Full Text of HJR0021 94th General Assembly
HJ0021 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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HJ0021 |
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LRB094 11320 AMC 42146 r |
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| HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The Social Security Trust Fund is expected to have | 3 |
| insufficient funds to meet its obligations by 2042; and
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| WHEREAS, The United States Congress, as part of its efforts | 5 |
| to address the financial crisis confronting the Social Security | 6 |
| system, is considering a proposal mandating Social Security | 7 |
| coverage for public employees, including public employees in | 8 |
| Illinois who presently do not participate in the Social | 9 |
| Security system; and
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| WHEREAS, Illinois' State and local government employee | 11 |
| pension plans cover over 375,000 different State and local | 12 |
| government employees, including employees of school districts, | 13 |
| police officers, firefighters, faculty at institutions of | 14 |
| higher education, and employees of municipalities, as well as | 15 |
| thousands of benefit recipients; and
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| WHEREAS, Illinois' State and local government employee | 17 |
| pension plans have been carefully developed with the | 18 |
| cooperation of the Illinois General Assembly, employers, and | 19 |
| employees to meet the unique needs of such public employees at | 20 |
| a reasonable cost; and
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| WHEREAS, Illinois' public pension plans offer benefits | 22 |
| that are designed to address the physical demands and high | 23 |
| risks inherent in public safety work and that are not available | 24 |
| through the federal Social Security system, including lower | 25 |
| retirement ages and comprehensive death and disability | 26 |
| benefits; and
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| WHEREAS, It is anticipated that federal legislation will be | 28 |
| introduced that would include a requirement that state and | 29 |
| local government employees hired after a certain date | 30 |
| participate in the federal Social Security system; and
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HJ0021 |
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LRB094 11320 AMC 42146 r |
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| WHEREAS, Preliminary estimates indicate a statewide cost | 2 |
| of over $2 billion if participation in the federal Social | 3 |
| Security system is mandated for Illinois' State and local | 4 |
| government employees, which would result in a sharp decline of | 5 |
| benefits and a reduction in education programs and services; | 6 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, A federal mandate that Illinois' State and local | 8 |
| government employees participate in the federal Social | 9 |
| Security system may not only threaten the integrity of the | 10 |
| existing pension plans for the employees, but it may also | 11 |
| affect the safety and general welfare of the citizens of | 12 |
| Illinois; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 14 |
| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 15 |
| SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the United States | 16 |
| Congress to preserve the right of state and local governments | 17 |
| to operate pension plans for their employees in place of the | 18 |
| federal Social Security system and develop legislation for | 19 |
| responsible reform of the federal Social Security system that | 20 |
| does not include mandatory participation by employees of state | 21 |
| and local governments; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 23 |
| delivered to the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, the | 24 |
| Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and each member | 25 |
| of the Illinois congressional delegation.
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