II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 969 

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide an exemption 

from the tax on early distributions for certain Federal law enforcement 

officers, firefighters, and air traffic controllers who retire before age 

55, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 16, 2015 

Mr. TOOMEY (for himself and Mr. BENNET) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide 

an exemption from the tax on early distributions for 

certain Federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, and 

air traffic controllers who retire before age 55, 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 ‘‘Federal Public Safety 

5 Retirement Fairness Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXEMPTION FROM TAX ON EARLY DISTRIBUTIONS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (t) of section 72 of the 

3 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at 

4 the end the following new paragraph: 

5 ‘‘(11) DISTRIBUTIONS TO QUALIFIED FEDERAL

6 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND

7 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FROM THE THRIFT SAV8 INGS FUND.— 

9 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a dis10 tribution to a qualified Federal law enforcement 

11 officer, qualified firefighter, or qualified air 

12 traffic controller from the Thrift Savings Fund 

13 established under section 8437 of title 5, 

14 United States Code, paragraph (2)(A)(v) of this 

15 subsection shall be applied by substituting ‘age 

16 50 (or, if earlier, the age at which the employee 

17 has completed 25 years of creditable service)’ 

18 for ‘age 55’. 

19 ‘‘(B) QUALIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OF20 FICER.—For purposes of this paragraph, the 

21 term ‘qualified law enforcement officer’ means 

22 an individual— 

23 ‘‘(i) who is employed by the Federal 

24 Government as a law enforcement officer 

25 (within the meaning of section 4521, 


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•S 969 IS

1 5541(3), 8331(20), or 8401(17) of title 5, 

2 United States Code), and 

3 ‘‘(ii) who has completed 20 years of 

4 creditable service. 

5 ‘‘(C) QUALIFIED FIREFIGHTER.—For pur6 poses of this paragraph, the term ‘qualified fire7 fighter’ means an individual— 

8 ‘‘(i) who is employed by the Federal 

9 Government as a firefighter (within the 

10 meaning of section 8331(21) of title 5, 

11 United States Code), and 

12 ‘‘(ii) who has completed 20 years of 

13 creditable service. 

14 ‘‘(D) QUALIFIED AIR TRAFFIC CON15 TROLLER.—For purposes of this paragraph, the 

16 term ‘qualified air traffic controller’ means an 

17 individual— 

18 ‘‘(i) who is employed as an air traffic 

19 controller (within the meaning of section 

20 2109 of title 5, United States Code), and 

21 ‘‘(ii) who has completed 20 years of 

22 creditable service. 

23 ‘‘(E) CREDITABLE SERVICE.—For pur24 poses of this paragraph, the term ‘creditable 


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1 service’ means creditable service under section 

2 8332 or 8411 of title 5, United States Code.’’. 

3 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

4 this section shall apply to distributions made in taxable 

5 years beginning after December 31, 2014. 

Æ 


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