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2003

Federal Update 2003-31 (December 12, 2003)

Stop the Presses: Senate Passes H.R. 743; Earthquake Rumbles in DC

Federal Update 2003-30 (December 9, 2003)

NCTR's Year-End Wrap Up on Federal Activities (Updated December 10)

Federal Update 2003-29 (December 2, 2003)

Congress Close to Adjournment

Federal Update 2003-28 (November 21, 2003)

Proposed Expansion of 1099R Reporting May be Deleted; Out of Country Teacher Service Credit Purchases

Federal Update 2003-27 (November 18, 2003)

Whether Subsidy for Retiree Health Care Plans Applies to State and Local Governments

Federal Update 2003-26 (November 17, 2003)

Agreement on Medicare Drug Coverage Announced, but Final Passage not Guaranteed; Privatization Pilot Plan Part of Package (Updated November 21)

Federal Update 2003-25 (November 18, 2003)

Here’s a Scorecard on H.R. 743, Social Security bill.
Wondering about the Senate Pension bill?

Federal Update 2003-24 (October 23, 2003)

Efforts Underway to Address Proposed Additional 1099R Reporting for NCTR Members (Section 210 of H.R. 743)

Attachment:
Issue Brief on Section 210 of H.R. 743, to Require Public Pension Plans to Collect Data for SSA, which SSA Already Has

Federal Update 2003-23 (September 29, 2003)

Status of Legislative Text for Pension Bill

Federal Update 2003-22 (September 23, 2003)

Social Security Bill with Mandatory Coverage Introduced

Federal Update 2003-21 (September 22, 2003)

Availability of Senate Pension Bill and Social Security Legislation

Federal Update 2003-20 (September 18, 2003)

Proposed 1099R modification in social security bill, recap of pension bill, and links to key documents

Federal Update 2003-19 (September 16, 2003)

Senate Pension Bill and Social Security Legislation

Federal Update 2003-18 (September 15, 2003)

Governmental plan items in senate pension bill

Federal Update 2003-17 (September 15, 2003)

Senate Pension Bill and NCTR Portability Study

NCTR filed comments with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about employer-sponsored retiree health programs and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

Federal Update 2003-16 (September 9, 2003)

Action Very Likely on Pension Bill Next Week

IRS Temporary Rules that Affect State and Local Governments' (SLGs) COLAs

Clarification of Purchase of Service Credit

NCTR Submits Comments in Support of EEOC's Proposal on Retiree Health Care

Federal Update 2003-15 (July 28, 2003)

NCTR Supports Employment-Exemption to Preserve Legitimate Uses of Social Security Numbers in Administration of Employee Benefits

Federal Update 2003-14 (July 24, 2003)

Returning the Portman-Cardin Pension Bill to its Bipartisan Roots

Federal Update 2003-13 (July 21, 2003)

Portman-Cardin Bill Passes Committee, but Under Unusual Circumstances

Summary of Key Items of Interest to NCTR Members in the Chairman’s Mark on HR 1776, The Portman-Cardin Bill

-Key NCTR Priority Addressed: Federal Pension Notices Gone

-Minimum Distribution Rule Relief Broadened

-Other Items of Interest: Acceleration of Scheduled Increases in Contribution Limits; Waiver of the 10% Early Distribution Tax on Certain DROPs for Public Safety; Clarifications in Permissive Purchases of Service Credit; Increase in Age at which Minimum Distributions Must be Taken

Federal Update 2003-12 (July 18, 2003)

House Ways and Means Committee Passes Portman-Cardin Bill by Voice Vote on July 18

We will have an analysis of how the bill affects NCTR members early next week. In the meanwhile, you may view the bill as passed by the committee and a summary on the Committee's website, http://waysandmeans.house.gov. Once you reach the Committee's home page, click onto the link, more info on the left side of the page under "Mark up of H.R. 1776, the 'Pension Preservation and Savings Expansion Act of 2003.' "

Federal Update 2003-11 (7/15/2003)

Action on Pension Bill expected soon.
Medicare Rx issue bogs down.
EEOC Proposes ADEA Exemption for Retired Health Care Plans.
Hearing on Social Security Numbers May Set Stage for Bill Re-Introduction

Federal Update 2003-10 (7/10/2003)

IRS Rectifies Problems raised by NCTR, NASRA, and NCPERS with 457 Regs

NCTR sent comments to the U.S. Department of the Treasury about how it should treat 403(b) plans offered/administered by governmental retirement plans. Treasury, in conjunction with IRS, is revising the regulations that govern the plans. NCTR appreciates the work of Lou Mazawey, Groom Law Group, and Jonathan Kimmel, General Counsel, New York City TRS, in coordinating this effort. The letter asks Treasury to preserve the grandfather of certain self-insured 403(b) programs as well as other issues. Click here to read the letter. (7/10/2003)

Essential Information about Medicare Prescription Drug Proposals (7/05/2003)

HR 1776 by Reps. Rob Portman and Ben Cardin contains over two hundred pages of changes in pension law. Many changes address state and local government (SLG) plans. They are summarized in Table I. Other changes that relate to both SLG plans and private plans are listed in Table II.

Federal Update 2003-9 (5/23/2003)

NCTR discusses legislative priorities in letter to Reps. Portman and Cardin

Federal Update 2003-8 (5/14/2003)

House Passage of HR 1000, the Pension Security Act, and Developments on HR 1776, the Portman-Cardin Pension Bill

Federal Update 2003-7 (5/3/2003)

NCTR and Others Comment on Effect of GASB OPEB Project

South Carolina Retirement System (SCRS) Highlights Need for Pre-Tax Retiree Health Payment to Both State and Federal Lawmakers

NCTR also Involved in Issue, House Social Security Subcommittee Probes GPO and WEP Issues

Final Version of Comments to GASB about OPEB Project

Federal Update 2003-6 (4/23/2003)

Portman Cardin: A Huge Bill with Good and Bad Points, but Mostly Questions

New Portman-Cardin Bill Introduced
Reps. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced H.R. 1776, their next generation pension bill on April 11, 2003. Click here for a summary. Click here for the full bill text. We will have an analysis of its effect on NCTR members shortly.

Federal Update 2003-4 (4/3/2003)

House Judiciary Committee Agrees to Explain Intent of Pension Provisions in Bankruptcy Reform Bill

Federal Update 2003-3 (3/15/2003)

House Ways and Means Committee Rejects GPO Fix

Analysis of President's Medicare Prescription Drug Proposal (3/11/2003)

Federal Update 2003-2 (3/07/2003)

Change in GPO’s “Last Day” Rule Causes Stir in House

House Begins Consideration of Re-Introduced Post-Enron Bill

House Bankruptcy Bill Re-Introduced

GASB-OPEB Exposure Draft available, includes Plain-Language Supplement.

Bush Administration Issues Medicare Prescription Drug Proposal

Buck Consultants Summary of GASB OPEB -provided by Edward Macdonald

Federal Update 2003-1 (2/25/2003)

-Pension Issues Overshadowed by President's Tax Cut Proposal : Post-Enron Legislation, Portman-Cardin II; Reason for Delay in Pension Legislation

-Other Pension Legislation Discussed :President's Pension and Savings Proposal; "Permanency" Issue; Portability

-Social Security Reform and GPO/WEP Reform Bills Re-Introduced: Reform; Mandatory Coverage; GPO/WEP; SSNs

-Other Issues Attract Interest: Medicare Reform; Bankruptcy

-NCTR Legislative Committee Identifies Priority Issues

-Attachments: Summary of President's Pension and Savings Proposal ; Full Text of President's Pension and Savings Proposa