Evening star., 1937-07-30
RETIREMENT LAW
CHANGES TO WAIT
Summary of Proposals Is
Prepared for Convention
and Public Hearings.
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

ment employees retirement law rec
commended to the House at the in
stance OF the Civil Service Commits
sion will await another session of
Congress, Chairman Ramspect OF the
House Civil Service Committee indi-
Gated today. Public hearings will be
held before the measure is reported
In order that the various groups Of
Government workers may have an
opportunity to study the proposed
changes and register their wishes, both
at the twentieth jubilee convention Of
the National Federation of Federal
Employees. which opens in Spring.
field. Ill. September s. and at the
hearings before the Civil Service Com
mittees of House and Senate. a sum-
mary of the new bill introduced yes
terday by Ramspeck has been drafted
The bill does not reflect the wishes
Of the Joint Committee on Civil
Service Retirement, which put
through the present retirement law.
The bill carries provisions for both
compulsory and optional refinement
and alternative proposals on each.
Compulsory (superannuation) retire.
ment would be at the age of 70, after
IS or more years Of service. Optional
retirement is provided for, both at
the initiative Of the Government and
OF the employe. Optional retirement
by the employe Is provided for at IS,
after Is or more years OF service.
Optional retirement by the Gov
eminent with the employees consent
is provided for in cases where those
who have 80 or more years Of service
and who have attained IS years of
age and who for reasons not within
their control and not caused by their
own misconduct or delinquency shall
become disqualified to perform their
duties.
Optional Retirement at 50.
Optional retirement on the part
OF the employe is provided for after
attaining the age of so and rendering
80 or more years of service, on a
reduced annuity similar to the annuity
provided on involuntary separation.
Alternative proposals are: For op-
tional retirement at the age OF 81.
after Is years Of service, the option
to be exercised either by the employe
or the Government, with q right OF
appeal by the employe. Retention OF
optional retirement on the part of
the employe at so. after 80 years Of
service for employees in the 62-year-
age group is also proposed.
Attention is called that the present
retirement act provides three COM
pulsory retirement age groups-at 81.
IS and 70 years. after completion of
IS or more years OF service. It per-
mits optional retirement two years
prior to attaining the compulsory
retirement age, after 30 years OF
service
There Is an additional minimum
provision that the Governments por-
ton of the annuity shall not be less
than l per cent Of the total compen-
sation received by the employe during
service not exceeding 80 years next
preceding retirement.
The new Ramspeck- -Bulow bill, which
is really a Civil Service Commission
bill, provides for an election by the
employe of joint and supervisory
annuity similar to that proposed BY
Chairman Ramspeck in his bill intro
duced on June II.
Annuity Benefit Increases.
Increased annuity benefits to those
retiring for disability, having less than
IS years of service. are provided-the
annuity to be not less than $500
plus $50 q year for each year OF
service.
The new bill also would continue
recovered disability annuitants on full
annuity until re-employed in the Fed
eral service, but not exceeding one
year from the date Of examination
showing recovery. II not re-employed
in the Federal service at the expira-
ton Of the year period annuity would
be granted provided the employe has
completed Is years Of service at the
date Of retirement or disability.
It would make all disability annuity
benefits permanent on attainment Of
the age Of so while receiving such
benefits.
Annuity factors in involuntary sepa-
ration cases are based on an age of
so years.
Failure to purchase credit for past
service will not prevent payment Of
the Governments portion Of the an
nuity for all service rendered prior to
the date on which the employe first
becomes subject to the terms Of the
retirement act.
One Of the most important pro-
visions of the new bill Is increasing
the employees rate of contribution from
3l2 to S per cent.
Reduction Of the interest paid on
refunds In cases Of voluntary repara-
tions and separations for cause run
from 4 to ) per cent.
Establishment of central retire.