caregivers could be eligible for an additional year of catch-up contributions, up to a maximum of five years.

The IRS has issued Notice 2024-73, providing question-and-answer guidance on long-term, part-time employees in 403(b) plans. Guidance is applicable for plan years beginning after December 31, 2024.

In 2019, the SECURE Act made several changes to the rules for retirement plans and IRAs, including raising the applicable RMD age from 70½ to 72.

Representatives Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), and Don Beyer (D-VA), have introduced  H.R. 9614, the Ensuring Nationwide Access to a Better Life Experience (ENABLE) Act. The proposal would make permanent the following provisions that are set to expire at the end of 2025. 

Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, along with fellow republican committee members Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Kennedy (R-LA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Katie Britt (R-AL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Jerry Moran (R-KS), have introduced S. 5139, Empowering Main Street in America Act of 2024.

The House passed H.R. 5339, the Roll back ESG To Increase Retirement Earnings Act (RETIRE Act), by a vote of 217-206.

Recent legislation passed by Congress includes several provisions that enhance the ability of workers to increase their retirement savings. One of these provisions, Section 110 of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0), also enhances the ability of employers that sponsor a 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b), or a SIMPLE IRA plan to supplement workers’ retirement savings by providing matching contributions to employees who make qualified student loan payments (QSLPs) in 2024 and later plan years.