I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 178 

To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for the termination of 

further retirement benefits for Members of Congress, except the right 

to continue participating in the Thrift Savings Plan, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 4, 2013 

Mr. GRIFFIN of Arkansas introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for the 

termination of further retirement benefits for Members 

of Congress, except the right to continue participating 

in the Thrift Savings Plan, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘End Pensions in Con5 gress Act’’ or the ‘‘EPIC Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS RELATING TO THE CIVIL SERVICE 

2 RETIREMENT SYSTEM. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 83 of 

4 title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

5 section 8335 the following: 

6 ‘‘§ 8335a. Termination of further retirement coverage 

7 of Members of Congress 

8 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro9 vision of this subchapter and subject to subsection (f), ef10 fective as of the date of enactment of this section— 

11 ‘‘(1) a Member shall not be subject to this sub12 chapter for any further period of time; and 

13 ‘‘(2) no further Government contributions or 

14 deductions from basic pay may be made with respect 

15 to such Member for deposit in the Treasury of the 

16 United States to the credit of the Fund. 

17 ‘‘(b) PRIOR RIGHTS NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in 

18 subsection (a) shall be considered to nullify, modify, or 

19 otherwise affect any right, entitlement, or benefit under 

20 this subchapter with respect to any Member covering any 

21 period prior to the date of enactment of this section. 

22 ‘‘(c) RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THRIFT SAVINGS

23 PLAN NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in subsection (a) shall 

24 affect the eligibility of a Member to participate in the 

25 Thrift Savings Plan in accordance with otherwise applica26 ble provisions of law. 


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1 ‘‘(d) REGULATIONS.—Any regulations necessary to 

2 carry out this section may— 

3 ‘‘(1) except with respect to matters under sub4 paragraph (B), be prescribed by the Director of the 

5 Office of Personnel Management; and 

6 ‘‘(2) with respect to matters relating to the 

7 Thrift Savings Plan, be prescribed by the Executive 

8 Director (as defined by section 8401(13)). 

9 ‘‘(e) EXCLUSION.—For purposes of this section, the 

10 term ‘Member’ does not include the Vice President. 

11 ‘‘(f) OPT-IN.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

12 of enactment of this section, a Member covered by this 

13 subchapter as of such date may elect, by giving notice in 

14 writing to the official by whom he is paid, to remain sub15 ject to this subchapter.’’. 

16 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

17 at the beginning of chapter 83 of title 5, United States 

18 Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 

19 section 8335 the following: 

‘‘8335a. Termination of further retirement coverage of Members of Congress.’’. 

20 SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS RELATING TO THE FEDERAL EM21 PLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 84 of 

23 title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

24 section 8425 the following: 


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1 ‘‘§ 8425a. Termination of further retirement coverage 

2 of Members of Congress 

3 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro4 vision of this chapter, effective as of the date of enactment 

5 of this section— 

6 ‘‘(1) subject to subsection (f), in the case of an 

7 individual who first becomes a Member before such 

8 date of enactment— 

9 ‘‘(A) such Member shall not be subject to 

10 this chapter for any further period of time after 

11 such date of enactment; and 

12 ‘‘(B) no further Government contributions 

13 or deductions from basic pay may be made with 

14 respect to such Member for deposit in the 

15 Treasury of the United States to the credit of 

16 the Fund; and 

17 ‘‘(2) in the case of an individual who first be18 comes a Member on or after such date of enact19 ment— 

20 ‘‘(A) such Member shall not be subject to 

21 this chapter; and 

22 ‘‘(B) no Government contributions or de23 ductions from basic pay may be made with re24 spect to such Member for deposit in the Treas25 ury of the United States to the credit of the 

26 Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund. 


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1 ‘‘(b) PRIOR RIGHTS NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in 

2 subsection (a) shall be considered to nullify, modify, or 

3 otherwise affect any right, entitlement, or benefit under 

4 this chapter with respect to any Member covering any pe5 riod prior to the date of enactment of this section. 

6 ‘‘(c) RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THRIFT SAVINGS

7 PLAN NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in subsection (a) shall 

8 affect the eligibility of a Member to participate in the 

9 Thrift Savings Plan in accordance with otherwise applica10 ble provisions of law. 

11 ‘‘(d) REGULATIONS.— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any regulations necessary 

13 to carry out this section may— 

14 ‘‘(A) except with respect to matters under 

15 subparagraph (B), be prescribed by the Direc16 tor of the Office of Personnel Management; and 

17 ‘‘(B) with respect to matters relating to 

18 the Thrift Savings Plan, be prescribed by the 

19 Executive Director (as defined by section 

20 8401(13)). 

21 ‘‘(2) REFUNDS.—Notwithstanding subsection 

22 (b), the regulations under paragraph (1)(A) shall, in 

23 the case of a Member who has not completed at 

24 least 5 years of civilian service as of the date of en25 actment of this section, provide that the lump-sum 


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1 credit shall be payable to such Member to the same 

2 extent and in the same manner as if such Member 

3 satisfied paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 

4 8424(a) as of such date of enactment. 

5 ‘‘(e) EXCLUSION.—For purposes of this section, the 

6 term ‘Member’ does not include the Vice President. 

7 ‘‘(f) OPT-IN.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

8 of enactment of this section, a Member covered by this 

9 chapter as of such date may elect, by giving notice in writ10 ing to the official by whom he is paid, to remain subject 

11 to this chapter.’’. 

12 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

13 at the beginning of chapter 84 of title 5, United States 

14 Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 

15 section 8425 the following: 

‘‘8425a. Termination of further retirement coverage of Members of Congress.’’. 

Æ 


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