Legislation penned by Senator Peters aiming to fix a mistake related to retirement benefits for customs and border patrol officers was passed by the U.S. Senate
LANSING, Mich. — Legislation aiming to fix a mistake related to retirement benefits for customs and border patrol officers was passed by the U.S. Senate Wednesday.
Penned by Michigan Senator Gary Peters (D - MI), the bipartisan CPBO Retirement Corrections Act allows officers to receive the retirement benefits they were promised when they began their service, according to officials.
“Dedicated Customs and Border Protection officers should not have their futures disrupted due to a clerical error that happened over a decade ago,” Senator Peters said. “My bipartisan bill will ensure these brave officers – who tirelessly protect our communities each and every day – have the retirement benefits they were promised when they first started their service.”
Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, incorrectly informed newly hired officers they would be eligible for proportional annuity.
This meant that officers would not have to retire at a specific age or reach 20 years of service to qualify for an enhanced retirement benefit, officials said.
However, more than a decade after these officers started their service, CBP realized their error and revoked the benefits these officers were initially promised, requiring nearly 1,200 officers, including 67 in Michigan, to meet more requirements to receive their retirement benefit, according to officials.
To combat this, Senator Peters introduced the CPBO Retirement Corrections Act, which identifies and notifies individuals eligible for a correction to their promised retirement benefit.
It also includes a retroactive annuity adjustment for eligible individuals who retire before the bill is enacted, and grants the Department of Homeland Security to waive the maximum entry age requirements for eligible officers, officials said.
The CPBO Retirement Corrections Act was originally referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Feb. 9, according to U.S. Congress.
It made its way onto the Senate Legislative Calendar Oct. 3, and was passed just over a month later.
As of Monday, message on Senate action regarding the legislation has been sent to the U.S. House, according to U.S. Congress.