Social Security Legislation That May
Affect Some Georgia Educators
On December 9, 2003, the U.S. Senate approved the amended Social Security Protection Act (H.R.743). The bill includes a provision prohibiting educators from avoiding the Government Pension Offset (GPO) by transferring to districts covered by Social Security for as little as one day before retiring. The current requirement is that educators must spend only their 'last day' before retirement in a district covered by Social Security in order to avoid the GPO. This bill changes the requirement to 60 consecutive months of Social Security covered employment. Currently retirees in non-Social Security districts - primarily in Texas and Georgia - were able to protect their Social Security spousal benefits from the GPO by working their last day prior to retirement in a district covered by Social Security. This change will take effect on June 30, 2004.