Lawmakers Unveil Bill to Safeguard Retired Police and Fireman Tax Credits

More tax relief may be forthcoming for Washington’s retired police and fire personnel. According to a news release from Rep. Abigail Spanberger on Monday, the bipartisan bill submitted to Congress would make it simpler for public safety retirees to access a tax advantage for their healthcare insurance payments (D-VA).

The bill’s sponsors include former police officer Spanberger and Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH).

 “America’s law enforcement personnel go above and beyond under tremendous pressure to keep our communities secure. Officers frequently have to leave the police service early owing to the physical and psychological strains of working in these demanding, everyday situations.”

Spanberger shared, “Unfortunately, because of their early departure, they cannot sign up for Medicare or use employer-sponsored health insurance. We can fix this problem by taking practical, reasonable action. This includes ensuring that retired officers, regardless of how their pension payments are distributed, can receive tax-free payments from their pension schemes to pay for health insurance expenditures.”

Spanberger went on to say, “I’m honored to have participated in the bipartisan introduction of this bill, which honors retired police officer and Virginia Seventh District resident Wally Bunker. I thank Congressman Chabot for his cooperation and leadership on this matter. I will always continue to fight to ensure that Virginia’s law enforcement receives the rewards they have earned by donning the badge. “

By amending an existing clause, the Wally Bunker Healthcare Enhancement for Local Public Safety (HELPS) Retirees Improvement Act would make it simpler for public safety retirees to benefit from a tax break. The announcement claims that many seniors struggle to take advantage of the benefit since some pension plans don’t pay insurance companies directly, which is required by the existing policy to withdraw $3,000 tax-free from a pension plan each year. This provision will be updated and eliminated by the bill.

The bill bears Wally Bunker’s name; he is a former police lieutenant in Spanberger’s district who is 77 years old. The direct payment prerequisite has prevented Bunker from utilizing the pre-tax benefit.

According to the congresswoman in a statement, the passage of this legislation “would finally level the playing field for all retired public safety workers who get pensions but don’t have the choice of premiums being paid from the pension fund directly to healthcare providers.”

“I wish to thank Congresswoman Spanberger for her willingness to support this legislation, as well as Congressman Steve Chabot’s bipartisan backing as a cosponsor, and the hard work of the Fraternal Order of Police to support this legislation, which is based on fairness by treating all public safety retirees equally,” said Bunker.

The National Fraternal Order of Police has backed the Wally Bunker HELPS Retirees Improvement Act.

Patrick Yoes, National President of the FOP, asserts that this legislation would eliminate this prerequisite, enable all retired public employees to take advantage of this benefit they earned through their community service, and raise the pre-tax amount from $3,000 to $6,000 annually.

The HELPS Retirees Improvement Act, according to MPs, would implement the following:

• Ensure that health insurance premiums are tax-deductible, whether purchased through a third-party or pension system.

• Increase the tax credit from $3,000 to $6,000 to reflect rising healthcare premiums.

•Check to see if stipends fall under IRS section 402’s income exclusion (I).

•Assist public pension plans in lessening the strain of coordinating with multiple insurance firms on behalf of the associated retirees in public safety.

Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 6023128944

Bio:
Mike was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 13, 1946. He was brought up in the
suburb of Skokie on Chicago’s northwest side and graduated from Niles Township (
East ) high school In 1964. Two years later he joined the US Air Force in November of
1966. After 2 years of Intense training he volunteered for Viet Nam and was sent to
Bien Hoa Airbase, which was 25 miles from Saigon, the nation’s capital. He
volunteered for a number of especially dangerous missions on his days off, such as
flying as a door gunner on a US Army helicopter and as a technical assistant on a
psychological operation on an Air Force O-1E observation aircraft. Capping off his
impressive accomplishments was winning the coveted Base Airman of the Month for
March 1969, a feat which was featured in the Pacific Stars And Stripes newspaper
read by every service man stationed in the Pacific theater of operations. After his
Viet Nam tour of duty he was stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona
where he met and married his wife, Lequita.
He graduated from Arizona State University in May, 1973, and after a 30-plus year
career as a financial advisor he joined a number of service organizations including
Easter Seals and Valley Forward, sponsor of EarthFest. He was also involved with the
National Federation of Independent Business and became the longest-serving
chairman of the Leadership Committee ever. He spoke before the ( AZ ) House Ways
and Means & Senate Finance committees. He then joined Disabled American
Veterans ( DAV ) in September of 2015. He rose quickly through the ranks and
became Chapter 8 Commander in May of 2019 where he served with Distinction for 3
years before being “ termed out”. The next year, as Vice Commander, he won the
title of National Champion Recruiter!